Many already are familiar. No one thinks anything of school districts outsourcing most of the services Americans have come to expect from their public schools. Even the companies that sell the curricula which schools purchase are involved in risk-taking. But ready or not, more and more entrepreneurs are making a profit by imparting actual instruction and doing it better, more efficiently and more creatively. Even public-school teachers are breaking out of the government monopoly and setting out on their own to stir up a little friendly competition.
Transformation is everywhere.
For example, charter-school legislation, which enables public schools to innovate free from the constraints of many state and local regulations, has been approved in 37 states. Minnesota s launch of the first charter school in 1992 already has had a ripple effect. When these schools open there is a waiting list from day one, says Parchman. Parents want to choose what they perceive to be a better opportunity for their kids. The Association of Educators in Private Practice, or AEPP, is at the heart of this shift.