The Illuminating Interview: BS-Ed and Education

My View

Jack just got home from a long meeting with his school board. He kicks off his shoes, loosens his tie and clicks on the TV. A cable TV program about school reform hosted by Seymour Doltz is just beginning.

“Today we’re examining the continuing and unflagging failure of public education and how the business world can improve it,” Doltz says in his deep baritone. “Les Noble is here, a businessman who is reforming education by creating for-profit K-12 schools. What is your vision of education, Mr. Noble?”

“Thanks, Seymour. Call me Les. Education is very important to our country’s economic competitiveness. We need to synergize brain-compatible policies and data-driven designs to improve test results from the bottom up.”

“And what’s the name of your company?” Doltz asks.

Les smiles. “BetterSchools — Education, BS-Ed for short.”

“Les, does competition improve schools?”

“Choice, choice, choice is the answer. Schools must transform with the times. At BS-Ed, we emphasize metacognitive mastery-focused competencies for the 21st century.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Doltz coos. “Your schools advertise that they empower engagement structures within the core curriculum.”

“Yes, we do. We pursue visionary initiatives in our algorithmically driven schools.”

Jack gets up to grab a beer. He pops the cap and takes a swig.

“What spurred your interest in school reform?” Doltz asks.

“Children need authentic education via strengths-based guiding coalitions and cognitive disequilibrium,” Les explains.

“I see. What makes your approach to private-sector reform unique?”

“I’m glad you asked. We benchmark bottom-up terminal and enabling objectives through multiple modalities. Our data-driven schools reinvent strengths-based interfaces so children can harness their innovative mindsets and learn the collaborative process,” he said.

Doltz looks at his notes. “In the private sector, does competition create excellence?”

“Certainly. Life is more than play. Kids must learn that competition spurs achievement. In business, we have redefined adaptive technologies in order to dramatically revolutionize scalable expertise and after-effects. It’s taken time but now we can professionally disseminate high-impact ideas,” Noble explains.

“Public schools can really benefit from that approach, correct?”

“Well, teachers need to apply actionable paradoxes across cognitive and affective domains. Schools must objectively leverage existing process-centric architectures in order to continually incentivize adaptive intellectual and human capital.”

“Yes, yes. Not an easy thing to do.”

Les grins. “Schools really need to dramatically restore functional metrics in order to pool constructivist technologies across spatial and temporal scales, just like Wall Street.”

“What do kindergarteners need to know in this dynamic world?”

“Before they get to 3rd grade, they need to iterate performance-driven manipulatives within the new paradigm. We must unleash hands-on, lifelong learning in a data-driven environment through an experiential-based learning process.”

“Wow, that is just what our country needs.” Seymour pauses. “We just have a few more minutes. Tell us how for-profit choice schools can achieve this.”

“Well, we collaboratively mesh distinctive infrastructures in order to generate metacognitive strategies within professional learning communities. You know that data, data, data bring us all together in a tight, focused community.”

“Really compelling stuff. Can public schools do that?”

“It is common sense in the private sector and should also be common sense for schools. Teachers and principals need to synthesize systemic debriefs for creating engagement structures.”

“Les, thanks for explaining what educational reform should be. And, thank you all for listening. We hope this program has given a clear and fresh perspective on public education. Tune in again when we discuss how to apply Wall Street ethics to your personal relationships.”

Jack guzzles down the rest of his beer and lets out a big burp. “That about sums it up,” he says as he turns off the television.