Tough Love for School Reform Author: Frederick M. Hess

According to Frederick M. Hess, Director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, two kinds of reformers exist in American public education: "status quo reformers" and "common sense reformers." Status quo reformers believe the nation's teachers and administrators are already doing the best they can and the only way to improve America’s schools is to provide more money, expertise, training, and support. Common sense reformers seek to construct a culture of competence in schools: a culture where success is expected, excellence is rewarded, failure is not tolerated, and educators are given the freedom and flexibility to do their work. In this issue of Policy Perspectives, Hess details both approaches to school reform and offers a common sense reform agenda that rests on five pillars: tough-minded accountability, competition, workforce, leadership, and reinvention.