Part 3 - School Improvement is Not a Simple Problem
Karen Seashore Louis continues with the next foundational concern: school improvement is a “wicked problem.” Compare this with a simple problem, which might be to change the bell system in a school. A “wicked problem” is one that we will never really know is solved because students are changing and conditions are changing; classrooms and schools are complex because they are interwoven with all of the other social problems and issues that we need to address. We will never really have an end point when we will know for certain that schools are good—criteria will change, the classroom technology will change, the kids will come to school with different experiences… We will not come to a point when we will know exactly how to do everything. Louis comments that we need to keep reminding policymakers that simple solutions will not solve the “wicked problem.”
Think about:
- Do you agree with Louis’ assertion that school improvement is a “wicked problem”?
- How did you feel when you heard that we will never really have an endpoint when we know that schools are good and know exactly how to do this (because criteria will change, technology will change, and kids will come to school with different experiences)?
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