The REAL Accountability Issue: Incompetent Leadership
“Effective leaders in education apply strategies of democracy, they listen to and collaborate creatively with the people in their community. They engage and inspire others to take on leadership positions. They include all members of a community in the development of a shared vision and well-designed plan, grounded in research, unique to each school, adapting also to the individual needs of children.” ~Christopher Chase
In December, the U.S. Department of Education’s leadership will be handed over from Arne Duncan to John King, Jr. Most teachers and parents who have suffered under the Duncan administration are not expecting anything to change.
I’m not as pessimistic, I think progress and a radical shift in policy is possible. But it would have to begin with two fundamental changes:
First, President Obama and John King must do something that Sec. Duncan never did, look VERY closely at the actual research on effective education reforms, and see what that tells us.
They will find that a rigorous curriculum, strong leadership, data collection and higher standards are indeed part of the “recipe” of successful schools, and lead to improved academic learning, as can be measured by standardized tests. See: “The Essential Supports for School Improvement” – a landmark research study completed in The REAL Accountability Issue: Incompetent Leadership | Creative by Nature:
