September 17, 2009 1:14PM 

# Repeat after Me: “We Are All Individuals” 

By [Andrew J. Coulson](https://www.cato.org/people/andrew-coulson) 

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![Media Name: steve.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/pubs_2x/public/download-remote-images/owlibrary.files.wordpress.com/169744570181/steve.jpg?itok=AstPbKXV) 

A millennium or so ago, Steve Martin played a stadium with his stand-up act. He got the crowd of tens of thousands to repeat a series of statements in unison. My favorite, for sheer irony: “We Are all Individuals.”

But, the thing is, we are.

This is why I never cease to be amazed by [disagreements like the one currently playing out](http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/) between the curriculum groups “[Common Core](http://www.commoncore.org/),” and “[Partnership for 21st Century Skills](http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/).”

Is there really *one* curriculum that is right for every child in this nation of 300 million people? Really?

Rather than fighting a winner-take-all Shootout at the O.K. Curriculum, [which is what our illustrious leaders seem to want](http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/08/14/2009-08-14_the_case_against_national_school_standards.html&sa=U&ei=EWCySom7GIPqtAO9uaTYCw&ct=res&cd=5&usg=AFQjCNHZL_yRpopJzbQoZnp2l3v4txToIA), how about this peace-loving alternative: we let teachers teach whatever and however they want, and we let families choose and pay for whichever schools they think are best for their kids ([with financial aid for those who need it](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=8812)).

‘Cause the thing is, a quarter century of econometric research is repeating, in Steve-Martin-Like unison that: [educational freedom works](https://www.cato.org/pubs/articles/coulson_comparing_public_private_market_schools_jsc.pdf).

##### Related Tags 

[Education](https://www.cato.org/education), [Center for Educational Freedom](https://www.cato.org/center-educational-freedom) 

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