Does a voucher program make public school systems get leaner and meaner and smarter?
I don’t think it makes them necessarily get leaner. It makes them responsive to parents. You want the parent to choose you. One thing that changes dramatically with a voucher program is that the focus changes to individual schools. If you are a Milwaukee parent now, you don’t really think so much about choosing between the Milwaukee public school system or the Catholic system. Now, it’s “What school do you want to go to?” It’s much more about the school and much less about the system — any system. Another interesting angle is that the teachers who are really good, who have a reputation of being good with parents, are in great demand. Some of them move within systems. They get “star” pay. It used to be that the union focused on severance pay and pensions. Now, because of our dynamic system, they’re focusing on classroom prep time and on paying star teachers more so they don’t leave public schools and go to private schools. Private schools are doing the same thing. They’re saying, “This
