As Pacific Research Institute’s Lance T. Izumi notes:

“Market-based competition is the best incentive to force public schools to improve, and school-choice voucher programs have shown that they can effectively provide this competitive incentive. If 2008 is to be the year of education reform, vouchers need to be a key part of the reform agenda.”

Izumi quotes from  Former U.S. secretary of education Rod Paige:

“Under the current monopolistic system, public schools have no incentive to embark on substantial reforms or make major improvements because no matter how badly they perform: their budgets won’t be cut; their enrollment won’t decline; [and] the school won’t close down.”

“Indeed,” says Izumi, “under California’s accountability system, none of these consequences have ever befallen poor-performing public schools. Perhaps the best incentive for improvement is a school-choice program that gives parents a voucher to choose a private-school option for their children.”

Izumi’s got more to say. He’s got examples of what works. Read it here.