You know, most private schools don't have the same requirements levied on them as do public schools. For example, did you know a private school can hire almost anyone they want to teach a class (a bit of an exageration, but you get the point)? In public schools a teacher must pass certification tests, have a certain type of degree, pass a background check, and so on. There's no guarantee that a private school has any of these things as part of its criteria.

Yet private schools tend to outperform public schools. My assertion is that this is due to three key factors: better pay, performance-based standards and the ability to fire, and more involved parents.

1. Better Pay. What other industry do you know of where people who are considered professionals have superior performance to their coworkers and get paid the same as their coworkers? These are not government assembly line workers... the state should recognize that and treat them appropriately.

2. Performance. Similarly, teachers who don't perform should not receive pay increases, or should receive poor ones along with action plans to get them up to speed. If they can't cut it, they should be let go.

3. Parents. Sadly, let's be real here and admit that for the most part parents who send their kids to private schools tend to be more involved in their kids lives, or at least come from an economic background where the kid has a chance to learn. I don't think "society" can fix this one.