Putting Common Sense Back Into School Reform

By Joseph Palumbo and Jan Leight

The budget for chart paper and markers had been used up entirely. The yarn had been tossed around and all the ice had been broken. Post-it notes adorned all walls, and members of every possible team had achieved true consensus and been included. Vision and mission posters hung in every room. High-priced consultants had visited and talked about the meaning of "real reform."

And yet ... the school was still a mess. Students weren't achieving at higher levels. Most of the families, staff members, and local community felt that this time spent in the so-called Debatable Outcomes Guaranteed to Maximize Achievement process, also known as DOGMA, had been wasted. It hadn't changed one thing for the...