John White defends the UK private school system from the accusation that it allows an unfair form of 'queue jumping' in university admissions. He offers two responses to this accusation, one based on considerations of harm, and one based on meritocratic distribution of university places. We will argue that neither response succeeds: the…

Mary L. Rasmussen is a sociologist of education with expertise in studies of gender and sexuality. This angle of scrutiny (Harwood 2006) is her point of departure in conversations about schooling and religion. From this angle, Rasmussen believes that schooling and religion can be incredibly powerful in creating community. She is also clear that…

Democracy needs dissent. More specifically, democracy needs citizens with "knowledge" of how to practice political dissent, a willingness to "think" about why and when such dissent is necessary, and "habituation" to the practice of good dissent. Where, then, are citizens to develop such habits? In Sarah Stitzlein's…

Guided by the concept of nepantleras and critical race nepantlera methodology, Nancy Acevedo presents the testimonios of Citlalli Bejarano and Natalie Ibarra Collazo, two Chicana students who attend urban high schools. Citlalli and Natalie share various forms of inclusion and exclusion that they experience as Chicanas attending private and public…

The unexpected advent of a global pandemic and, in the UK, as part of the government response to control the spread of the virus, the closure of schools with just 48 hours' notice, meant many English teachers were faced with entirely new pedagogical, curricular and technological demands. This article reflects on the experiences of five English…

In the fall of 2015, Jonathan Howland interviewed about a dozen independent school heads to inquire about novel programs and developments in their schools that, if they take root and flourish, could be "game changing"; about their vision of independent schools 40 years hence, in mid-21st-century America; and about impediments to reaching…

In this commentary on "Does Sorting Students Improve Scores? An Analysis of Class Composition" (Collins and Gan 2013), the author discusses the findings in Collins and Gan's study on grouping to provide appropriate-level instruction to promote students' academic growth. This commentary critiques the credibility and validity of the…

In the past few years, four states have established programs that provide public financial support to students who choose to attend a private school. These programs--a tax-credit-funded scholarship initiative in Florida and voucher programs in Indiana, Louisiana, and Ohio--offer a glimpse of what expansive statewide choice might look like. What…

In almost any conversation about accountability for private schools, accountability for public schools is assumed. This is a dangerous myth. By assuming that the edifice that states and the federal government have created over the past several decades actually holds schools accountable, school choice advocates immediately find themselves in an…

This report asserts that tax credit scholarship programs, that distribute scholarships to students via Scholarship Tuition Organizations (STOs), have saved state treasuries between $1.7 and $3.4 billion dollars since 1998. The report argues that these programs are able to realize fiscal savings as a result of students leaving public schools and…

In this article, Brent Beal, and Heather Olson Beal respond to comments made about their article: "Rethinking the Market Metaphor: School Choice, the Common Good, and the National Football League," appearing in this issue of the Journal of School Choice. Comments were made by Vitteritti, Houck, Coulson, Bast, and Merrifield. In their…

One of the most challenging decisions made by school system administrators each year is how to assign students to teachers. This decision, usually guided by the administrator's beliefs and values, has major implications for the teacher and the student. Collins and Gan undertook a complex study to examine the impact of grouping practices on student…

In this article, "Education Next" talks with Matthew Ladner and Nelson Smith on the topic of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). ESAs apply the logic of school choice to the ever-expanding realm of education offerings. Rather than simply empowering families to select the school of their choice, ESAs provide families with most or all of…

In this report, a school choice advocacy group presents results from its survey of K-12 parents within and across the public and private sectors. They report that parents are highly satisfied with voucher and tax credit scholarship programs and suggest that the findings support the expansion of school choice programs. However, these and other…

Organizational expert, Jim Collins, is the author of "Good to Great" (2001) and "How the Mighty Fall" (2009) and coauthor of "Great by Choice" (2011). Collins also authored a monograph entitled, "Good to Great and the Social Sectors," and presented his findings at the 2007 NAIS Conference. Recently, Collins…