ABSTRACT
In Arizona, a state has implemented relatively comprehensive school choice through charter schools. This chapter represents the first published examination of a large-scale, comprehensive school choice system in the real world. It addresses empirical issues, many of the fundamental questions about school choice have to do with the normative purposes, or goals, of public education. Arizona came the closest of any state to passing a statewide voucher scheme and then passed the nation's most pro-charter law. The exact provisions and implementation of charter laws depend on the political correlation of forces. Gregg Garn and Robert Stout suggest that strong political support for charters on the Arizona charter board and the board of education means that those entities are reluctant to close charters. In contrast, charter supporters, Lisa Graham Keegan and Robert Maranto emphasize the role of parents in holding charters accountable. Gregg Garn and Robert Stout's findings indicate that Arizona parents receive less than adequate information from administrative sources.
