Author Archives: aagabor

Lessons for Chicago from the Labor Wars of the Industrial Era

Posted on September 12, 2012 by aagabor

Back in the 1970s, American industry knew just what was wrong with American industry: Recalcitrant workers and high wages, which made products made in the U.S.A uncompetitive with Japanese imports. The result, especially in Detroit and the U.S. auto industry, … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Education, Quality Management | 3 Comments

Paul Vallas on Teachers, Merit Pay and a Military Model for School Management

Posted on September 10, 2012 by aagabor

When Paul G. Vallas spoke at an annual Teaching Matters summer forum for principals this summer, I was struck by the systems-oriented nature of the school-improvement ideas he espoused. “The job of the principal is too big” for any single … Continue reading →

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The Principal of Brockton High Responds…

Posted on September 7, 2012 by aagabor

Yesterday I wrote about Gov Deval Patrick’s praise for Orchard Gardens, a Boston school with a tenuous one-year record of progress, noting that the governor had passed up the opportunity to highlight a truly remarkable Massachusetts turnaround he knows well–that … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 1 Comment

Is Deval Patrick’s “Miracle School” the Best Example of Mass. Ed Reform?

Posted on September 6, 2012 by aagabor

During his speech at the Democratic Convention this week, Gov. Deval Patrick praised the seemingly miraculous one-year turnaround of Boston’s Orchard Gardens school–actually, the Orchard Gardens Pilot School. Gov. Patrick’s choice of Orchard Gardens was striking for two reasons: First, … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 2 Comments

Why Carrot-and-Stick Incentives Get An “F”, An Answer to The New York Times

Posted on August 13, 2012 by aagabor

The New York Times recently published an editorial calling for teachers to be punished or  rewarded based on the academic growth of their students, ignoring the fact that individualized incentives fail to increase overall performance or quality—either in education or … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Education, Quality Management | Leave a comment