Experts offer a wide variety of views . . .
In interviews with half a dozen people with various backgrounds in the world of education, no single prediction emerges. In fact, there are divergent opinions about the future of charters, the direction of testing, and the extent to which things will change at all. Some foresee students spending more time outside traditional buildings and in their communities, classes more greatly influenced by the Internet, and teachers who serve more as coaches than as information dispensers. The emphasis on high-stakes testing tied to standards and the public cry for school accountability will become the norm. Schools will be required to meet standards to receive funding and accreditation, and those that fail will be forced to let children choose other schools and, if they cannot improve and regain students, shut down.