State embraces vouchers
by Nicholas Persac - News Star (excerpt)

The common theme among state laws to improve public education nationwide comes down to one word: choice. Whether it's the decades-long debate about school vouchers or the proliferation of charter schools, education reform has centered on efforts to give families more options.

With the passage of Gov. Bobby Jindal's education legislation in April, Louisiana joins a growing number of states taking steps to privatize public education — spending public money on tuition for students enrolled in private institutions.

The school choice movement, which dates to the early 1980s, has its roots in conservative ideology, emphasizing a lesser role for government and replacing top-down mandates with a belief in market forces and the power of personal freedom.