PLANK ONE:
LET LOCAL LEADERS LEAD

"Governing a great nation is a lot like cooking a fish -
too much handling will spoil it."

LAO TSU
CHINESE TAOIST PHILOSOPHER
FOUNDER OF TAOISM

What is the best way to organize public education governance and leadership? We no longer live in an age when the local one-room schoolhouse defines how children receive their education. Today, public education is decidedly centralized and involves strict controls not only at the district level, but at the state and federal level as well. The smothering effect of top-down controls raises a vital question, "Might we not be better off with a return to more local education governance?"

All organizations have one thing in common. They are run, whether effectively or ineffectively, by human beings. There are

many types of organizations, with different leadership styles, various management practices, vertical, horizontal, circular, and even upside-down structures. Ultimately, however, all effective organizations must start with inspired leaders who are empowered to make key decisions and who accept responsibility for delivering results. The same principle applies to public schools.

The role of teachers

The classroom is the primary venue where the transfer of knowledge from the teacher to the student actually takes place. In order to maximize this knowledge transfer, I think teachers need to feel that they own what happens in their classroom. Teachers should be able to make the decisions that impact the learning for each and every one of their students without the burdensome constraints of bureaucracy. Periodically, even the very best teachers will require support.