The next most important aspect is the teachers.

But the extent of his power as Executive Director makes some teachers' unions scream in protest.

Teachers are signed to one-year contracts that need to be renewed annually. They are required to arrive at school at 7:30, half an hour before school starts, and stay until 3:30, half an hour after school ends. They attend at least one full faculty meeting per week. They must contact with their students' parents on a weekly basis.

"I would not be able to do half the things I do if I were in a public school," Birkett says.

Birkett requires a lot of his 30 teachers, but he says he also puts a lot into selecting them, trying to select candidates who are experienced in an urban setting and excel at classroom management.

"I really look for people who can be friends to the students. That's something you can't train to do," he says.

"We have more resumes than you can shake a stick at," he adds.