A few things that didn't fit into the Empower post

• if you're going to ask the local education blogger not to liveblog the meeting, maybe don't invite the editor of the Telegram and Gazette editorial page. And his notebook
• good question from WPS admin on impacts on non-zone schools. It's worth noting that one of the innovations many innovation schools don't choose is budget, because they're a pain to manage. I don't say that flippantly; they are. And zone schools are only responsible for themselves, while school committees are responsible for all of their schools. 
• worth noting: the zone schools get 80% of the per pupil. Empower takes 3%. It's like double overhead.
• Gabrieli told a small story of how one school was not opting for district special ed services, as an illustration, I believe, of competition. The school district, however, remains legally liable for the students in the zone; if the school doesn't fulfill the special ed needs, it will be the district getting sued.