The entry of for-profit management companies into the charter school movement raises tough questions. What I say to policymakers is that this is not central to the charter concept, which first and foremost is to improve student achievement and encourage school districts to rethink what they're doing. These management companies run the gamut in what they pledge to deliver to the charter schools they manage. Some offer bountiful classroom technology, an extended school day or year, and enriched curricula. And many have attracted private financing to get their charter schools off the ground quickly.
Quality is the bottom line.
And it's the ultimate accountability. But critics say private companies should not be allowed to make a buck from running charter schools. Others say the companies' presence is positive because they offer yet another choice to parents and they embody charter schools' free market spirit. Larry Pieratt, the director of the nonprofit Horizon Charter School in Arizona, isn't quite sure what to make of his for-profit competition. It's more choice, which is good.