I think there is a general fear of the unknown. Ultimately, we are looking for something that is good for kids. I think people understand that there will always be some tension in the process of change. But I don't think the conflict will be inordinately large, and I don't think that it will dominate the discussion about charter schools. My view is that competition brings out the best in people.
People always talk about competition in terms of winners and losers.
I guess I don't totally agree with that. I think that competition, especially with regard to improving education, can lead everyone to be better. At the beginning, people wanted to know what a charter school was, who it would work for and would it be good for kids. Now we're starting to see groups that are actually planning charters and have much more detailed requests and more difficult problems. Some of their questions can't just be answered over the phone.