If we ran businesses like (publicly-funded) schools? A Prologue
One of my secret obsessions when I was teaching was to someday write an essay entitled “If we ran businesses like schools.”
I would particularly get the urge whenever I would read or hear some pundit proclaim that the cures to what ails education would appear if the education establishment would simply adopt a business model and manufacture perfect students.
After awhile, I started wondering what it would be like to reverse the argument and apply the methods used to run schools to businesses. Should work, shouldn’t it?
I’ve decided to explore this idea as a series of random blog posts and see where the analysis takes me.
If we ran businesses like schools…First of all, we would have to give employment to each and every person who applied to work in each business establishment. Immediately. We would have to provide working tools and clothing for those employees who show up lacking such items. Finally, we would expect that each employee’s tenure would last approximately 13 years, each year comprising approximately 197 days with a 7-8 week vacation period during July and August…
… If they were unable to successfully do the work assigned to them, we, the employers, would have to restructure the work environment and provide altered expectations of production outcomes. We would have to meet with each employee’s family members, and discuss the employee’s progress in our place of business…
…Ah the possibilities! As the spirit moves me I will continue these blog posts. I welcome any other inspiring ideas. Who knows, maybe educators could take over big businesses some day and transform them into creative, happy, and productive economic powerhouses!
