Educators and Innovation
I have received some surprising emails recently. Apparently my recent critique of teachers’ unions has led some to believe that I think teachers and education professionals are standing in the way of innovation. I find this a bit puzzling. I have written time and again that my deepest hope for public education in this country is that teaching is transformed into a truly professional career, and that teachers are given autonomy and creative vision in order to experiment and innovate with diverse teaching approaches.
Far from suggesting that teachers and educators are standing in the way of innovation, I believe they need to be on the forefront of innovation. My critique is of the traditional school system itself, and the various institutions that have slowed down the evolution of the school system.
Bob Lenz has more thoughts on the questions surrounding innovation. He writes:
While many of the charter schools and charter organizations are making huge improvements in
