In one Iowa city, public schools compete in the free market. Are students better off? : Up First from NPR

In one Iowa city, public schools compete in the free market. Are students better off? : Up First from NPR

Public education used to enjoy strong bipartisan support, but across the country, there’s a growing push to offer students alternatives to traditional public schools. The idea behind “school choice” is that competition improves education. President Trump and Republicans have attacked public education for failing students and for being too “woke,” while Democrats who strongly oppose school choice often dismiss valid criticism of public schools.To…

Iowa went all-in on school choice. It's hurting this city's public schools

Principal Condra Allred visits a third grade class at Cleveland Elementary School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in April. Soon, Allred expects to hear for certain if her school will close.(Cliff Jette for NPR)On an unseasonably warm February morning, Principal Condra Allred walked the hallways of Cleveland Elementary School's 76-year-old building wearing a pink fanny pack slung over one shoulder like a bandolier. Inside the pack, a walkie-talkie squawk…