Earlier this week, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel took to the pages of The Atlantic to argue that community college should be free for all students and to describe the actions Chicago and some states are taking to move in that direction.

In California, where one year of community college is already free, Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing that a second year be made free as well.

Is making community college free really the way to revive the American dream?

In the Winter 2016 issue of EdNext, Andrew P. Kelly and Sara Goldrick-Rab debated one proposal to make community college free.

Please read:

• “Tuition Is Not the Main Obstacle to Student Success,” by Andrew P. Kelly, and

• “The Economy Needs More Workers with Associate Degrees,” by Sara Goldrick-Rab

— Education Next