Comments on: “The Research on [Insert Preferred Policy Choice Here] Is As Clear As Anything in the Field of Education.” http://educationnext.org/the-research-on-insert-preferred-policy-choice-here-is-as-clear-as-anything-in-the-field-of-education/ Education Next is a journal of opinion and research about education policy. Fri, 25 May 2012 18:44:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Charles R. Williams http://educationnext.org/the-research-on-insert-preferred-policy-choice-here-is-as-clear-as-anything-in-the-field-of-education/comment-page-1/#comment-1124 Charles R. Williams Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:11:16 +0000 http://educationnext.org/?p=49632066#comment-1124 Benjamin, Parents are the primary educators of their children and they should ignore what is socially optimal in making decisions about their children's schooling. Bright children are not resources at the state's disposal to be used in a socially optimal way. If heterogeneous grouping is socially optimal, the only just way to implement it is by compensating the families of bright students enough to make it worth their while to enroll their children in otherwise undesirable educational programs. Benjamin,

Parents are the primary educators of their children and they should ignore what is socially optimal in making decisions about their children’s schooling. Bright children are not resources at the state’s disposal to be used in a socially optimal way. If heterogeneous grouping is socially optimal, the only just way to implement it is by compensating the families of bright students enough to make it worth their while to enroll their children in otherwise undesirable educational programs.

]]> By: Benjamin Hansen http://educationnext.org/the-research-on-insert-preferred-policy-choice-here-is-as-clear-as-anything-in-the-field-of-education/comment-page-1/#comment-1102 Benjamin Hansen Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:30:37 +0000 http://educationnext.org/?p=49632066#comment-1102 Michael, Great points. I guess one issue that comes up is that high achieving parents want their kids around achieving students and pay for this either with private school tuition, or with high rent or home prices by moving to districts with other high achieving students. We can debate what is socially optimal. The next question is how do we get individuals to follow what is socially optimal, if their private incentives are to defect and find a better school? Michael,

Great points. I guess one issue that comes up is that high achieving parents want their kids around achieving students and pay for this either with private school tuition, or with high rent or home prices by moving to districts with other high achieving students.

We can debate what is socially optimal. The next question is how do we get individuals to follow what is socially optimal, if their private incentives are to defect and find a better school?

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