How Not To Privative a Government School
by Joe Pulcinella
Folks 'round these parts have been hearing for a while now how Edison Schools Inc, a private school management company, has been failing in its management role of Chester High School in Chester PA. But the manner in which it was "privatized" is akin to saving the Social Security problem by assigning a private concern to manage it. No matter how you cut it, it will fail. The Chester example is especialy notable in how it was scuttled from the get-go.
When Edison came in, according to the report, central office personnel were relieved of much of their controls over managing and supervising schools "but consequently shifted their focus to managing and supervising Edison’s operation of the schools."
Gee, can't imagine why that didn't work. But no matter what the outcome would have been, we would have heard of failures from interested parties such as the unions. Even at its best, anyone concerned at all with liberty would have noted that the very fact that citizens are forced to pay for government schools at the point of a gun is evidence enough of the failure.
If true privatization was of any concern to the State, the manner in which Edison is run would be of no concequence. We would be free to NOT fund it and choose a school that does business in a way that we approve.