Fighting for the Freedom to Learn Examining America's Centuries-Old School Choice Movement

The school choice movement is often seen as a modern, partisan undermining of a cherished institution: public education. Fighting for the Freedom to Learn sets the record straight, revealing that the struggle for educational freedom is as old as America itself and rooted in a deep and enduring tradition of parents and communities shaping how children learn.

With contributions from 12 leading education scholars, this is a sweeping history of school choice in the United States. From Pennsylvania’s 1802 policy funding poor families to attend schools of their choice, to 19th-century “town tuitioning” programs in Vermont and Maine, to the post-COVID school choice explosion, Americans have long supported publicly backed educational options beyond government-run schools. Other highlights include the vital role of private initiatives in providing education to black Americans denied access to public schools, the long legal campaign for educational freedom, and more.

This book makes clear that wanting school choice is not a recent or radical idea but a consistent thread in the American story. For educators, policymakers, historians, and parents, Fighting for the Freedom to Learn offers a powerful reminder: Educational freedom, like liberty itself, is not a new trend—it’s a founding principle.

Neal McCluskey is the director of the Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom. He is the author of the book The Fractured Schoolhouse: Reexamining Education for a Free, Equal, and Harmonious Society. James V. Shuls is an associate professor and the graduate program director of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.