Other cities have already tested the waters. In 1992 Baltimore hired a private company to manage nine of its 177 schools. By wresting control of schools from unions and civilservice employees, privatization tries to meet parents’ demand for accountability in the classroom: if the managers don’t meet goals, they’re fired. (Similar sentiment spurred the referendum in California that proposed giving every student a voucher that could be used for tuition at private schools; it was defeated last week.) How much freedom Public Strategies will have to hire and fire and to set curriculums will be negotiated next month; the school board will continue to set overall policy. And Hutchinson vows to accept payment only if he meets the board’s goals.
