Can markets deliver a better education? What do we mean by “better”? And for whom?

Apart from the government itself, education may be the one sector of our society where markets and entrepreneurship play the very smallest roles. For some, that’s exactly how it should be. Communitarians favor public education as a preparation for citizenship, and egalitarians argue that public education is the only thing standing between the economically less fortunate and simple illiteracy. Yet educational equality remains elusive, and it’s less than clear how state-provided education prepares citizens for an adult life in which we freely choose our communal associations.

Our lead essayist, education researcher Kevin Currie-Knight, reviews some of the arguments made in favor of public schooling and finds them wanting; he recommends a greater role for the market in providing educational services. Here to discuss with him are educational experts Deborah Meier of New York University, Marcus A. Winters of of the University of Colorado, and Conor P. Williams of the New America Foundation.