title: When Schools Compete: A Cautionary Tale
author:  Edward B. Fiske 
description: <P>"Edward B. Fiske and... Helen F. Ladd have put together a detailed quantitative and qualitative analysis... (Included as Notable Book of 2000)" Rebecca Jones, Senior Editor of ASBJ, <I>American School Board Journal</I>, 1/3/2001</P><br /><br /><P>"Their book should be this summer's required reading for every education policy maker in the United States." Dorothy Shipps, Teachers College, <I>Teachers College Record</I>, 4/3/2001</P><br /><br /><P>"When Schools Compete: a Cautionary Tale (Brookings Institution Press), by Edward Fiske and Helen Ladd, warns that competition doesn't always produce good results for minorities. New Zealand's 10-year experiment with something like a national system of c" Gail Russell Chaddock, <I>Christian Science Monitor</I>, 4/3/2001</P><br /><br /><P>"Parental choice and competition among schools have led to an increase in ethnic polarisation, and a wider gap between poor and rich schools, according to two American education experts." New Zealand Press Association, <I>Waikato Times (Hamilton)</I></P><br /><br /><P>"[When Schools Compete] is first rate in almost every respect: lucidly written, readily accessible, rigorously argued, systematic in its coverage, empirically well grounded, eminently balanced in its treatment of the relevant issues, and full of fascinatin" Jonathan Boston, <I>New Zealand Education Review</I></P><br /><br /><P>"Fiske, a long-term former education editor at The New York Times, and Ladd, a professor of economics and public policy at Duke University, lay out admirably the reforms in New Zealand." Madelyn Holmes, <I>Basic Education</I></P><br /><br /><P>"PARENTAL choice and competition among schools have led to an increase in ethnic polarisation, and a wider gap between poor and rich schools, according to two American education experts. Former New York Times education editor Edward Fiske and Duke Univ"  <I>The Dominion (Wellington)</I></P><br /><br /><P>"When School's Compete: A Cautionary Tale said polarisation was the most negative result of the reforms, which were introduced in 1989 and gave schools autonomy and parents the right to choose their children's schools." Alexander Miriyana, <I>The Sunday Star-Times (Auckland)</I></P><br /><br /><P>"During their five months in New Zealand in 1998, Ladd and Fiske visited nearly 50 schools, analyzed data from the Ministry of Education and other sources and interviewed teachers, principals, parents, government officials and other policy makers.... Du" Samantha Peterson, <I>The Herald-Sun (Durham, NC)</I></P><br /><br /><P>"Those pondering the effect of the growing school-choice movement in America should look at New Zealand, [When Schools Compete] says. That country's experience suggests that opening enrollment to all public schools and providing vouchers for private school" Jay Matthews, <I>The Washington Post</I></P>
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  Storm Bringer
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The bell sounded.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  It was the signal announcing the start of the competition.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Only a week since the start of the new year, the new Student Council President
  had announced the holding of this competition.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  It was an individual sports competition amongst the new Military Arts
  students.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Last year, Zuellni had fallen in danger of losing its last Selenium mine and
  had also encountered various other hardships - one could call it a disastrous
  year. But it had obtained two victories in the Military Arts Competitions held
  between Academy Cities and had successfully increased its number of Selenium
  mines.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  There was no Military Arts Competition this year.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  However, if they slacked off this year and failed in the Military Arts
  Competition again next year, all of that would become meaningless. This
  competition was being held in order to maintain the sense of urgency as well
  as to convey this sense of urgency to th