But feelings run deep, political alliances are strong and prospects for bipartisan agreement look bleak. We should begin by acknowledging two facts of life. First, big education decisions in America are made by states, communities, schools and families, not by Washington. And in the past three decades, people have reached varied conclusions about school choice. In others, you're free to enroll in any public school in town or even in nearby districts.
Home schooling is on the rise.
Virtual schooling via cyberspace is starting. And in a very few jurisdictions, state dollars may, under limited circumstances, be used to pay for private schooling. Second, present federal education programs impede all school choice. Dollars are parceled out to school districts on the basis of residential formulas, as they were in Lyndon Johnson's day. It belongs to the district where you live.