During the late 19th century, U.S. business leaders "assumed that schools and for-profit companies were basically alike, so that business principles could be used to improve inefficient schools," Larry Cuban, professor emeritus at Stanford University, told ASCD Annual Conference participants.
The primary difference between public schools and private businesses, he pointed out, is that teachers can't return uncooperative students. Cuban—presenter of the session titled Why Can't Schools Be Like Businesses?—spent more than 30 years in public education, including seven as a superintendent. He also wrote The Blackboard and the Bottom Line, in which he examined business involvement in school reform from 1890 to 1920 and from the 1970s to 2006.
Cuban, an expert in education and school reform, reminded the audience that during the '70s, when Japanese electronics companies and car manufacturers were outselling American companies, business leaders directed some of their economic angst against education. Today's business leaders are making similar connections between competitive labor markets and educational institutions. "For the economy to grow," Cuban told the audience, "schools [have] to change."
Specifically, Cuban said NCLB promotes "competition among schools and penalties for low performance."
He pointed out, however, that there are fundamental differences between business and education—in values and practices. These include the multiple purposes of schools and their public responsibility for achieving those purposes, along with democratic deliberations in deciding policies and determining schools' successes.
"Moreover," he continued, "schools are expected to strengthen common moral values, promote civic involvement, and increase equal opportunities. . . . Parents and children are not customers."
Communicating Is Critical
Patricia Parker of Columbus, Ohio, appears to be in sync with Cuban. Parker spent more than two decades in K–12 public education, part of it as a middle school principal. She relayed her experiences during her session, So You Think You Really Want to Be a Principal?
School principals are not managers, Parker said. They are leaders. "My job is not to manage today. My job is to keep the momentum going in the right direction.
"When you become an administrator . . . it is a lifestyle," Parker told the audience of teachers, principals, and office administrators. "You're never off."
She recited a list of responsibilities that would make a CEO blush. In addition to approving financial audits, interpreting contractual language, and hiring and firing staff, today's principals coordinate health training, review emergency plans, handle suspension appeals, process police reports, act as juvenile court liaisons, conduct special-education meetings, review grants, approve field trips, and organize graduation ceremonies, all while simultaneously working to increase test scores.
At the end of the day, Parker advised her listeners, "You have to keep it simple, you have to keep it focused, and you have to keep people informed and involved. Communicate, communicate, communicate."
