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The nation's two best-known management consultants are probably Peter Drucker and Tom Peters. The latter, author of best-sellers such as "In Search of Excellence," addressed more than 400 educators, parents, students and others at a November 9th conference in Burlington, Vermont of the ten-year-old Foundation for Excellent Schools.

Peters first had some kind words for the audience, which were justified by announcements that one school received an award for excellence and a teacher at the conference had just been chosen as New York's Special Education Teacher of the Year. But when he spoke of the education system, his main topic, he was less kind.

His remarks were based on his 56-page paper entitled "Education 'Reform' and 3rd Millenium Work: WE'VE GOT IT DANGEROUSLY WRONG" or LEARNING IS ECSTASY: So How Come 'Education' Is Such a Drag?" (Emphasis in the original.)

While his verbal presentation used even stronger language, Peters' paper was "written in a rage. A rage against the knowing malevolence of the designers of our school system. How could so many credentialed people be so collectively stupid?"

Arguing that learning is an inherent human drive, that "Children know how to learn. It's in the genes," he concludes that "The only thing that screws up learning is the classroom ... it is perfect. Designed perfectly to kill all interest in the subject matter at hand."

Nor does he think what is normally termed "school reform" is any help. To the contrary, the "'school reform' movement is stupid. Sickeningly stupid." What we need is creativity, spontaneity and flexibility. What the reform movement gives us is more of what we have, regimentation, standardization, and "brutalizing boredom in places designed by the devil, called classrooms."

He notes that Peter Drucker's last name means "printer" in Dutch. Drucker himself reports that his ancestors were, in fact, printers from 1500 to 1750, a period of 250 years, 15 generations, in which they didn't have to learn anything new about their occupation because it remained unchanged.

Even the most obtuse among us recognizes that those days are gone forever. But now considering a generation as long-term is a mistake. Peters believes that 90% of even white collar jobs are in jeopardy within the next 15 years. Teachers won't be exempt. In response to questions after his formal presentation, he said that, speaking of schools as buildings, there is perhaps an argument for them for the first four or five years of a child's formal education experiences, but not beyond that.

Just as he spoke favorably of those present for their personal efforts, he repeatedly cited John Taylor Gatto, three times chosen New York City's Teacher of the Year, and twice selected as the Teacher of the Year for New York State. To a significant degree, as Gatto has subsequently written, this was because he so often broke the rules and engaged in what I've termed "creative noncompliance."

Retiring in 1991, after receiving these awards, Gatto has been on a crusade to change the system, writing several books in the process, such as "Dumbing Us Down" and "The Exhausted School." His latest, "A Different Kind of Teacher," has made him a hero to Peters who said "I happen to agree with damn near every semi-colon and comma that Mr. Gatto has written."

As one who has been a friend of his for many years, and also a career public educator, I concur with Gatto's view that the system does not permit teachers to do or be their best. Even the late Al Shanker, president of the American Federation of Teachers for a quarter of a century, has written that teachers who seem to be too creative are often screened out by the hiring and promotion process and that 25% of the teachers in the classroom are not sufficiently competent to be there.

As for the students, Gatto adds that "It's absurd and anti-life to be compelled to sit in confinement with people of exactly the same age and social class." Which is perhaps why New York Post columnist Jimmy Breslin commented, "Every time I pass a jailhouse or a school, I feel sorry for the people inside.

The amazing thing about Peters's presentation, as bold as it was, was its reception, a standing ovation at the end. Perhaps even more significant was that it ran almost twice its scheduled one hour, with no one leaving the room and no one trying to hurry him so the agenda could be moved along.

On the down side, the two-day conference was devoted to specific programs and results affecting individual students, classes, and/or schools. While, by itself, this was to the good, what was missing, except for Peters, was a broader view of the system and how it must, and will, change.

It may be expected that Peters will be heard further on this topic. And, indirectly related, I'm reminded of a prediction that the years immediately ahead may not be pleasant ones for teachers' unions.

Copyright 2001 David W. Kirkpatrick
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