Comments on: Cash for closing schools http://insideschools.org/blog/2008/09/24/cash-for-closing-schools/ Sun, 21 Mar 2010 06:03:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: BklynKMLF http://insideschools.org/blog/2008/09/24/cash-for-closing-schools/#comment-2024 BklynKMLF Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:16:17 +0000 http://insideschools.org/blog/2008/09/24/cash-for-closing-schools/#comment-2024 This is a difficult debate to have, because the city has applied a business method and/or philosophy to the "business" of running a school and/or system that is unfamiliar to the public. After years of this approach people are having a hard time accepting. It is the model, standards and philosophy applied to the running of American companies. Only recently have we begun to have serious and public debate about why we have accepted the well established practice of not just rewarding executives of financial institutions - even when they fail, but rewarding them handsomely. Did the students have academic advancement, even though it was not significant enough to keep the school open? Then, I would have to agree that the Administrators met the goal and the criteria set forth and should receive the bonus. Does this sit well with me - NO. The closing of a school is a sign of failure for the institution and in implementing the program this way, we are indeed rewarding that failure. So then the real question is: Is this business model appropriate in an academic environment? This is a difficult debate to have, because the city has applied a business method and/or philosophy to the “business” of running a school and/or system that is unfamiliar to the public. After years of this approach people are having a hard time accepting. It is the model, standards and philosophy applied to the running of American companies. Only recently have we begun to have serious and public debate about why we have accepted the well established practice of not just rewarding executives of financial institutions - even when they fail, but rewarding them handsomely.

Did the students have academic advancement, even though it was not significant enough to keep the school open? Then, I would have to agree that the Administrators met the goal and the criteria set forth and should receive the bonus. Does this sit well with me - NO. The closing of a school is a sign of failure for the institution and in implementing the program this way, we are indeed rewarding that failure.

So then the real question is: Is this business model appropriate in an academic environment?

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