It has become a cliché to say that these are precarious times for public schools. It is also a reality. On the one hand, improving schools is the public's top priority. On the other, significant numbers of Americans are giving up on public schools. Today's parents and, indeed, all voters, need to see signs of success if they are to support public schools. Parents must be given choices when it comes to their child's education. This book acknowledges that enormous problems outside schools do not mean that educators inside schools cannot do a better job at creating a meaningful learning environment. It is designed to inform and assist those who wish to choose their child's educational settings. The Hows and Whys of Alternative Education offers the essential information on the history of alternative education, school choice, alternative schools, charter schools, magnet schools, homeschooling, private schools, vouchers, distance learning, teacher/student/parent attraction, and the future of educational choice.