The Mile High Promise, And Risk, Of School Choice is an editorial published on NPR by NPR Ed, a branch of NPR dealing with education and schooling in America. It discusses the merits and drawbacks of school choice being proposed by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos -- and how one district in Denver seems to be doing it right.
One thing that jumped out at me right away about this article was the way it seemed to use the classical model of oration almost as an introduction. They followed most of the parts, including refutatio, in the several lines that made up their introduction. This set up the rest of the article as evidence and example, and also detailed analysis. For me, this was an effective intro, as it showed they had done extensive research and already crafted an argument and thesis through that research.
The article also does a good job at establishing historical context around the occasion. The school choice initiative in Denver has been around since the end of segregation in public schools in the 70s, and was not newly implemented anytime recently. This means they have decades of experience and working on issues to make it what it is today. This was made very clear in the article, and provides a nuanced way of looking at the issues we face regarding school choice today.
Overall, the article did a wonderful job of providing the reader with things to think about regarding the issue of school choice. While it does have its merits, it also comes with drawbacks - particularly for impoverished families who lack transportation, and a still-wide achievement gap in many schools. The issues that confront us now are not new ones, and they are ones we need to think carefully about before making decisions on.
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