School choice, a controversial and frequently polarizing topic, offers students a variety of benefits when well-implemented and the potential for great harm when handled carelessly, according to a recently released two-year study.

The report, issued by The National Working Commission on Choice in K-12 Education, recommends ample funding and greater autonomy for all schools to hire teachers on the basis of fit. It also raises questions about the capacity of existing school districts to properly oversee choice. The report, "School Choice: Doing it the Right Way Makes a Difference," was released late last year.

"This report is meant as a guide. It is not a step-by-step roadmap, or a list of ‘dos and don'ts,'" said Jeff Henig, one of 14 members of the commission and Professor of Political Science at TC. "But it does begin to lay out a way to think about school choice policies that can help citizens and officials escape the centrifugal forces of ideology and partisan competition."

FOR MORE:

"National Commission on Choice in K-12 Education Urges More Funding For Charters and Vouchers" with Multimedia (Inside TC Newsletter, November 2003)

Published Friday, Jan. 14, 2005