In one Iowa city, public schools compete in the free market. Are students better off?

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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.<br/><br/>Today on <em>The Sunday Story</em>, NPR education correspondent Cory Turner travels to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to understand how school choice can change a city's education landscape. Are students better served when schools compete in a free market?<br/><br/>You can find more of Cory's reporting from Cedar Rapids <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/04/17/nx-s1-5683199/education-school-choice-iowa-students-charter-school-cedar-rapids"target="_blank" >here</a>.<br/><br/>See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>