Competitive Strategy for Public Schools

By Jan Hammond and Suzanne Tingley

Imagine the educational options that may be available for children in 2010.

Impossible? Hardly. With the rise of charter schools, school choice, and wireless communication, the reality of such a list is closer than many may think. Add to these developments the general concerns voiced by public officials about the quality of public schools, and the reality becomes closer still. It is clear, then, that leaders of public schools need to create a competitive strategy to survive the intense rivalry for dollars inherent in these diverse educational options.

Public schools no longer have a monopoly on public education, and to survive, they must compete more effectively. They must choose their strategy and develop congruent internal mechanisms to...