From Reopen to Reinvent. Michael B. Horn
Disrupted.
Chapter 2 Begin with the End: What's the Purpose of Schooling?
Julia's parents didn't match Dr. Ball's smile. From the looks of it, they were in no mood for pleasantries.
Par for the course, Ball thought.
Mrs. Owens started talking first. “Hi, Dr. Ball. Thanks for seeing us on such short notice.”
“Of course,” Ball said. “Have a seat. What's on your mind?”
“It's been a year since Julia got vaccinated. You think normal would have returned by now, but we're still hearing stories of fights on the playground from Julia. She's scared sometimes to go outside after lunch. That's not normal,” Mrs. Owens said.
Ball nodded. Mrs. Owens wasn't wrong. The return from the time at home had created a lot of challenges that schools hadn't been prepared to meet. She chose not to say anything or defend the school. Five years in the job had trained her to listen and affirm.
Meanwhile, Mr. Owens twisted in his seat. His lips were pursed. Then he unloaded.
“How are you going to ever get the kids back on track, Dr. Ball? I'm hearing stories from my colleagues whose children go to Bradley Mountain Elementary. Their kids are already doing work light years ahead of where Julia is in her classes. I'm thinking of starting Julia on some educational software again in the evenings, but I can't even figure out what you all are trying to prepare Julia for here. Things feel all over the map.”
“And what about helping the children be kind and stop all this fighting?” Mrs. Owens chimed in.
“It's a good question. I can barely make sure all the children are fed properly and have the right glasses to read books clearly. And some young scholars clearly have extra energy they need a way to channel,” Ball said.
She instantly regretted speaking. Her jumbled thoughts of self-pity did her no favors.
Mrs. Owens glared at her. Mr. Owens' mouth hung open. They both folded their arms. Then Mrs. Owens broke the silence.
“I have no idea how these things are our problems. But I do know that Julia seems really interested in robotics these days. Maybe she could do that during recess?”
“Or you could at least get the basics right so she doesn't fall so far behind the kids in the other schools,” Mr. Owens said. “She's just gotta keep up or else it'll come back to bite her in middle school.”
Julia's parents kept throwing a torrent of ideas and conflicting thoughts at Ball. It was hard to make sense of them all, but it did prompt a question in her mind: What were Ball's hopes and dreams for the children at Spruce Peak? Did her teachers agree? What about the parents? Heck, did she even agree with herself? It seemed the Owens weren't on the same page as each other.
* * *
What's the purpose of schooling?
Even though it may seem like a straightforward question, once you scratch the surface, it's anything but. There are countless views on the topic.
Lists of things schools should do—or have historically done, for better or worse—grow long. Things like convey knowledge; ensure learning; sort students; build citizens; prepare learners for employment; focus on skills; teach children to interact with others and socialize; educate the whole child; help students become independent thinkers; and many more.
Clarifying priorities is challenging. Making trade-offs is tough.
Different communities and pockets of parents hold different opinions, points of emphasis, and priorities based on their specific circumstances.1 Chapter 7 explores what parents want from schools, but, suffice to say, parents don't always agree with what educators think—nor do educators always agree with each other. Policymakers have their own sets of views that often clash.
Many schools struggle because there is a lack of coherence amid competing priorities. Chapter 11 offers a framework to help leaders understand which tools will help them when there isn't agreement on the goals of a school, which is a common occurrence and thus a critical topic.
But schools also often suffer because there is a lack of clarity about what they are trying to accomplish. There are unspoken assumptions about what schools are trying to do. Unstated goals lie embedded implicitly in policies, regulations, structures, and practices formed long ago.
Addressing the purpose of school in each community is critical.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PURPOSE OF SCHOOLING
The primary policy rationale for public schools' purpose has changed over time.2 In Disrupting Class, Clayton Christensen, Curtis Johnson, and I offered an overview of these shifts.3 Here's a brief summary.
Through much of the 1800s, a kind reading of history would say that the central role of public schools was to preserve the American democracy and inculcate democratic values.4
In the 1890s and early 1900s, competition with a fast-rising industrial Germany constituted a mini-crisis. The country shifted by creating a new role for public schools: to prepare everyone for vocations. That meant providing something for everyone, with a flourishing of tracks and courses and increased enrollment in high school, which in 1905 just one-third of children who enrolled in first grade ever attended.
Another purpose was added to America's schools in the late 1970s and early 1980s: keeping the country competitive. Although this one had echoes of the prior purpose, it was different, as the nation became consumed by how students were doing in school as measured through average test scores. The vast choices that students had in a “cafeteria style curriculum,” the landmark report “A Nation at Risk” noted, was one “in which the appetizers and desserts can easily be mistaken for the main courses.”5 Having something for everyone, in other words, was no longer a virtue. It was a vice.
Just 20 years later, the primary purpose shifted again. This time society asked schools to eliminate poverty by not just focusing on schools' average test scores, but instead to make sure that children in every demographic reached a basic measure of proficiency in core subjects. The theory of action was that academic achievement unlocked opportunity.
As that consensus has eroded in recent years, there has been some drift in the primary purpose of schooling from a political perspective. Given that erosion, clarifying an individual school's purpose is perhaps now an even more vital conversation to have to build a coherent school model.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEGINNING WITH THE END
Without clarity around purpose, educators are often caught in what famed author Stephen Covey called “the activity trap”—working harder at the things schools do just because they are the things they do, not because they are the most important things.
In one of the best-selling nonfiction books of all time, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey wrote how beginning with the end in mind is critical. Without a clear understanding of your destination, you won't know if the steps you're taking