Talking about the schools is a lot like talking about the weather, what we say in regard to both depending a lot on where we’re standing. And, there being probably no two of us standing in the same place, our differing perspectives lead unsurprisingly to our widely different conclusions.

Still at present there are those who cling to certainty, who are convinced that it’s within their power to control the weather, say by regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions. And no less remarkably there are those who think we can change, and improve the schools by one or more reforms, such as holding teachers accountable for the achievement or lack of achievement of their students.

But no successes have yet been recorded traceable to the efforts of either group.

Why? Well in both, the weather and the schools, the variables are just too many, too complex, still in good part unknown, to be entered into any equations of explanation, let alone made a basis of any remedies for correction and improvement.

In regard to both humility is called for. And by reaching for much less we would grasp more.