Producing Success

If you're still pondering whether to engage the online/digital learning movement as part of "how we do school" in independent schools, consider the following remark from Jeff Pfeffer and Bob Sutton in their tome, Hard Facts, Dangerous Truths & Total Nonsense:

"Being the world's most efficient and effective electric typewriter company won't produce success when the product in question is disappearing because of changes in technology and markets--a story that holds true for companies making the proverbial buggy whips or, more recently, those making electromechanical calculators, slide rules, or record players" (136).

I'm not suggesting that our product is disappearing, but the things that impact whether parents send their children to independent schools are only increasing, whether the nature of that impact stems from economics or technology. Understanding that we need to remain impactful in our respective school markets, will "how we've always done school" continue to sustain us? Will it produce success?

And, what does success mean/look like? Does it mean 'staying in business,' does it mean 'healthy enrollment' (what does THAT mean...?), does it mean 'graduates placed in competitive colleges,' or does it mean something entirely different, something that has moved outside our locus of control?

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[Gary Gruber]

Check out today's NYTimes article (1/1/12) by Pico Iyer "The Joy of Quiet" and consider how we shall meet this need of children (and adults) today and tomorrow.