For years, Republicans have been quick to criticize the state of American public education, while Democrats have dismissed the GOP for failing to put forth an education plan of its own. To reverse the Democrats' dominance on the education issue, Republicans eventually came forward with ideas. Foremost among these was a call for parents to have some say in the public school their children attend.
Recent surveys suggest that a majority of parents support school choice.
There are numerous examples of this growing interest around the country. More than 10,000 students have participated in city-run voucher programs this year in Cleveland and Milwaukee. Florida recently enacted a similar program statewide. In addition, about 57,000 students are receiving partial scholarships to attend the schools of their choice under privately funded voucher programs across the nation. Another 1.25 million low-income students are on waiting lists for these private scholarships.