Date: Sun, 10 Aug 1997 18:11:33 -0500 (EST) From: "John S. Dyson" <toor@dyson.iquest.net> To: jmb@FreeBSD.ORG (Jonathan M. Bresler) Cc: toor@dyson.iquest.net, jmb@FreeBSD.ORG, dyson@FreeBSD.ORG, andrsn@andrsn.stanford.edu, hoek@hwcn.org, softweyr@xmission.com, chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: FTC regulating use of registrations Message-ID: <199708102311.SAA29538@dyson.iquest.net> In-Reply-To: <199708102300.QAA21657@hub.freebsd.org> from "Jonathan M. Bresler" at "Aug 10, 97 04:00:46 pm"
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> > > idea? Imagine a sloppy school that is at risk of closing, and the principal is > > "at risk." Risk is an amazing motivator (sp?). I don't think that a career > > of an administrator is nearly as important as the quality of care and education > > that children get. These school admins make a reasonable amount of money compared > > to their teacher peers, and with that additional income, comes responsibility. > > > > We get paid for responsibility and innovation, and I think that a manager of a > > school should have appropriate feedback mechanisms also. Along with the feedback > > mechanisms, the management of a school needs to be "enabled" and "empowered" (in > > the truest sense of the words.) > > touch to see that part happening...easier to give away vouchers > and run...look at the budget agreement and them look at the out > years...easier to cut and run. > Administering a school district from top down would be/is a nightmare. Empowering lower level people (principals, teachers) allows for problems to be solved more quickly and with less bureaucracy. Empowerment without risk doesn't solve the problem either, and vouchers are a (fair) way for concerned parents to give feedback. Those vouchers would be votes on a child by child basis, by those people who have the most at stake: their children. Of course, upper level administration (esp those who we vote for), are more interested in political spin and the bureaucracy in general. One solution to all problems cannot work, and a multi-district administration cannot work the individual issues. Pushing down both the authority and empowerment can allow problems to be worked at a local level. If the negative feedback mechanisms can be acted upon by the individuals at risk, then problems WILL get solved (either by the problems getting solved, or the administration will be replaced.) Note at the local level, the feedback is finer grained and has fewer lags -- more likely to solve the problem. The gross, slow, and coarse grained administrative feedback mechanisms have less chance of working (control theory-101.) John
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