<p>Yes I agree markets have their shortcomings. We need a good balance.</p>
<p>Today K12 education is out of balance. Districts are monopolies and the families are locked in. Bad schools fester for years or even decades. So… if we bring in some market thinking for the bottom quartile, that is going to help by creating a choice and forcing bad schools to improve or go out of business. </p>
<p>Even going to private school does not exclude government oversight. Private schools in Louisiana must comply with many laws:
- have an adequate physical plant
- obtain an annual accreditation from the state board showing quality at least equal to public school
- report student body composition
- report student tardiness and attendance
- require entering students to show a birth certificate and vaccination record
- operate a minimum of 180 days
- be racially unsegregated
- meet teacher certification standards
- comply with Missing Children program
- meet financial and accounting standards</p>
<p>In short, yes public education should be regulated but we can still use markets to drive improvement.</p>