Ten lessons from six decades in the struggle to improve schools No images? Click here A Education | ) Next ONCE A HEDGEHOG, NOW A FOX Ten lessons from six decades in the struggle to improve schools In a new article for Education Next, Chester E. Finn, Jr. reflects on his 60-year journey in education reform, beginning as a passionate “hedgehog”—focused on a singular mission to overhaul the system—and evolving into a more skeptical, yet determined, “fox.”  Finn recounts his early experiences in the 1960s, when he, like President Johnson, believed that federal programs like the Elementary and Secondary Education Act could bridge the gap between poverty and opportunity. But as the years went by, disappointing results from programs like Upward Bound and early evaluations of Head Start challenged his assumptions. Influenced by thinkers like Daniel Patrick Moynihan and others, Finn began to see the limits of simple solutions in addressing complex social problems. Finn shares ten lessons about why meaningful change in American K–12 education is so difficult to achieve. From the decentralized nature of the system to the resistance to change within it, his reflections serve as both a cautionary tale and a guide for those still working to improve schools.  Keep reading ABOUT EDUCATION NEXT Education Next is a scholarly journal committed to careful examination of evidence relating to school reform, published by the Program on Education Policy and Governance at the Harvard Kennedy School. For more information, please visit educationnext.org. TwitterLinkedInFacebook Program on Education Policy and Governance Harvard Kennedy School 79 JFK Street Cambridge, MA 02138 Phone (877) 476-5354 Fax (617) 496-1507 You’re receiving this because you subscribed from our website   |