Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

The Inherent Conflicts of an Entrepreneurial Era

November 28, 2006 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

Frederick M. Hess’ Commentary “Welcoming the Entrepreneurial Era?” (Nov. 1, 2006) disregards contradictory evidence. Moreover, to believe that only “entrepreneurs have the freedom and incentives to search for new solutions” ignores history. Has Mr. Hess ever heard of John Dewey?

He goes further to state that “district leaders have spent decades trying to drag one-size-fits-all, standardized, resistant organizations forward, with limited success.” Oddly, this is a legitimate criticism I have often seen aimed at the entrepreneurially driven Edison Schools Inc.

Mr. Hess faults a lack of available funding for dwarfing the development of entrepreneurial education. Has he forgotten that Edison once traded on the stock market at nearly $40 per share?

There remains an inherent conflict between education and for-profit education managers. A teacher, or truly anyone who is involved in education, has a fiduciary duty to students. In business, the fiduciary duty is to shareholders. Principles are why education is best served by nonprofits, rather than by the Edisons and the Apollo Groups of the world.

Keith Newman

Philadelphia, Pa.

To the Editor:

As a 20-year veteran of the educational technology industry, I agree with Frederick M. Hess’ assessment that new entrants and new ideas face formidable challenges.

Entrepreneurs who dare to venture into public education face a very conservative system. To start, it is almost impossible to gain access to busy administrators; the bureaucratic, slow-moving process simply wears out the resources and energy of many entrepreneurs. In addition, there is no real incentive (time, resources, or rewards) for educators to be risk-takers and try new things.

When I speak with school administrators, they seem open to new solutions and genuinely interested in new approaches. Yet when it comes to taking action, the system is incredibly burdened with inertia, policies, and political baggage. Not much happens, and if it does, it happens at glacial speed. There is no sense of urgency to fix our education problems.

Further, there is too little capital available to entrepreneurs. It is very difficult to push against this rope without money. But there is little investment capital for new education companies. Returns are low and slow, compared with private-sector opportunities.

Shortage of capital has fueled industry consolidation. A few giant publishing conglomerates help the persistence of old paradigms. They offer huge incentive-based compensation packages (that entrepreneurs cannot compete with) to seasoned sales executives with Rolodexes, and use their political clout to perpetuate the system. Entrepreneurs with innovative products have no efficient or effective way to go to market.

Public funds to spark educational entrepreneurial ventures would surely help, as Mr. Hess suggests, but the focus should be on creating an entrepreneurial environment in our school districts. We need strong incentives for school administrators to open their doors to newcomers, and more reasons for them to try new solutions from new companies. Incentives on both sides could create a more welcoming environment.

Glen McCandless

Educational Technology Consultant

Focus Marketing Inc.

Asheville, N.C.

A version of this article appeared in the November 29, 2006 edition of Education Week as The Inherent Conflicts of an Entrepreneurial Era

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Teaching Students to Use Artificial Intelligence Ethically
Ready to embrace AI in your classroom? Join our master class to learn how to use AI as a tool for learning, not a replacement.
Content provided by Solution Tree
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Teaching Webinar
Empowering Students Using Computational Thinking Skills
Empower your students with computational thinking. Learn how to integrate these skills into your teaching and boost student engagement.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
IT Infrastructure & Management Webinar
The Reality of Change: How Embracing and Planning for Change Can Shape Your Edtech Strategy
Promethean edtech experts delve into the reality of tech change and explore how embracing and planning for it can be your most powerful strategy for maximizing ROI.
Content provided by Promethean

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz Education Week News Quiz: Nov. 26, 2024
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Small Business Administration administrator Linda McMahon attends a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Aug. 16, 2018, in Washington.
Small Business Administration administrator Linda McMahon attends a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Aug. 16, 2018, in Washington.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Education Briefly Stated: October 23, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: October 2, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: September 18, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read