Episode 82: School Choice: The Great Debate. A Conversation with Mike McShane.

We trace the rise of school choice from early voucher experiments to modern ESAs, unpack how funding actually follows students, and use fresh data to separate myths from reality. Mike McShane shares trends on parent preferences, teacher morale, and why safety and fit now drive decisions.

• defining vouchers, ESAs, tax credits and open enrollment
• how school funding works and what follows students
• common school history, Zelman ruling and universal expansion
• charter schools and homeschool regulation contrasts
• enrollment shares versus parent preferences by sector
• arguments for and against school choice, addressed charitably
• why families switch: bullying, stress and unmet needs
• impacts on districts, hold-harmless provisions and supply growth
• teacher morale trends and why microschools attract educators
• ten-year outlook and how states can make access truly universal

About our guest
Dr. Michael McShane is Director of National Research at EdChoice. He is the author, editor, co-author, or co-editor of twelve books on education policy, including his most recent Getting Education Right (w/ Rick Hess). He is currently an opinion contributor to Forbes, and his analyses and commentary have been published widely in the media, including in USA Today, The Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. A former high school teacher, he earned a Ph.D. in education policy from the University of Arkansas, He is also a senior fellow at the Show-Me Institute and an adjunct fellow in education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute.

Connect with Mike
edchoice.com
Getting Education Right

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About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

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