A while ago, this scrolled across my electronic desk and I thought that it would make good fodder for my second entry – topic of my choosing – for Week 8 of my EDTECH537 – Blogging In The Classroom course.
In today’s news: Should education be run like a business? A new report is generating a heated debate on the topic. Plus, how to help your teachers ease into social media use; and a district’s decision to monitor students’ social media activity raises eyebrows.Leave your thoughts on any or all of these stories online, eMail me at ldevaney@eschoolnews.com, or find me on Twitter @eSN_Laura.
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Laura Devaney, Managing Editor
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Should businesses run schools?
It’s a question that has come up recently thanks to a national movement towards school reform: “Should schools be run like a business?” According to a new guide released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce [ Read More ]
Given that this will be my last official EDTECH537 post for the Summer 2014 term, I wanted to ask folks a version of this question…
Should corporations directly manage publicly-funded online schools?
12 Unique Blogs Are Written By Professors
Virtual School Meanderings 
My thoughts…no, absolutely not. While I agree that there are many changes needed in order to achieve educational reform in our country, I don’t believe turning our schools over to big business is the way to go. The article by the U. S. Chamber of Commerce is interesting. In the small rural school district where I live and also in the rural school district where I work (two different school districts), there isn’t much competition for positions on the school board. Elected members learn from other members and may attend a conference or two a year to become better informed. Because they live in small communities, their behavior, actions on the board and management style is observed fairly closely. Personally, I feel they are working within a system that needs a major overhaul, rather than a few adjustments here and there. In my state (recently falling to 50th place in support/funding for students), we still follow a typical seasonal school year (off in the summer). My children’s school has even gone to a 4 day school week to save money and increase attendance during the 4 days they are in class. So while I do agree with the statement, “The U.S. Chamber Foundation believes our education system is essential to building an informed, thoughtful, and participatory citizenry. It is also vitally important to our members, and to the economic well-being of the country, that we have a pipeline of talent with the skills needed to compete in a 21st-century global economy” from the article, I think the idea that schools are run like businesses is oversimplifying educational issues. If the Chamber Foundation really wanted to help, they would encourage more involvement at the local and state level through an increase in open discussion about educational change that addresses learning skills for tomorrow’s jobs and an updated system that better addresses our society living in the information age rather than the industrial age.
Comment by LynnJohnson: EDTECH Learning Log — July 30, 2014 @ 2:22 pm |
Lynn, thanks for the comment. The biggest issue that I have with the idea of running schools like businesses is that when it comes to economics there are winners and losers. There are businesses that succeed and businesses that fail. The problem is that we can’t afford to have schools that fail, but the application of free market principles to education creates winners and losers – often around socio-economic and racial lines.
Comment by Michael Barbour — July 30, 2014 @ 8:12 pm |