Of course, the theory — if you care to call it that — behind the charter school movement is that if you take off all bureaucratic regulations and allow the free market to operate there will be unleashed a tsunami of energy and creative innovation in the charter sector that will teach all of public education how to do a better job.

Incredibly, the Rupert-Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal still believes such nonsense.

What have charter schools taught the true public school sector?

•   You can raise test scores by discouraging poor or special needs kids from enrolling;

•   You can raise test scores by pushing out kids who do poorly on tests;

•   You can make yourself look desirable by lying about "waiting lists";

•   You can manage your public image through marketing & public relations;

•   You can run an economically efficient school by hiring inexperienced, uncertified teachers.

But the charter school movement hasn't shown anyone how to run a better school.