A new book released this month by Education|Evolving associate Tim McDonald examines strategies for making schools more cost-effective and productive. Federal stimulus funding for K-12, McDonald argues, has created an impression that schools are suffering today because of the economic downturn. This is true. But the downturn is not the principle reason for their financial pains.
For decades education expenditures have outpaced economic growth, and governments have increased spending to match. In recent years this has become less possible, because of the Great Recession and because of growing claims from other public services such as health care and social security.
In the book, McDonald applies Education|Evolving’s approach of rethinking the structure and incentives of school systems, to propose a strategy for addressing cost and effectiveness issues in K-12. Some of the problems and solutions offered in the text are as follows:
Problem: The factory model of school is not financially viable.
Solution: Other models of school are — it is okay to change.
Problem: Performance of students is stagnant.
Solution: Align self-interest with the public interest.
Problem: There is resistance to change.
Solution: Run a split-screen strategy.
Problem: K-12 is rife with the politics of “blocking.”
Solution: Get actors to work through self-interest, toward the public interest.
For more, see http://www.amazon.com/UNSUSTAINABLE-Schooling-Productive-Affordable-Innovations/dp/1607093642
