Peter Drucker- managing Organizations Version 2003
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Running Head: PETER DRUCKER: MANAGING ORGANIZATIONS
Peter Drucker: Managing Organizations
Bradley Duncan
Texas A&M University – Commerce
Peter Drucker: Managing Organizations 2
Peter Drucker: Managing Organizations
Abstract: This paper will review the managerial concepts presented by Peter Drucker and promote the implementation of their principles in the public school organizations. The focus of the review will be centered on the book The Practice of Management by Peter Drucker. Other sources have been reviewed to inform the author and provide examples of the implementation of the managerial principles within organizations. The concluding remarks of the review will draw inferences on the effect that the implementation of these organizational management principles would have on the public school systems in the United States.
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Peter Drucker: Managing Organizations “Drucker was widely recognized as the most important thinker of his time on how organizations ought to be managed” (www.peter-drucker.com) Peter Drucker was an author, professor, consultant, and most influential thinker on organizational management to date. “He wrote 40 books-not just on management- and countless newspaper and magazine articles and columns he reached a variety of readers by writing for such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Atlantic Monthly and (early in his career) the Saturday Evening Post” (Rosenstein, 2008). The Practice of Management published in 1954 was one of the first books published with a focus on the role of the manager within the framework of an organization. His career could have lead to lucrative business deals, but he worked on the concept of quality over quantity. While Drucker was able to make a good living in the business world he always retained his calling as a teacher. He taught courses at Claremont University into his nineties. His longevity and love for learning was recognized as a gift. Prior to his death in 2005, Drucker had left his mark on educaiton and the business world by creating frameworks for post industrial businesses to follow. The principles presented in the Drucker’s works were necessary to accommodate for the revolutionary changes that had occurred through industrialization of the country. Prior to the industrialization of the United States between the turn of the century and the 1940’s, a majority of population worked family farms or small family enterprises. “In 1913- the last year before the First World War fewer that a fifth of the workforce were employees (of a corporation)” (Drucker, The new business realities, 1999). The structure of business was that of employee and boss. The work and business was controlled through the boss, the employee only acted as a tool to complete the tasks for the boss. This style of business did not require workers Peter Drucker: Managing Organizations 4
with higher educational requirements. Some might argue that had the employees been better educated they could have acted and worked to complete tasks more efficiently. Following the tranistion into an industrialized society the structure of the United States social structure was turned upside down. The country became focused on large cities as centers of industry and wealth. These demographic changes moved business and society in new directions. The preindustrial way of life for most American changed forever. Children left the family farm in search of opportunities in the industrial factories. The ecomony and structure of business became focused on large corporations. In 1955, “Bigger was better whether in business, government, in the hospital, or in the university. And in those big organizations top management controlled everything. Everyone who worked for or with that big company was its full time employee” (Drucker, The new business realities, 1999) . Managers were running these large corporations with the same structure that had been used in small industry and farms. This style of management was not suited for an industrialized organization. Drucker was the first major author to describe the way organizations would need to change their styles of management to match their business. Today the United States and world economies are driven by large and midsize corporations. These organizations have human resource departments that are charged with a responsibility to fulfill the needs of and sustain the growth of the organization. The role of manager within a corporation is a relatively new position and responisbility. For five decades Drucker’s writings have stressed the organizational changes that are necessary to meet the structural changes that occurred through industrialization. Managers are no longer the bosses that exsisted in structure of the agragarian society or the industrial plants. The review will focus on
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the evolving role and resposibilities of the manager within and organization of an information age with knowledge workers. Management Role To define the role of management in any organization it is first necessary to define the goals or vision of that organization. For the purpose of this review two main responsibilities will be considered the basic goals of management: Provide work for today and create future opportunities. In the past these two responsibilities could have easily been completed by a master who set out the tasks to be completed and required production quotas for the day, week, month, or year. Times have changed and so has the relationship of the manager. “Productive work in today’s society and economy is work that applies vision, knowledge and concepts -- work that is based on the mind rather than the hand” (Drucker, Landmarks of Tomorrow, 1959). The ability of the manager to direct through systematic instructions is no longer a viable. Management has evolved into a system of creating relationships between informed workers who are able to direct growth. In today’s organizational structure managers and executives should not be demanding production results. Rather they should be creating teams, partnership, and seeking opportunities to grow the organization into a more profitable and efficient system that is able to produce and evolve based on the consumer needs. Supply and demand is moving away from the concept of how much of product X can be produced to how can it be produced more efficiently and meet the changing wants or needs of the consumer. This change has been a result of the knowledge worker. “In the United States . . . the class of employees that has been growing most rapidly in numbers and proportion is that of skilled and trained people” (Drucker, The Practice of Management, 1954). Past generations did
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not rely on the employees to provide for the needs of the business. Management was charged with the role of governing the organization. The introduction of knowledge workers who are highly trained and specialized has shifted research, development, and production onto the responsibilities of the employee. This has in turn created fluid positions within the organization that are no longer responsible for only one aspect of the organizations’ business. Departments are being dissolved and employees are no longer being labeled as marketers, accountants, or developer, rather they are assuming roles as problem solving team members. “Drucker said knowledge workers should “live in more than one world. He consistently advised that people diversify their time and interests, so they weren’t too dependent on one area, especially their main job” (Rosenstein, 2008) . Information suggest that many students today are being prepared to take jobs that don’t even exist. Likewise employees must be prepared to change and make adjustments on their skills which will contribute to the organization. Now managers must also be prepared and adjust their skills to meet the needs of the organizations with whom they are employed. A key ingredient in the role of any employee and especially managers is the need for a drive to succeed. Throughout the review of the writings of Drucker, the concept of strong work ethic was an essential skill that all business leaders had in common. As quoted by Rosenstein (2008) in respect to Drucker “was hard-working, diligent, and persistent –qualities that anyone can emulate. Just as he admonished readers that leadership was character and hard work, and not charisma” (Rosenstein, 2008). The ideals that Drucker taught he also practiced in his life as an experiment for the management principles that he shared in his writings. The role of the manager is likely the most labor intensive in the entire organization. In order to provide for the basic goals of management of providing work for today and creating opportunities the manger does not clock in and out for a nine to five job. The attributes of a
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manager become a lifestyle of learning, reflection, and improvement on that which can be improved. Management Responsibility The action involved in managing organizations must be centered around the assessed needs and creation of future opportunities. “Drucker said that determining priorities was agonizing and time-consuming, yet necessary” (Rosenstein, 2008). This simple statement can act as a self reflection for any manager to determine their effectiveness. In planning a day or week, managers must place an emphasis and a significant time allotment for the assessment of the company’s goals and vision. These goals must then be constantly reassessed to determine if they are still meeting the needs of the organization. Ineffective managers choose to follow the antiquated management styles of the past allowing for their time to be task driven. Instead of promoting opportunities for the future many managers focus on the tasks to be completed today.
