Why “Innovation” is Ed Reformers’ Favorite Word
The Council for Chief State School Officers runs the Innovation Lab Network. The recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education act allows Innovative Assessment Systems. Bellwether Education encourages states to create “Offices of Innovation.”
The word “innovative” is beloved by education reformers.
But why?
The answer lies in the work of Clayton Christensen.
In “The Innovator’s Dilemma,” Christensen first proposed his now-famous theory that certain products or services are so “disruptive” to the status quo that they eventually displace established competitors. (Think Amazon.com disrupting the publishing industry.)
In an article in the New Yorker called “The Disruptive Machine,” Harvard historian Jill Lepore describes the extraordinary reach of his theory:
“If the company you work for has a chief innovation officer, it’sWhy “Innovation” is Ed Reformers’ Favorite Word – Save Maine Schools: