Tag Archives: School Reform

“Forcing” Change

Posted on April 12, 2012 by

Avid gardeners know it is possible to ‘force’ some bulbs to sprout and produce flowers ahead of their normal schedule and outside their natural environment. The process requires that you artificially mimic and compress the process that would occur naturally … Continue reading →

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The Wrong Way to Bring About Change

Posted on January 10, 2012 by

Unfortunately, we have a long history of approaching change in schools from the wrong angles. We’ve tried to ‘force’ change to happen through deliberate policy and legislative mandates (think NCLB). We’ve experimented with external motivators (think merit pay). We’ve tried … Continue reading →

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Why New Results May not be Possible in Schools–Part 2

Posted on May 18, 2011 by

In my last post, I focused on the idea that systems control results. To make the case I gave a concrete, real-life example showing how our traffic system controls the results. If you haven’t read Why New Results May not … Continue reading →

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Why New Results May not be Possible in Schools–Part 1

Posted on May 9, 2011 by

On my drive to work this morning, I was reminded of my initial introduction into systems thinking. Specifically, the idea that the system controls the results. I think the easiest way to wrap your head around this is to consider … Continue reading →

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Technology in Schools

Posted on April 6, 2011 by

Look around you. How many examples of technology are available at your fingertips? Do you have a computer? (Laptop, desktop or tablet computer such as an iPad?) How about a smart phone? (not to be confused with a basic cell … Continue reading →

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Educating the Public for FREE

Posted on March 19, 2011 by

I sort of stepped on toes with some of my comments in my post titled, School Budgets, Doing More with Less. I don’t really anticipate this post will endear me to some of my readers either. However, I’m not creating … Continue reading →

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Student Engagement Lacking in US High Schools

Posted on March 1, 2011 by

As if we needed any proof, the High School Survey of Student Engagement has quantified what almost any citizen walking the streets could tell you. Kids in high schools are bored. According to survey results 66% of students who completed … Continue reading →

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