The common school philosophy of the nineteenth century in the United States is revisited from a contemporary perspective. Is the basic ethos of the philosophy of Horace Mann and others still relevant today? This question is examined and applied to the conservative advocacy of free markets, individual freedom, and school choice in order to assess the extent to which the delivery of government-supported education is done in a way that upholds the values of the past while simultaneously addressing paramount issues related to social equity, diversity, and social cohesion today.