Thursday, September 13, 2007

Dumbing Down a District

Be aware. There is a move afoot to change the Operations side of the Edmonds School District that will result in a more ambitious and energetic approach to solving problems and tackling long-standing issues. The plan will streamline discussion and quickly build consensus on every pertinent issue confronting the District and how it handles the operating side of the organization.

The strategy is unique.

It involves the aggressive and unmistakable "dumbing down" of the District. When they adopt this philosophy in the private sector, the business crumbles and quickly files for bankruptcy protection. Eventually, like every poorly-managed business in history, it fails - leaving people unemployed and investors adding up their losses. Fortunately, the Edmonds School District is a public agency and the taxpayer will keep it afloat. It will survive long enough to see where this curious little experiment in economics takes us.

Imagine how quickly things will be decided when everyone in the room looks to their leader for a cue. Pre-meetings will become all the rage ensuring that everyone knows how to respond when their opinion is sought. There will no longer be a need to delay action to debate wisdom and direction. No one in the organization will be standing in the way of change and outsiders will gaze in awe at how the whole District seems so unified in purpose.

It is the beginning of a new era. Redefining the destination to accommodate the speed and direction in which you are traveling.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I get it. Like the education side of the house grading on a curve. Is it really smart to lower the standard so at least a few students can feel good about getting an "A"?

Anonymous said...

I don't understand what the change is. Can you explain it in more detail?

ESD15.org said...

To give any more detail would result in more work for my lawyers. I prefer not to distract them from the work they normally do.

Example: If an agency forces out qualified and competent people, they can easily manipulate new hires. People that may have been selected solely for their putty-like qualities and desire to maximize income rather than impact.

Anonymous said...

If Nick were to make a sudden turn, do you realize how many noses would be broken? Oh, the humanity! These yes men and women may be getting raises to their already bloated pay, but they're the poorest individuals I know.

Anonymous said...

The false appearance of continual victory keeps the coach employed but if the scoreboard were operating we would all realize it's getting close to the end of the game, we are too far behind and it's 4th down.

Anonymous said...

Of course, when you want to control every facet of an organization, you don't go around hiring bright people. In fact, you should go out of your way to hire your friends and associates that share your priorities, like money and exerting minimal effort in acquiring it.

Anonymous said...

There was a time when a Planning and Property Management Specialist might need to know how to effectively use email, Excel, Word, FileMaker Pro and many other tools of the profession. Apparently, existing in the modern office environment is no longer vital.

Maybe we should "dumb down" this place - so the students will appear so much brighter.