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Full-Text Articles in Law

School Choice And States' Duty To Support Public Schools , Aaron J. Saiger Jan 2007

School Choice And States' Duty To Support Public Schools , Aaron J. Saiger

Faculty Scholarship

The education clauses of state constitutions require states to support schools that not only educate children adequately and equitably, but that are "public" or "common." This Article argues that state-supported school choice can be consistent with these latter requirements. Individual choices, about where to live and whether to educate children privately, have long shaped traditional "public" schooling arrangements. The more direct role choice plays in school voucher and charter programs is also consistent with the requirement that schools be "public." Such programs must ensure, however, that parents' choices among schools are "genuine and independent." This criterion, developed by the U.S. …


The Rise And Fall Of School Vouchers: A Story Of Religion, Race, And Politics, James Forman Jr. Jan 2007

The Rise And Fall Of School Vouchers: A Story Of Religion, Race, And Politics, James Forman Jr.

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This Article examines why school vouchers have failed to garner the support that so many assumed would follow the Court's decision in Zelman. The explanation, I suggest, concerns religion, race, and politics. The original rationale for vouchers was what I call the "values claim"-vouchers protected the right of parents to send their child to a school that reinforced their values. Originally promoted by Catholics, the values claim was adopted by evangelical Christians concerned about the secularization of public schools after the 1960s. Although the values claim was central for most of the history of the voucher movement, in the decade …