Can We Reform the Existing Schools To Get the Schools We Want or Do We Create New Schools?

The Reform/Improvement Ideology— Improve existing programs and schools	The Create Opportunity Ideology— Create new programs and schools
Stasis Maintained—Maintain administered schools and programs	Dynamism Added—Create self-governing and self-improving schools and programs
Take the current system as a given	Alter the system givens
Reform is something we do to schools	Creating new programs is something change oriented educators do
Find what works in literature	Seek causes in system design to understand problems
Use Blue Ribbon task force for big ticket reforms with strong leadership	Use locally generated, small efforts that can develop with success
Blame foot draggers and union for blocking change	Identify incentive relationships that conserve the current form of operation
Point a finger at teachers or students or managers as lazy or stupid.	Point the finger at the legislature who is responsible for the design and for changing the design
Use one, common set of standards and testing in order to centrally administer and evaluate	Allow multiple local proposals for new and different
Treat the student and the teacher as accountable to the state	Make the student's need primary. Make the teachers serve students' needs
Require instant success	Allow for long range process of research & development
Protect existing system from new ideas of outsiders	Create an independent sector that cannot be controlled by the existing system
Pretend that we all own the schools and should support them; involve stakeholders in reform	Recognize the districts own and operate the schools, not the parents, not local business groups, not foundations, and not the state legislature
Focus on reforms; avoid talking about system relationships; isolate pieces to change	Address the method of providing public education as a system; take account of the system's success as a system in maintaining and enlarging itself
Assert that the district and schools must be protected as institutions vital to democracy	Be clear about the dysfunctional, massive failure of the system in serving all kids.