January 17, 2008 10:16AM

A Round‐​Up of Sol Stern Criticism by CEF

By Adam B. Schaeffer

Cato’s Center for Educational Freedom has a lot to say in response to an article by Sol Stern in the most recent issue of the City Journal. 

Stern, a Manhattan Institute senior fellow and a formerly strong supporter of school choice, argues that market reform in education has failed to deliver on its promise and that we should refocus our energies on curriculum and pedagogy, or “instructionist” reform.

I take issue with Stern’s inaccurate accounting of the school choice policy landscape here:

Et Tu, City Journal? A Terrible Argument for Dismissing School Choice

Andrew Coulson addresses Stern’s misunderstanding of free markets and school choice policy here:

Stern Shouldn’t Be Taking any Bows…

Neal McCluskey exposes the core of Stern’s argument for “instructionist” reform as a fantasy buoyed by misconceptions here:

A Thought Experiment Gone Terribly Wrong