I was listening to NPR in the car while driving the kids to school (part of my contribution to their culture, don’t say I am not a good parent) and there was a discussion about Charter Schools versus Public Schools.
I just happen to hear an interview with Andrew Rotherham, an educational analyst, talking about why Charter Schools were superior to Public Schools in their delivery. He said something that was very, very interesting — and it got me thinking. He said, and I am quoting him,
The best schools — whether they’re charter schools, public schools or private schools — are intentional about everything they do, says educational analyst Andrew Rotherham.
“They are intentional about who is in the building, who is teaching, how they use data, what’s happening for students, the support for students, the curriculum, how progress is assessed,” he says. “Everything is intentional and nothing is left to chance.”
I was awestruck for second.
That was a pretty darn good point. It was not that the schools were different: they both did the same (educated children), and using the same core processes, materials, and guidelines. What set Charter Schools apart was their approach to the student. They didn’t just assumed the student will be there no matter what (Charter Schools recruit students to register, they don’t just “get them” by zoning like public schools do); they knew they had to deliver above their “competition” to get the students to come.
Being intentional, making sure that everything that was there had to be there to deliver a superb experience, was part of their relationship strategy.
I want to close with another quote (you can read the short article here for context)
But I think more than anything else that I’d like to see replicated is that ethos of possibility and thinking differently about what’s possible for kids who have been failed by public schools for a very long time
Wouldn’t it be very, very interesting, to see “intentionality” applied to Customer Service?
