In an essay in this month's Commentary, Paul Peterson reflects on whether the Supreme Court's Zelman decision will be a turning point in how Americans think about education, akin to the Court's Brown vs. Board of Education decision half a century ago. Both decisions mean much more for black students than for other Americans, Peterson writes, but while Brown was (at least in principle) self-enacting, Zelman does not compel the formation of new voucher programs. Public opinion is divided on vouchers and many political obstacles face voucher proponents, but the key to the growth of voucher programs, he writes, lies within the black community and, especially, with parents. Education change does not come quickly in America, Peterson warns, but choice, once won, is seldom yielded back. "Victory for Vouchers?" by Paul Peterson, Commentary, September 2002. (Not yet available online.)
