System or Individual?

Alexis de Tocqueville visited America as a social scientist in 1835. He noted a strong contrast between the Jacksonian democracy of the US and his native European aristocracy. In the United States hard work and money-making was the dominant ethic and Americans did not defer to the elites but instead held to their own dignity and individualism.

What does this have to do with education in America today?

Respect and Hard Work
Perhaps the respect or lack thereof that students exhibit for teachers has something to do with our general disregard for elitism and authority.  More importantly our protestant work ethic (work hard to achieve) can blind us to the merits of system analysis and improvement, effectively causing us to try to whip our horses to keep up with the cars whizzing past us.

Sure, if a kid works hard he or she has a better chance in our current system. Is that a valid measure of a good system?

System Analysis Theory
Covey and others point out that people working in a system are affected by the system and therefore the system must be analysed if change is to be effected. The field of system analysis and design attempts to take into account multiple factors and their interdependent effects when changing a system. These concepts are often ignored however, when we talk about the education system.

Why?

Perhaps our emphasis on work and effort causes us to not properly harmonize the concept of working smarter and making a smarter system to work within. Or, maybe because of the transfer of work principle, (i.e. to a carpenter everything is a nail) the tendency of teachers and administrators is to push their craft to further degrees and development rather than implement systemic change or re-design (throw out the carriages and adopt cars!)

Business Systems versus School Systems
Business on the other hand is subject to market pressures and is much faster to implement system re-design and change. Imagine if IBM or Apple were still using the same system it did in the late 1800's! Business adapts and changes it exists in a world of market pressure.

Thirty years ago smart people like Robert Heinich realized that our system needed drastic change, however, the system has remained largely unchanged for much longer than 30 years. In fact, education today isn't that much different than it was in 1892 when the committee of ten (see earlier post) published their report. Chime in on why you think the education system is largely unchanged when compared with systems subject to market pressures.