So, this guy has been talking up his charter school in the paper for weeks, but hasnt presented a plan to the district or even had a conversation with them?

Color me dubious

Actually, it's a brilliant strategy. If he hadn't got the papers to talk it up, the district could have ignored him all along and the idea never would have seen the light of day. Now the district will be pressed to both meet and, I'm guessing, boo-hoo, the idea.

No, it means that the district wont take him seriously. Ideas are cheap. Proposals are tough. Funded proposals even tougher

Generally, it's really hard to make blanket statements about charter schools, since there are wonderful or disastrous charters out there. But I would say that all charters should fulfill an large unmet need or innovate where innovation is lacking. MVLA is both successful and has made bold innovations to meet diverse student needs, one example being their Freestyle Academy. I encourage Mr. Smith to learn about MVLA. I hope he'll find that there are other districts and communities that need his charter more. I hope MVLA will look at his call for global education as a sign that the times are demanding more global education.

Competition is a good thing and can only make the district schools better. Why be so negative?