I can still make a difference. I am absolutely dedicated to education and believe the issue is of vital importance to all of us. It is the responsibility of us adults to pass on to our children the quality of life and values we hold dear. By failing to effectively teach children, our society threatens to sabotage our nation s future. I simply will not stand by and watch as uneducated children are consigned to a life of hardship and broken promises.
Schools can learn a lot from business.
I believe we need to turn schools upside down. In A Legacy of Learning , we envision a new kind of education system where school districts can contract out management of their schools to non-profit groups and have considerably more flexibility at the local level. Accountable to public officials, schools would be forced to compete for students under a system that grants far greater choice for parents. In an educational marketplace, good school performance would be rewarded, while providers whose quality falls short would stand to have their charter revoked. After working on this project, I am not at all convinced that conventional educators have the answers.