Francie Alexander envisions parents choosing school that's best for child. Parental choice of schools can mean many different things. Some choice programs involve only public schools. Others involve public and private schools. Then there are voucher programs and magnet schools. Children's Express talked with Francie Alexander, deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Educational Research a

"I don't think that people should put their money into specific schools just to make a school better. We need to make every school better so no matter where you go you get a good education." Lisa Brooks, 14, San Diego "You can't regulate who gets into public schools because that's what they are. They're available for anyone who wants to go to school. I think the main thing we have to cut down

When an autistic girl came to a new school, she had never spoken in her life. Despite her silence and isolation, she chose to say her first words there. They were "I love you." And they were directed at her teacher, Marva Collins. Collins has since joined the vanguard of education with her faith in children's innate ability to learn. Twenty years ago, Collins founded the Westside Preparatory S

As a new school year gets under way, some kids might be changing schools, either because they have graduated from an elementary level or because their parents want them to go to a private school in the hope that they will learn more. But is it true that you learn more at a private school? Do they offer smaller classes than public schools? Do they have better-quality teachers? Is everyone ther