Leaders v. Reformers - Mistaking the Gloss
Justin Bathon on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 10:23AM There is a difference. I do not think they are mutually exclusive, but I think they are too often confused. This page, for instance, is a mix of reformers and leaders, but not necessarily both as they are improperly labeled. How can you call Robert Bobb a leader? He is an administrator, but his "intention" to lead change does not equate with leadership. Michelle Rhee, too, is much more a reformer than a leader.
Yesterday, I got to spend the day with Carmen Coleman, the Superintendent in Danville Independent here in Kentucky. Carmen is a leader, then a reformer. Leading the district is the primary task, it just so happens the right path for the district is through reform.
It annoys me that people like Michelle Rhee or most of the other names that get tossed around are called the "education leaders" of this country. That's, frankly, a load of B.S. Michelle Rhee is a leader in the reform movement, but is not an education leader in the same way that Carmen is.
As we view the structure of our system, let's just not confuse the glossy paint of reform with the steel studs of leadership. The color of the walls will change frequently - but that the wall exists is thanks to leadership.
