"The authors of this book introduce something wholly novel into the highly polarized debates about school choice: nonpartisan nuance. They examine both the long history of school choice in the US, which has been there from day one, and the complex philosophical tradeoffs that are required to negotiate what constitutes good educational policy. In the process, they show that since schooling is a unique kind of good--at the same time public, private, and positional--policies that regulate choice need to balance a complex array of potential costs and benefits."

David F. Labaree, author of A Perfect Mess: The Unlikely Ascendancy of Higher Education

"Ben-Porath and Johanek provide the most complete and revealing accounting yet of the school choice question in American education. Combining history with thoughtful philosophical analysis, it lays to rest the posturing and sloganeering that have characterized the issue for decades. It is a must read for anyone considering this significant policy matter today, and larger questions of achievement, equity, and democracy facing the education systems of tomorrow."

John L. Rury, University of Kansas

"This concise and compelling book helps us look anew at our current debates about school choice. It shows that the real debate is not whether we have ‘choice’--both parental choice and market-driven choice have long been part of American education--but how policies dictate who gets to choose, how, and with what consequences. Debates about school choice are debates about control, accountability, and the very goals and nature of education as an individual and collective good. A wide range of audiences, from experts to those seeking an introduction on the topic, will find this book useful and insightful."

Tracy Steffes, Brown University

"This highly readable and instructive volume coolly clarifies otherwise heated arguments about the public and private good in American education."

Kate Rousmaniere, Miami University, Ohio

Ben-Porath (Univ. of Pennsylvania) and Johanek (Univ. of Pennsylvania) offer a straightforward discourse about the history of school choice in the US, the nature of choice in our contemporary education landscape, and the societal challenges around this topic as it relates to equity, access, and equal opportunity for all in education...This is important reading for educators and politicians interested in the school choice movement's consequences for the national political and historical landscape.

A. Muhammad, Appalachian State University | Choice

"Making Up Our Mind is a fantastic example of why historically informed and philosophically sophisticated work is vital to resolving some of our stickiest education debates. In paying careful attention to the history of school choice in the US, the book, first, helps us zoom in on those central dilemmas necessarily embedded in designing a school system. As the authors argue, attending to the history of schooling in the US allows us to “decipher the constant versus distinctive elements of our current debate” (p. 10). Second, by paying careful attention to the thorny ethical issues these dilemmas raise, the book helps ensure we make education decisions in ways that realize those values we most care about as citizens. Especially in light of its interdisciplinary approach, Making Up Our Mind presents a compelling argument for how we should think about school choice today."

Harvard Education Review