Advancing by Degrees

American education suffers from a variety of maladies, whether it is meddling judges (Andrew Peyton Thomas, p. 26) or out-of-control multiculturalists (Jon Sanders, p. 38). But against this background of failure there are signs of hope, in the enterprisingness of homeschoolers (Isabel Lyman, p. 30), the founders of single-sex schools (Christine Whelan, p. 34), and even conservatives at Yale (Avik Roy, p. 40). Most importantly, the environment in which battles over education are fought is changing radically (Ramesh Ponnuru, see below).

WHEN President Clinton vetoed Sen. Paul Coverdell’s education savings accounts in July, he did it in the media-cycle equivalent of the dead of night. Two months before, he had vetoed a school-choice program for Washington, D.C., with little fanfare. In other words, he acted like someone taking a disreputable stand on behalf of an interest group, which, of course, he was.

About the Author

Ramesh Ponnuru

Ramesh Ponnuru is the editor of National Review, a columnist for the Washington Post, and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

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Department of Education

American education suffers from a variety of maladies, whether it is meddling judges (Andrew Peyton Thomas, p. 26) or out-of-control multiculturalists (Jon Sanders, p. 38). But against this background of failure there are signs of hope, in the enterprisingness of homeschoolers (Isabel Lyman, p. 30), the founders of single-sex schools (Christine Whelan, p. 34), and even conservatives at Yale (Avik Roy, p. 40). Most importantly, the environment in which battles over education are fought is changing radically (Ramesh Ponnuru, see below).

WHEN President Clinton vetoed Sen. Paul Coverdell’s education savings accounts in July, he did it in the media-cycle equivalent of the dead of night. Two months before, he had vetoed a school-choice program for Washington, D.C., with little fanfare. In other words, he acted like someone taking a disreputable stand on behalf of an interest group, which, of course, he was.