Accountable Schools

The majority of students are required to attend their neighborhood public school unless their parents apply to an alternate program such as private and charter schools. Seldom is a comprehensive measurement program in place for parents to assist them in determining whether their local school is providing quality educational services and, when a reporting system is in place, an unbiased evaluation is lacking. This book demonstrates how parents can make informed choices regarding their local school or others within their community. The accountability model presented was highly rated by the U.S. Department of Education and its approach is used in Alberta and California. Fixed boundaries should be replaced and all schools labeled as “magnet centers” with locally developed mission statements to attract students without transportation costs. Democratizing the workplace is as necessary as democratizing our schools so that workers are recognized and rewarded according to their team’s performance.

In this practical and timely book, Jim Dueck makes the case for accountability not as an abstract notion but as a practical guide for parents, policymakers, and the public.   Most accountability systems, unfortunately, include data that are cowardly and lack credibility (“Everybody’s a winner!”) or politically motivated (“Everybody’s a loser!”).  To be sure, there is much that many readers will find objectionable in these pages, but that is all the more reason to use this book as a platform for discussion, debate, and constructive conversation., Dr. Jim Dueck in his new book, Accountable Schools, urges everyone from politicians and pubic servants, teachers and teachers’ unions to parents and students to making schools in the American and Canadian contexts more democratic, more accountable, more transparent and overall more business-like. He irreverently calls out everyone, supporting his assertions through examining over 20 years of research. He not only dramatically demonstrates how these combined pursuits will improve students’ achievement and outcomes, improved teaching, improved parenting, and more prudent use of tax dollars, but actually provides detailed tools and processes for doing so....a succinct guide for transformative changes in our public-school systems., Our educational system today needs to embrace change and help shape its direction. Dr Dueck’s fascinating field-based research explores a range of innovative models for practical, results-oriented solutions to this challenge.  All who want to see students succeed will find this book a stimulating primer for creating effective learning environments., Dr. Dueck delivers a key message: schools’ purpose is to promote learning yet we fail to measure and report outcomes or create appropriate consequences for teachers, schools and school systems that don’t deliver.  Instead, we engage in expensive ineffective initiatives like reducing class-size that are mere distractions from our purpose.

Jim Dueck, EdD, has a career in education spanning forty years of service as teacher, principal, superintendent, and assistant deputy minister. He has also advised representatives from approximately fifty education systems around the world regarding assessment and accountability, including the U.S. government’s launch of the Race to the Top initiative.