The Quality School--Wm. Glasser I don't know about the rest of you but I personally am not sure what color the sky is in this man's world. Not that his ideas aren't valid. However, they aren't new either. I have heard the same principles put forward several times inmy life. For example: 1962-Boy Scout Leadership Training Camp. They called it Delegation of Authority. 1974-Mesaba Iron Works. It was termed Employee Involvement. 1982-Northwestern Bell Telephone. Their plan was Self-management. 1985 US West telephone company. Now it was referrd to as Employee Empowerment.In 1987 the same company renamed this plan as TQM-Total Quality Management and in 1992-93 the US Air Force adopted the same plan with the same name. Now in 1998-99 I read about choice theory from Mr. Glasser. They all amount to basically the same thing; an espousal of the principles put forth by Deming before WWII. Lest anyone get the wrong idea, I am not oppossed to this theory. In fact, I have always believed in it. The problem is that it requires a large expenditure of time in its initial phases, and also MONEY. Because the nature of this system is one of progressive developement with the benefits primarily delayed towards the end of the program, management has a tendency to disregard it after the first or second quarter. I have repeatedly seen employees, workers, middle level managers get frustrated and give up in defeat with all of the above listed examples. The reason for this abandonement is obvious. Our society is sound-byte based. We look for immediate gratification, and when we don't get it we throw out whatever isn't providing it. In any business its the same thing. Upper level managers are rewarded bonuses based on quarterly reports rather than on a 5 or 10 year plan for their business. This demand for instant quantifiable products makes a system like Deming's/Glasser's inherently unworkable. Not because the theory is bad, but because the social pressures of the system into which we are trying to inject it will not allow for a long-term program. Every teacher I know would love to be able to operate in a class where the teacher/student ratio is about 1:6! During the initial phases of Glasser's Quality School creation, that is about what you will require. And it would be wonderful if every student could be kept at one level until they realized their full potential. In the words of a friend of mine "It ain't gonna happin." In a world where it can be difficult to get additional boxes of chalk, I don't see the school boards tripling our budgets to double the number of teachers and update all equipment to state of the art. We would, of course, also need twice as many schools because about 60-70% of our students would be staying in schools longer. So I say to Mr. Glasser, keep on dreaming- the world needs dreamers. But lets not hold our breaths waiting for the epiphany required for his world to burst upon the United States educational system. (All responses are welcome)

-- Anonymous, January 03, 1999

Answers

I agree 100% with the comments that you have made concerning this article. I realize that Glasser does present some valid and useable ideas, but he has the tendency to sound like he hasn't been in the classroom in many years. It was ridiculous to read how he thinks that you (the teacher) should make a joke or cut yourself down to minimize the trauma of a student being a behavior problem in your class. He also says that students don't feel that their needs are met unless they get to work with their peers. Maybe he forgot that education is also a need in the school setting. Where are our rights as educators to be able to teach? I guess I'm paid to simply come to work everyday and perform miracles without the support, tools, discipline and cooperation to do so. It wouldn't hurt my feelings if our new governor started wrestling again. This time he should climb into the educational arena with a few of these people that don't understand what todays' teachers have to do each day.

-- Anonymous, January 06, 1999

You have the best reponse to Glasser that I have read. It is true, very few ideas prove to be new. They are just repackaged and resold. Some of his ideas are worth a look -- but to implement everything as a whole? I agree, the world needs dreamers......

-- Anonymous, January 12, 1999

John, I agree with you that a lot of Glasser's ideas are just represented which I think he even states. Another important fact is the money involved trying to implement some of these ideas. Proctor tried it and found it too expensive and also once our leadership changed Glasser's theories quickly left the district. However I was talking to my principal and we decided you take the best of his ideas that you can implement into your classroom and use them what you can't use disregard.

-- Anonymous, January 27, 1999