-
The Beginning of School Choice
The historic Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 denotes the start of the modern school choice movement. In response to Brown, some Southern states enacted “freedom of choice” legislation designed to allow parents to choose where they sent their children. -
Early Influence
Economist Milton Friedman’s 1955 essay, “The Role of Government in Education” serves as the intellectual birthplace of the school choice movement. In this influential essay, Friedman argued for “giving parents vouchers redeemable for a specified maximum sum per child per year if spent on ‘approved’ educational services.” -
Intro to Charter Schools
In 1974, Ray Budde, a University of Massachusetts professor, presents the foundational concepts of charter schools in his paper “Education by Charter.” -
Period: to
Processing Ideas
Budde’s ideas didn’t gain momentum until his paper was published in 1988,after the release of “A Nation at Risk,” a seminal report on the state of education in America. “A Nation at Risk” was a condemning indictment of America’s public schools that set the stage for government initiatives aimed at improving our education system. Budde’s charter concept made it’s way to Al Shanker, former president of the American Federation of Teachers. -
School Vouchers
In 1989, the Wisconsin legislature passed the nation’s first modern school voucher program targeting students from low-income households in the Milwaukee School District. -
Modernizing School Choice
In 1991, Minnesota became the first state to pass a charter, and give parents an option of charter schooling as a school choice. -
Period: to
Vouchers continue
The largest and oldest Voucher program is in Milwaukee. Started in 1990, and expanded in 1995, it currently allows no more than 15% of the district's public school enrollment to use vouchers. As of 2005 over 14,000 students use vouchers and they are nearing the 15% cap -
School Tax Credit Program
The first scholarship tax credit program was Arizona's Personal Tax Credits for School Tuition Organizations program, which has been in operation since 1997 -
States Begin to Take Action
In 2001, Florida enacted the John M. McKay Scholarships Program for Students with Disabilities becoming the first state to offer private school vouchers to students with disabilities. -
More School Vouchers
In 2004, the first federally funded and administered voucher program was enacted by Congress in Washington, D.C. It offered private school vouchers to low-income students, giving priority to those attending low-performing public schools -
Period: to
Present Time
Over the past several decades, vouchers and charter schools have experienced great support and resistance. Many argue that charter schools in particular have strayed away from its early roots. With Betsy Devos as Education Secretary, the debate about school choice has grown even more tense considering her vocal support. Currently, 27 states and Washington, D.C. offer some sort of publicly-funded private education program, and 43 states and Washington, D.C. have charter school laws.