The Race Between Reform Models

Big news this week about the race between charters and vouchers, and the rise of homeschooling:

Charter Schools Prove More Popular Than Vouchers NYT
One Million Homeschooled Students TC Record

The reality is that reforms compete against each other for attention and resources, and no doubt this takes place in the public school alternative space. Small schools are also competing in the same space.

On one hand, the rise of charters helps the small school movement, since most charters are small, but I sometimes think that charters and small schools are separate, and somewhat competing, approaches that siphon momentum from each other at various times. Charters are much more controversial these days, which cuts differently depending on your perspective. Small schools within the district system may be somewhat harder to pull off, and already seem a little bit outdated.

Smaller schools left behind Star Tribune via Stateline