Public schooling, by forcing people with diverse values and needs to fund a single system of government schools, inevitably produces conflict. Such conflict has reached a fever pitch over the last several years, with Americans battling over critical race theory, LGBTQ issues, COVID-19 masking, and more. Logically, school choice would defuse such conflict, enabling diverse people to choose what they think is best rather than having to fight for control of a single system. But is there evidence of that working? If so, where? And how does that not lead to Balkanization?

Three experts in education and pluralism will discuss whether and how school choice can foster peace in a large, diverse society. The event will focus on questions and comments from audience members. We hope anyone interested in the role of education in bringing diverse people together will join us.

• “Yes, We Should Focus on Peace in Education”, by Neal McCluskey, Cato at Liberty
• Public Schooling Battle Map, Cato Center for Educational Freedom
• Deep Commitments: The Past, Present, and Future of Religious Liberty by Trevor Burrus and David McDonald (Cato Institute, 2017)