Photo courtesy Stockvault
I’ve heard arguments for and against, but increasingly educators are turning to the marketplace for inspiration, adopting business models and practices to drive change and innovation.
Critics of using business as a template for education reform argue that schools are not factories, that the inputs contain so many variables you can’t possibly guarantee the output.
Still, with the increasing emphasis in education on building partnerships, applying for grants and sponsorships, and navigating a volatile budget and political process, many districts are applying and retrofitting marketplace ideas to effect true change.
Many colleges have taken notice of this shift in educational leadership and management and are changing their own curriculums to adapt to it. In August, 25 students will begin a new three-year tuition-free doctoral program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education that will marry education administration with business and public policy knowledge.
“If you are going to be an effective leader, particularly in urban districts, you will need different skills than ed schools have traditionally offered,” Robert B. Schwartz, the college’s academic dean told the New York Times. ”You need to be leading large-scale change, overseeing operations.”
Debra Meyerson, who co-founded a similar program at the Stanford School of Education, agrees.
“The field is transforming pretty radically, people who have a growing amount of influence are people who can at least speak in business terms or at least be familiar with that way of thinking,” Meyers told the Times.
For more on this issue, stay tuned to next month’s ASBJ cover story, which will delve into the growing momentum of utilizing business practices to reform education.
Naomi Dillon, Senior Editor
