Charter schools are the exception, beacons of success which attract many parents with the promise of low student-teacher ratios, alternative programs and proven results.
States would have to meet certain conditions, such as hiring "well-trained teachers" paid comparably to those in K-12, adopting rigorous curricula, keeping student-teacher ratios low and assessing youngsters.
By law, student-teacher ratios can't exceed 10 to 1, lead teachers must have a bachelor's degree and an early-childhood certificate, and they must be paid on the same salary scale as K-12 teachers.