Missed Opportunity

How Schools Work: An Inside Account of Failure and Success from One of the Nation's Longest-Serving Secretaries of Education - Arne Duncan - (Simon and Schuster)

I've got to be honest, I don't quite know what to make of, How Schools Work: An Inside Account of Failure and Success from One of the Nation's Longest-Serving Secretaries of Education, by Obama Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. Named the ninth Secretary of Education in 2009, Duncan oversaw the turmoil that public education has become in the United States trough 2015.

With How Schools Work, Duncan ha the opportunity to shine a first hand knowledge spotlight on those school's that are working well and what they do to successfully navigate the roadblocks and issues that stop so many schools from delivering on their primary charge; educating kids.

Those issues are legion; ranging from disinterested or impaired parents, infrastructure failures, teacher's and their unions, forced social engineering, school violence, funding issues, and on and on. Rather than citing those schools who manage to overcome these hurdles, Duncan instead serves up an odd mishmash; part memoir of his journey in education, part recap of the challenges facing educators,  part liberal boilerplate screed and all topped off with his thoughts on gun violence. Oh, and as the cherry on top there is the seemingly obligatory eight point plan too fix the problems.

While the story of his journey to and through the education ranks is interesting and he clearly displays a demonstrable passion for educating, I was left short by the missed opportunity that I felt this book presented. The opportunity comes in the form of addressing an increase in accountability and an effort to refocus on actually providing a useful education that prepares students for a better future, whatever direction that might lead them. Instead of focusing on social engineering and how Johnny feels about himself, why not give Johnny the tools he needs to be successful or even break the cycle that has often hampered generations. Instead of viewing parents as adversaries, why not engage them to participate in the process of educating their kids. Instead of whining about a layoff funds why not offer a ground up overhaul of how schools can work better by how they are managed. Like I said, missed opportunity.