Liberty & Learning

September 1, 2006
When economist Milton Friedman wrote an essay in 1955 promoting the idea of supporting parental choice in schools with vouchers, the quality of public schools was indisputably much better than it is today. Friedman's reason for supporting vouchers was purely philosophical, based on his beliefs that school choice should be an essential part of a free-market society. Editors Enlow and Ealy asked 10 education experts to reexamine Friedman's ideas as articulated in the essay "The Role of Government in Education" and its relevance to the current debate. From their varying perspectives--pro and con--the contributors offer a thoughtful look at the movement for school choice in the context of concerns about declining educational standards, growing global competition, and continued racial economic disparities in the U.S. Among the contributors are Guilbert C. Hentschke, John E. Brandl, and Abigail Thernstrom. Friedman offers an epilogue critical of the power of the teachers' unions and promising to continue to fight for vouchers. Readers interested in education will appreciate the well-considered arguments presented in this thought--provoking book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)