| Parents as consumers rather than engineers |
6/10/04 6:10 AM |
| Author:
Don Crawford
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The power of the model of school choice hinges on role of parents as consumers. As a consumer one does not need to know the specifications of the product's design, instead one needs only to be able to appreciate a quality outcome. Parents can tell when their child reads well. Parents can tell when their child can make change or tell time or write a letter. Parents can vote with their feet when they find or hear of a school that produces better outcomes.
If a large percentage of educational professionals espouse progressive "best practices" that fail to educate children, then how could one in conscience recommend that parents hire an educational professional to help them design their school? Charter schools will succeed or fail based upon the strength of their design and educational philosophy. But hiring "professional" help is no guarantee that the design will be sound or effective. Only the winnowing out of ineffective charter schools over the years will ensure that the effective models succeed and multiply.
Posted as a reply to:
Designing Effective Educational Programs by Bob Montgomery 
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