YES to CHOICE, but equal rules for schools

Wow! The more I read, the more I change my mind about where I stand! I really do try to have an open-mind when reading about vouchers, charter schools, private schools, etc.
I believe that with choice comes responsibility, which means responsible use of vouchers, responsible choice of the school that is truly best for your child, and responsible parent involvement in your child's education and upbringing regardless of choice of school. Some parents move their child back and forth from public to charter and vice-versa, blaming the schools. Guess what? It may be that your child is a problem! I had a child in my class at the Charter School I taught at last year who was a problem wherever he went. The problem? Nothing was ever his fault. Who taught him that? His parents. Everytime we contacted his parents it was never his fault. It had to be another kid, a teacher, etc. They pulled him from the Charter School this year and put him back in Public, but I don't care where he goes--until his parents teach him to take responsibility for his actions he's gonna have problems.
If the parent has a legitimate financial need (and they aren't taking advantage of the system!) then they should be able to use a voucher to enroll their child in a better school. The biggest reason for change (based on my reading) is the environment of the neighborhood public school where the child lives. I know there are other reasons as well, but a parent should be able to enroll their child in a school where they know their child will be happier and safer.
I am advocating responsible use of vouchers to enroll children in public, private, or charter schools, but since these schools are all competing for public tax dollars, than they need to operate under the same basic state laws, rules, and regulations. Bernstein states that charter schools, by law, are free of most state mandates and are not obligated to conform to teacher union work rules and hours. He also says that while charter schools are subject to the same health and safety, civil rights, and student assessment requirements of other public schools, they are exempt from other state regulations. I do think that competition will make the quality of education better in the long run, but all schools should be competing on the same level playing field. I've worked for both an excellent public school with high test scores, and a high quality charter school. I've seen for myself that both kinds of schools have a lot to offer.
One area of concern is for the true "middle" class. What about the family (like mine) who lives in a school district where there is a concern about the environment in the high school and would like to send their child somewhere safer, but can't afford to move to a nicer district and makes too much money to qualify for voucher help? My wife and I are doing everything we can, like working a second job, but we still fall in that "middle" category. We could've moved into a nicer school district, but right now the value of our house is down because of the economy, so we don't want to sell just yet.
Finally, with the use of public tax money, vouchers, etc. and consistent state regulations and laws for all types of schools, will there be "private", "public", and "charter" school labels? This reminds of a quote by the villian in the movie "The Incredibles". In the movie there are "normal" humans and people with extraordinary powers called "Supers". The villian says that his goal is to make everyone a "Super", and that when everyone is "Super"----NO ONE will be. If all schools are available to everyone through choice and vouchers, and if they're all being held to the same high standards of accountability under the letter of the law, then can we just call them all "Schools"?
I meant to stop there, but I can't help myself. One of the things I've admired about this country is the chance to be excellent and distinguish yourself. I love dynasties in team sports, and even individual dominance like what Tiger Woods is doing to his PGA Tour competition. The opportunity has always been there to rise above and be GREAT. Unfortunately, this results in others being labelled as average. I think that there is a prevalent attitude of mediocrity in our country today. We want to eliminate all the "failing" schools, we want to focus on the failing, the poor, and the unachieving--but what about the gifted and the excellent? Would making all types of schools more the same, make them more average?