Vested interests have the repugnant habit of defending all members against criticism and punishment. Charter school self- policing will be a positive sign that kids come first and quality is the bottom line. America has a vast supply of energetic entrepreneurs, but few are in education. If we build it, they will come. The desire to reinvent public education along the lines suggested by today's charter strategy welcomes decentralized control, entrepreneurial management, and grass-roots initiative within a framework of publicly defined standards and accountability.
Public officials establish goals, arrange assessment, and hold schools accountable for results.
They also intervene in failing schools. But they don't run schools directly. Government doesn't itself deliver services, employ people, or regulate the process. Charter schools are naturally important for the children they directly serve. But they are also significant as examples of how to reinvent public education.