Must education reformers choose between a bottoms-up (parental choice) approach and a top-down (tighter standards) one? According to Matthew Ladner, of the Goldwater Institute, the answer is no.

Florida, he says, used both approaches:

"Governor Jeb Bush pushed through a bracing dual strategy of accountability from both the top down (high-stakes state testing) and bottom up (widespread parental choice) in 1999. Governor Bush’s A+ Plan emphasized standards for the schools and transparency for parents. Schools faced real consequences for prolonged failure, including school vouchers for their students."

"Bush’s school choice strategy also included the creation of the nation’s largest voucher program ...."

The results? A strong charter school sector, children with opportunities to attend schools of choice, and gains on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.