The Nine Most Terrifying Words in the English Language: "I'm From Big Business, and I'm Here to Help"
One of late president Ronald Reagan's favorite jokes was as follows: "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"
Educators and students might be forgiven for turning this joke on its head a bit, because we find ourselves in terror when we hear from all sides "I'm from big business and I'm here to help."
Every day we hear of the wondrous future that "innovations" will bring to our schools. However, the track record of these changes has been less than stellar, at least for those of us on the receiving end. Let's take a look at the biggest changes our business helpers have brought us, and how they are playing out.
1. Data Driven Instruction: This has been the leading strategy for school improvement. Bill Gates last annual letter extolled the power of measurement - advising us to set measurable goals and work towards them. This has
Educators and students might be forgiven for turning this joke on its head a bit, because we find ourselves in terror when we hear from all sides "I'm from big business and I'm here to help."
Every day we hear of the wondrous future that "innovations" will bring to our schools. However, the track record of these changes has been less than stellar, at least for those of us on the receiving end. Let's take a look at the biggest changes our business helpers have brought us, and how they are playing out.
1. Data Driven Instruction: This has been the leading strategy for school improvement. Bill Gates last annual letter extolled the power of measurement - advising us to set measurable goals and work towards them. This has
