Can Ed Reformers Learn From Netflix? Blogger Russo Gets It Right
Like many education reporters, I'm a longtime fan of Alexander Russo's blog, This Week in Education. His news roundups are always more than just a rehash of headlines, his tidbits salted with just the right degree of snark.
Russo also has a knack for connecting dots in unusual, and effective, ways. A perfect example is his take on what education reformers could learn from Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix.
As Russo wrote Monday, Hastings -- responding to missteps by the company in reshaping its business model -- "deserves credit for doing two things that almost no education reform leaders seem willing to do," which is apologize for past mistakes and demonstrate a willingness to change.
(Russo also pointed out that there's been little media attention focused on Education Secretary Arne Duncan's online learning initiative, Digital Promise, a public-private partnership which Hastings has been involved in developing and promoting. You can read about it here in Duncan's and Hastings' Wall Street Journal op-ed.)
How much progress by schools is held back by a lack of flexibility among reformers? Given that most experts agree it can take upward of three years for a new program to take root, when is the right time to admit defeat and start over?
I agree that an apology can go a long way. I'm also fairly certain some high-price branding agency owes one to Hastings for selling him on the name "Qwikster."
Have a question, comment or concern for the Educated Reporter? Email me at erichmond@ewa.org. I'm also on Twitter @EWAEmily.
Russo also has a knack for connecting dots in unusual, and effective, ways. A perfect example is his take on what education reformers could learn from Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix.
As Russo wrote Monday, Hastings -- responding to missteps by the company in reshaping its business model -- "deserves credit for doing two things that almost no education reform leaders seem willing to do," which is apologize for past mistakes and demonstrate a willingness to change.
(Russo also pointed out that there's been little media attention focused on Education Secretary Arne Duncan's online learning initiative, Digital Promise, a public-private partnership which Hastings has been involved in developing and promoting. You can read about it here in Duncan's and Hastings' Wall Street Journal op-ed.)
How much progress by schools is held back by a lack of flexibility among reformers? Given that most experts agree it can take upward of three years for a new program to take root, when is the right time to admit defeat and start over?
I agree that an apology can go a long way. I'm also fairly certain some high-price branding agency owes one to Hastings for selling him on the name "Qwikster."
Have a question, comment or concern for the Educated Reporter? Email me at erichmond@ewa.org. I'm also on Twitter @EWAEmily.
Labels: Alexander Russo, Arne Duncan, leaders, Netflix, online_learning, Qwikster, Reed Hastings, This Week in Education
posted by Emily Richmond at
5:00 AM
1 Comments:
I often feel like there's an excess of snark in Russo's writing, but then maybe that's just me (in fact I'm sure it's me, given the popularity of sites like Gawker that I can't stand at all).
Anyway, on your main point, I found it interesting and surprising that Ben Austin admitted to some mistakes in implementing California's parent trigger in this story. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/24/education/24trigger.html?pagewanted=2&partner=rss&emc=rss
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