Atul Gawande, surgeon and well-known author, tells a story in his new book,
The Checklist Manifesto, about how the famed World War Two B-17 bomber almost ended up never flying. It crashed on its maiden flight, killing two crew persons–including a highly experienced pilot. There were no mechanical issues. It turned out that the four engines on the plane had made it so complicated that the pilot could not hold all of his training in memory and he forgot to release the elevator controls before take off. It was too much airplane for even the most well-trained person to fly.
Gawande’s writing focuses on health care, but the B-17 story is also applicable to education. We are asking our nation’s classroom teachers, many in immensely challenging classroom situations, to use sophisticated data to individualize instruction, motivate students, and ensure that a wide variety of students all progress. Yet, I can’t help but wonder whether education is facing its B-17 moment, where even the most talented and experienced
