Charter schools are presumably an attempt to allow market forces to improve a system that has suffered due to monopoly status . When you see lower salaries at a charter school and still see people wanting to go there , it ' s telling . Yeah , it might mean less funds at a public school , but it ' s not a diversion , its people parents making choices , as opposed to the state . Part of the idea is empowerment of individuals Over the state a libertarian principle , I guess , but the practical reason is to allow the allknowing and infallible invisible hand of the market to fix things . Really though , what is needed is of course is a massive increase in funding especially in high risk areas . But you can ' t just throw money into a system that is corrupted , the money will evaporate without actual improvement in student outcomes .