About this episode

The episode discusses the concept of open enrollment in public education and the challenges families face in exercising school choice.

Open enrollment is one of the most overlooked forms of school choice in America. While debates often focus on private school vouchers or charter expansion, families in many states already have the ability to choose among public schools — at least in theory. On this episode, host Nic Dunn is joined by Christine Cooke Fairbanks , Sutherland's education policy fellow, and Jude Schwalbach , Reason Foundation's senior policy analyst, as they examine how open enrollment works, where it falls short, and why transparency and consistent implementation matter. They discuss the barriers families face, the policy gaps between states, and what meaningful reform would require to truly put parents in the driver’s seat of public education. Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show, we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, making you a better champion of sound ideas. Visit defendingideas.org.

People in this episode

Host: Nic Dunn

Guests: Christine Cooke Fairbanks, Jude Schwalbach

Topics covered

• open enrollment
• school choice
• public education
• education policy
• parental involvement

Keywords

• open enrollment
• school choice
• public schools
• education reform
• transparency

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sutherland Institute, Reason Foundation

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