21st-Century Education Policy Enters Its Afternoon Rerun Stage
It's good to be back. While I was on blog break, talking about my new Bush-Obama School Reformvolume and reading the post-election education policy punditry, I was struck by something: 21st-century education policy has staggered into its afternoon rerun stage.
This reference would've made intuitive sense a few years ago but may feel a bit dated today, so I'll explain. Traditionally, hit television shows went through a few stages: The early excitement when they offered fresh plots, developed a fan base, and caught fire. The hit years, when the storylines were gripping, new episodes a big deal, and the stars omnipresent. The slow decline, as ratings sagged, the narrative got stale, and fans tuned out increasingly desperate plot twists.
And then, finally, there was the afternoon rerun stage—when a once-beloved show wound up in syndication on TBS, its intro and closing sequences compressed to allow for more commercials, the naughtier bits trimmed out, and episodes often aired out of sequence. Of course, by this point, the scarred episodes and scrambled plotting wouldn't much matter, because the whole thing was mostly wallpaper—something to have in the background while tapping away on a laptop or waiting in an auto repair shop.
Well, after years of prime-time play with Oprah, "Education Nation" glitz, State of the Union applause lines, and political relevance, 21st-century education policy has reached its rerun stage. How can we tell?
The magazine-cover names have left the show, and the stand-ins simply don't draw the attention or adulation that greeted the heyday cast. (Heck, Washington, D.C., can't find anyone who wants to be superintendent.) After more than 15 years of "meh" results, viewers have tuned out. Most tellingly, Continue reading: 21st-Century Education Policy Enters Its Afternoon Rerun Stage - Rick Hess Straight Up - Education Week
