Overview

In this issue . . .

6
Customization and the Common Good: A Conversation with Larry Cuban
Scott Willis
Customization and standardization are trends in direct conflict. How do we restore a balance in the goals of schooling?

12
The Case for Diversified Schooling
Ron Brandt
Why we must offer families more choices in curriculum, governance structures, and schools.

20
The Price of Public School Choice
Kenneth Howe, Margaret Eisenhart, and Damian Betebenner
In Boulder, school choice has enabled some schools to achieve at the expense of others.

25
Beyond Self-Interest: A Democratic Core Curriculum
James A. Beane
A democratic curriculum is preferable to both boutique and standardized approaches.

29
One Kid at a Time
Eliot Levine
At the Met, students are the choosers, the workers, and the learners.

33
The False Promise of Vouchers
Timothy McDonald
Vouchers are a temptation but not an answer.

38
The Truth About Vouchers
Kaleem M. S. Caire
Vouchers will not destroy public education; they will redefine it.

44
Coming Around on School Choice
Joseph P. Viteritti
The lack of choice consigns poor children to schools that middle-class parents reject.

50
Customization Through Homeschooling
Brian D. Ray
The home is a natural environment for providing individualized opportunities for students

54
Making the Homeschool Connection
Mark G. Eley
A center called CASA Vida makes the public school into a community resource for homeschoolers.

56
The Civic Perils of Homeschooling
Rob Reich
Homeschooling takes the consumer mentality too far.

60
Preparing Students for Life After High School
David T. Conley
Options for high school seniors include career-related paths and postsecondary academic experiences.

64
Must High School Last Four Years?
Clifford B. Janey
In Rochester, New York, students can finish academic requirements in three, four, or five years.

68
The Benefits of Theme Schools
Margaret Weertz
Science immersion and a creative arts emphasis are just two of the selections for students in Dearborn, Michigan.

72
Reinventing the High School Experience
Bob Pearlman
These model schools offer technology-based, personalized learning.

76
Ready for the World
Thom Markham and Bob Lenz
Academy X is a leadership and humanities academy for 11th and 12th graders

80
Cultivating Entrepreneurship
Lois R. Saboe, Julie Kantor, and Jane Walsh
At-risk students reap benefits from learning business skills.

Departments
5
Perspectives / Making Choice Work
Marge Scherer

84
Research Link / For-Profit Schools
John H. Holloway

87
The Shrink in the Classroom / Why "Just Say No" Isn't Enough
Steven C. Schlozman

90
Special Report / RAND Report on Charter Schools and Vouchers

94
ASCD in Action

96
Web Wonders / Customizing Our Schools
Heather Voke