For the District’s 41 charter schools, educational innovation means more than new teaching techniques; it also means new ways of getting by on the District’s per-pupil allotment, which averages roughly $8,300. Hence the want ad on the Web site of the 84-student World Public Charter School seeking a school director with both traditional academic qualifications and “entrepreneurial instincts.” The job’s not just about maximizing return on the budget; it’s also about not using too much of the budget yourself. Thus the ad’s final specification, in a stand-alone paragraph: “Financial independence desirable.” Noting that he’s not speaking for the school’s board, World Public Charter School Director of Studies Charles Lewis says that the pay probably “wouldn’t be commensurate to the status” of the job. “We’re trying to do more with less,” adds Lewis—who says that besides serving as principal, he spends about half his own day teaching math. —Joe Dempsey