ABSTRACT
D ebates over school choice policy in the United States and elsewhere stand at the center of profound ideological disagreements about the role of the state, the market, and civil society in educating future citizens, workers, and consumers. Many advocates of greater parental choice in education favor a smaller state role in the day-to-day operation of schools and argue that the infusion of competitive market forces into the educational system will motivate educators to respond more directly to the demands of civil society. Whereas in the past, school choice policies have relied more upon government intervention than market forces, the current, postmodern age calls for a new paradigm -a market metaphor for educational reform coupled with the demand for greater local, community control of schools.
