In 1997, Miron and his research team began canvassing Michigan -- and eventually the nation -- to gather data. Even at that time, they discovered, more than half of the state's charter schools were being run by outside management firms.

"The state (education) agency had no idea about EMOs,” he said.

These days, plenty of people have heard of outfits like Edison Learning, Charter Schools USA, and Imagine. But Miron continues to gather his data, attend school board meetings, and shine a light at the junction where public education meets private industry.

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And then there's the data. Last month, the investigative journalism group ProPublica reported that less than half of for-profit management companies' charters make adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind law, compared to 63 percent for all charters and 67 percent for traditional public schools.