A rich discussion of an emotion-laden topic. Mrs. O'Beirne: "Among more

affluent families, they choose schools all the time?. What's revolutionary and, I

guess, threatening now to the education establishment is that many of us are arguing that low-income families should have the same choices that other Americans have always

had." ... Mr. Fliegel (who was formerly a superintendent in the New York City public-

school system): "You can't allow the bureaucracy to become an excuse for not doing

anything.... Too many schools say: I can't do it; the bureaucracy won't let me do it;

the unions won't let me do it. Then what are you doing here?"