may create additional burdens on teachers, result-
ing in fewer resources available for traditional
Notes
schooling. Another factor often named as con-
tributing to the decline in public school perfor-
1. Michael T. Moe, Kathleen Bailey, and Rhoda
mance is the dominance of teachers' unions that
Lau, The Book of Knowledge: Investing in the Growing
make it extremely difficult for schools to fire
Education and Training Industry, Merrill Lynch &
unsatisfactory teachers and to create incentive
Co., Global Securities Research & Economics
structures, like merit pay, to reward good teach-
Group, Global Fundamental Equity Research
ers.
Department, Report 1400, April 9, 1999, p. 9.
18. Lewis J. Perelman, School's Out (New York:
2. Ibid., p. 23.
William Morrow, 1992), p. 225.
3. Ibid., p. 24.
19. William C. Symonds, Anne Therese Palmer,
and Jessica McCann, "For-Profit Schools,"
4. Ibid., p. 74.
Business Week, February 7, 2000, p. 66.
5. U.S. Department of Education, National Center
20. Alex Molnar, Jennifer Morales, and Alison
for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics
Vander Wyst, "Profiles of For-Profit Education
1999 (Washington: Government Printing Office,
Management Companies 19992000," Center for
2000), Table 2, p. 11, Table 5, p. 14. Cited hereafter
Education Research, Analysis, and Innovation,
as Digest of Education Statistics 1999.
University of WisconsinMilwaukee, CERAI-00-
02, March 6, 2000, p. 1. Symonds, Palmer, and
6. Moe, Bailey, and Lau, p. 24.
McCann, p. 66, estimate that there are 200 for-
profit schools. Jay Mathews estimates that for-
7. "America's Education Choice," The Economist,
profit companies run 250 of the U.S. public
April 1, 2000, p. 17.
schools. Jay Mathews,"New School of Thought:
Making Education Pay; For-Profit Initiative Has
8. Digest of Education Statistics 1999, p. 29.
Backing," Washington Post, April 19, 2000, p. E01.
9. Ibid., p. 30.
21. Moe, Bailey, and Lau, p. 74.
10. George A. Clowes, "Education and Choice:
22. William G. Howell and Paul E. Peterson,
What Does America Think?" School Reform News,
"School Choice in Dayton, Ohio: An Evaluation
March 2000, pp. 67.
after One Year," Paper prepared for the
Conference on Vouchers, Charters and Public
11. See http://www.uscharterschools.org/gen_info/
Education, sponsored by the Program on
gi_main.htm.
Education Policy and Governance, Harvard
12. Ibid.
University, February 2000, p. 16.
23. Paul E. Peterson, David Myers, and William G.
13. See http://www.scholarshipfund.org/index.asp.
Howell, "An Evaluation of the New York City
14. See http://www.hslda.org/central/faqs/index.stm.
School Choice Scholarship Program: The First
Year," Program on Education Policy and
15. Moe, Bailey, and Lau, p. 23.
Governance, Harvard University, October 1998;
Paul E. Peterson, David Myers, and William G.
16. The Department of Education estimates that
Howell, "An Evaluation of the Horizons
47,244,000 or approximately 88 percent, of the
Scholarship Program in Edgewood Independent
53,215,000 K12 students were enrolled in public
School District, San Antonio, Texas: The First
schools in 1999. Digest of Education Statistics 1999,
Year," Program on Education Policy and
Table 2, p. 11.
Governance, Harvard University, September
1999; and Jay P. Greene, William G. Howell, and
17. For instance, Helen Ladd, Holding Schools
Paul E. Peterson, "An Evaluation of the Cleveland
Accountable (Washington: Brookings Institution,
Voucher Program after Two Years," Program on
1996), p. 2-3, suggests that per pupil spending did
Education Policy and Governance, Harvard
not effectively increase by 50 percent from 1974
University, June 1999.
to 1992 as the raw data suggest. She notes that
increased mandatory spending on special educa-
24. Edison Schools, "Prospectus," New York,
tion distorts per pupil spending. She also men-
November 10, 1999.
tions the potential effects of the changing
American family--fewer stay-at-home mothers
25. Ibid.
26