From the Associated Press’s description, it’s hard to believe that the “paragon of taxpayer-funded cradle-to-grave welfare” would have supported a school choice program 16 years ago, and have seen it be so successful. But believe it we must—and embarrassed we should be.

There are differences, of course, between the Swedish system and the American one, most notably that private or “independent” schools in Sweden really are free since all schools are state-funded, whether they are run by the state or a private company. And there are some problems, of course, such as the offer of laptops and iPods as incentives—a practice we have mixed feelings about. We know it’s not a perfect solution. But that’s not the point. The point is that even the Lärarförbundet teachers’ union is on board, reports the BBC. The union.

Maybe our own unions can take a page out of Sweden’s book. It’s not a matter of politics anymore, it’s a matter of good policy that works.