Currently I am doing research on school choice from two vantage points:

    [1]    Along with Rick Hess (political science, UVA) and Bob Maranto (political science, Villanova), I am exploring the impact of charter school competition on teacher empowerment in nearby traditional public schools.  Initial data analysis suggests that competition does prompt empowerment increases, but only in those schools with prior experience in teacher governance.  This prior experience probably lowers the cost of increasing empowerment.  This cost is not insignificant, e.g., teachers must take on new responsibilities, while principals must make adjustments in their leadership style.  The implication of this empirical result: when considering a competitive response to charters, traditional public schools take into account the costs as well as the benefits of a given response.   

    [2]    With the above two co-authors, I am also exploring the factors which prompt charter school start-ups in Arizona.