Does School Choice Harm Public Schools?
About This Event
Opponents of school choice--in particular, programs that offer private school vouchers to families--often argue that increasing education options will lower the quality of public schools by drawing funds away from public school systems and instead toward private schools. Thomas Nechyba, a professor of economics and public policy studies at Duke University, has analyzed theoretically and empirically the impact of school choice on public school quality and found it is likely that any negative impacts would be small and in many circumstances the quality of public schools may substantially increase. Moreover, Nechyba concludes that vouchers would benefit lower-income households more than high-income households that are already exercising school choice. Frederick Hess, a professor of education and government at the University of Virginia, and Derek Neal, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, will comment on Nechyba’s findings.
Agenda
9:00 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:15 Introduction: Eric M. Engen, AEI
Speaker: Thomas Nechyba, Duke University
Discussants: Frederick Hess, University of Virginia
Derek Neal, University of Chicago
Moderator: Eric M. Engen, AEI
11:00 Adjournment
AEI Participants

 

Kevin A.
Hassett
  • Before joining AEI, Mr. Hassett was a senior economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and an associate professor of economics and finance at the Graduate School of Business of Columbia University, as well as a policy consultant to the Treasury Department during the George H. W. Bush and Clinton administrations. He served as an economic adviser to the George W. Bush 2004 presidential campaign and as Senator John McCain's chief economic adviser during the 2000 presidential primaries. He also served as a senior economic adviser to the McCain 2008 presidential campaign. Mr. Hassett is a columnist for National Review.

  • Phone: 202-862-7157
    Email: khassett@aei.org
  • Assistant Info

    Name: Veronika Polakova
    Phone: 202-862-4880
    Email: veronika.polakova@aei.org

 

Frederick M.
Hess
  • An educator, political scientist, and author, Frederick M. Hess studies a range of K-12 and higher education issues. He is the author of influential books on education including The Same Thing Over and Over, Education Unbound, Common Sense School Reform, Revolution at the Margins, and Spinning Wheels, and pens the Education Week blog "Rick Hess Straight Up."  His work has appeared in scholarly and popular outlets such as Teachers College Record, Harvard Education Review, Social Science Quarterly, Urban Affairs Review, American Politics Quarterly, Chronicle of Higher Education, Phi Delta Kappan, Educational Leadership, U.S. News & World Report, The Washington Post, New York Times and National Review. He has edited widely-cited volumes on education philanthropy, stretching the school dollar, the impact of education research, and No Child Left Behind.  He serves as executive editor of Education Next, as lead faculty member for the Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program, on the Review Board for the Broad Prize in Urban Education, and on the Boards of Directors of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, 4.0 SCHOOLS, and the American Board for the Certification of Teaching Excellence. A former high school social studies teacher, he has taught at the University of Virginia, the University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, Rice University, and Harvard University. He holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University as well as an M.Ed. in Teaching and Curriculum.

    Follow AEI Education Policy on Twitter


  • Email: rhess@aei.org
  • Assistant Info

    Name: Rebecca King
    Phone: 202-862-5904
    Email: Rebecca.King@aei.org
AEI on Facebook