Education is no longer an entity of its own, separated from other realms of society. It no longer can follow just the form of the classical theorists, separated from business and government as if it is its own entity. Rather, it has emerged to be a combination of business, politics, and the necessity of scoring a set minimum on standardized tests. There are still elements of the classical theorists in the traditional classrooms. Schools need formal rules in order to have existence and a sense of order. Often, students are offered extrinsic rewards as incentives for their good behavior, excellent performance on tests, or other positive outcomes. There is a system in place of grade leadership or department heads guided by administration. The superintendent heads these and is guided by a board.
In modern education, there is an increasing business type element. Budgets are often determined by test scores. Schools that are the poorest performing are often receiving the fewest funds, the least experienced teachers, and non-motivated students who feel that they are doomed to fail. Schools that do well on assessments receive bonuses and the most experienced teachers desire to be in these districts (Ho, 2008). If one steps back and looks from the outside in, this seems to be backwards. In the business model, it is the poorest performing stores that receive the most motivated managers and an extra funding boost to improve sales. If schools worked that way, the lowest performing schools would receive extra funds and the most experienced personnel.
Reference
Ho, L. (2008). "What affects organizational performance?: The linking of learning and
knowledge management". Industrial Management & Data Systems, 108(9), 1234 – 1254.
