Business and school reform
December 14, 2012
So what does business really have to offer in school reform? So many people have said “if schools were run like a business, we would see success”. But is that really true? A provocative article has some thought provoking ideas. What you might think would work, really doesn’t. “Adopting a competitive management style that imposes numerical goals, rewards high performers disproportionately, blames labor unions for poor performances, and forces each individual to prove his or her value every day” doesn’t work. This is “top-down, carrot and stick, compliance driven management which is unreliable and, in many cases, counterproductive – even in business.” Indeed, “the effort to improve the quality of education turned into an accounting strategy: Measure, then punish or reward.”
The article promotes the idea that business does have a lot to offer education reform, “if you can draw on the most collaborative, generative aspects of business thinking and action, following examples of companies that promote transparency, engagement, shared accountability, continuous improvement, and organizational learning.” That sounds a lot like a well-run, successful accounting firm to me!
Read the article
All of us in business have a strong interest in schools. We can bring the best to the table in our local school districts. Our futures depend on it.
Comments
Cheap acupuncture Stimulator Machine 4 outputs commented on Mar. 28, 2013:
Wow! Thank you! I always wanted to write in my site something like that. Can I take part of your post to my blog?
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