Liberty & Learning: Milton Friedman's Voucher Idea at Fifty [Paperback]

Robert C. Enlow (Editor), Lenore F. Ealy (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 10, 2006

Fifty years ago, Milton Friedman had the ground-breaking idea to improve public education with school vouchers. By separating government financing of education from government administration of schools, Friedman argued, parents at all income levels would have the freedom to choose the schools their children attend. Liberty & Learning is a collection of essays from the nation's top education experts evaluating the progress of Friedman's innovative idea and reflecting on its merits in the 21st century. The book also contains a special prologue and epilogue by Milton Friedman himself. The contributors to this volume take a variety of approaches to Friedman's voucher idea. All of them assess the merit of Friedman's plan through an energetic, contemporary perspective, though some authors take a theoretical position, while others employ a very pragmatic approach.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

When economist Milton Friedman wrote an essay in 1955 promoting the idea of supporting parental choice in schools with vouchers, the quality of public schools was indisputably much better than it is today. Friedman's reason for supporting vouchers was purely philosophical, based on his beliefs that school choice should be an essential part of a free-market society. Editors Enlow and Ealy asked 10 education experts to reexamine Friedman's ideas as articulated in the essay "The Role of Government in Education" and its relevance to the current debate. From their varying perspectives--pro and con--the contributors offer a thoughtful look at the movement for school choice in the context of concerns about declining educational standards, growing global competition, and continued racial economic disparities in the U.S. Among the contributors are Guilbert C. Hentschke, John E. Brandl, and Abigail Thernstrom. Friedman offers an epilogue critical of the power of the teachers' unions and promising to continue to fight for vouchers. Readers interested in education will appreciate the well-considered arguments presented in this thought--provoking book. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

"The contributors offer a thoughtful look at the movement for school choice. Friedman offers an epilogue critical of the power of the teachers' unions and promising to continue to fight for vouchers. Readers interested in education will appreciate the well-considered arguments presented in this thought-provoking book." -Vanessa Bush, Booklist, American Library Association

"Liberty & Learning represents a major critical reassessment of the Friedman's vision for school choice. It is by no means just a paean to the genius of the voucher idea. The Friedmans themselves have always relished the spirited debate, and several contributors are ready to give it to them." -School Choice Advocate

"The movement remains in its infancy, and the `pure' voucher system Milton Friedman proposed has still never been instituted anywhere in the United States. This slim volume, with contributions from 10 educational experts of varying ideological hues, tries to explain why and where to go from here. Suggestions in the book range from downplaying the rhetoric of liberty and adopting the rhetoric of community values to sell vouchers to Myron Lieberman's suggestion that voucher supporters stop compromising and push harder for system wide vouchers for everybody. Abigail Thernstrom suggests a broad voucher program may be the last hope for many African Americans. And James Tooley notes the remarkable 'mushrooming' of inexpensive and superior private schools in poor regions from India to Ghana." -Alan W. Bock, Orange County Register

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Product Details

• Paperback: 140 pages
• Publisher: Cato Institute (August 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930865864
• ISBN-13: 978-1930865860
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,598,253 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Colleges strong in education studies must have this., November 5, 2006

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Liberty & Learning: Milton Friedman's Voucher Idea at Fifty (Paperback)

In 1955 Milton Friedman wrote 'The Role of Government in Education', little knowing his essay would promote and begin the modern 'school choice' movement. In it he argued there was no justification for the government's operation of schools - and his essay here is reconsidered fifty years later, gathering writings form the nation's top educators to consider its merit in modern times.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent suggestions for education reform, October 13, 2011

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Travel the road - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Liberty & Learning: Milton Friedman's Voucher Idea at Fifty (Kindle Edition)

Wonderful work by a world famous economist on how to reform the us educational system. This needs to be a mandatory read for every state doe budget director. America is losing ground, a Nobel prize winning economist has given us practical, feasible solutions. Wakeup, read, listen, and talk to your representatives about solutions