School Reform That Matters

Michael C. Johanek, University of Pennsylvania

Abstract

A "loving critic" of the U.S., Dean Kishore Mahbubani at the National University of Singapore, suggests that "American society could ... fail if it does not force itself to conceive of failure." Our "first systemic failure," claims Mahbubani, is "groupthink." evident in our collective inability to challenge the "manifest nonsense" from financial sector officials years ago. Today, "the belief that American society allows every idea to be challenged has led Americans to assume that every idea is challenged. They have failed to notice when their minds have been enveloped in groupthink."[1] Might this apply to our ideas about school reform? Have we slipped into groupthink, holding fast to our belief that X will lead to better outcomes for our kids, despite persistent evidence to the contrary?