This leads to the new responsibilities of managers in information age organizations. In developed countries a shift is being made from product centered to service and information centered organizations. To meet the needs of the information age, managers are no longer able to maintain that they are degreed and in turn competent. The idea that a manager can get a degree, credential, or certification that will last a career is not valid. As expressed by Rosenstein(2008): Drucker felt that knowledge workers should be lifelong learners who either go back to the classroom every few years or develop a systematic program of self-study. He wrote that people often learn the most by teaching others the secret of their success. To teach a subject well, you have to really know it yourself, and be able to explain it readily to others. (p.51)
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The lifelong learner and knowledge workers could be used as synonyms when referring to managers. Creating a network of managers who are able to share practices and analyze organizational health is a responsibility that must be assumed by management.
A system of self study for managers can be through formal or informal channels. The manager should seek opportunities to share and respond to those who are in similar and even completely different fields. As previously mentioned the knowledge worker is losing identity with a particular job and gaining a responsibility as a problem solver. “(Drucker) often noted, another reason he liked to teach was because he learned so much from his students” (Rosenstein, 2008). Experts in any organization are not longer limited to the upper echelons of management. Learning from within the organization can foster a greater insight and promote the relationships that are necessary for organizational vision. The process of discovery is fun and intriguing. Through a process of learning and in turn teaching principles to others, teachers are able to hone and focus practices into more concise systems. This process allows the teacher to gain a greater understanding and vision for the more efficient implementation of the practices that have been taught to students. Referring to Drucker’s statement then their teacher is then provided with an opportunity to learn from the students who are being taught. Life long learning and teaching is a practice which allows managers to remain fresh in their approaches and up to date with feedback from other students or professionals in organizations. Managers who follow the philosophy of being a lifelong learner are more responsive and informed to the realities of organizational changes that are necessary to meet consumer needs. The idea of organizational loyalty has all, but faded. Only a fraction of all employees will retire from a company or even a career after 30 years of service with the same company they started Peter Drucker: Managing Organizations 9
with. This reality of employee attrition and the voids that turn over causes is a problem that management must address. Managers must assume the responsibility of creating relationships that will determine the vitality of any organization. “Relations between organizations are changing as fast as relations between organizations and the people who work for them” (Drucker, The new business realities, 1999). The relationships between employer and employee have lead to the breakdown of large autonomous corporation who are self sufficient. Today large corporations work with many other organizations to most efficiently and effectively meet their corporate goals. Indications point to the fact that business will continue this trend of creating positive relationships for the good of all involved. Within an organization similar conclusions could be drawn if an organization were to restructure in a manner that would focus the individuals of the organization. This individual focus would allow the organization to utilize their most effective strengths instead of corporate titles to meet organizational goals. This idea is affirmed when Drucker states, “the greatest change in corporate structure, and in the way business is being conducted, may be the largely unreported growth of relationships that are not based on ownership but on the partnership and joint ventures” (Drucker, The new business realities, 1999). Management effectiveness can be measured by the relationships that are created and the ability to enable employees to create relationships that will produce results.
One aspect of management that separates their role from other jobs within an organization is the responsibility of the manager to take a global view of the organizations. This causes the manager to take a different point of view than other employees, who may be more goal driven. The success of a manager can be measured in the relationships they are able to create, the vision they are able to develop for the organization, and the managers ability to make positive impact on the lives of all shareholders. The role of an evaluator allows the manager
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opportunity to reflect on the practices and systems that are being implemented within the organization. Drucker lived this principle in his life. It was said that, “He spent time each summer to consider how the previous year had gone, and what he would do in the coming year. He made changes when needed, not being tied down to one particular style of work” (Rosenstein, 2008). This ability to reflect and analyze situations that have occurred put the organizational vision into perspective. In the mist of daily routine it is difficult to look at situations and decide the factors that led to success or failure. However, a periodic and routine system of self-reflection allows people the opportunity to gain insight and perspective in day-to- day activities. Managers who do not take this responsibility seriously can quickly find themselves managing tasks instead of organizations. After a period of reflection manager may be able to effective implement new ideas, based on past results. Management and Organizations
Organizations are only allowed to survive so long as their managers and employees are able to keep the organization up to date and in line with consumer needs. Organizations form an essential group to any society. There is inherent power in the grouping of people together who are focused on a common goal or product. These powers are not limited to economic resource, but also to influence and cultural values. “According to Drucker, the objective of any organization is to positively change the lives of those with whom it has direct contact. This encompasses employees, customers, suppliers and the community in which it operates. Management is not a science, art, program or gimmick; it is a practice based on a fundamental belief.” (Gorelick, 2003) Effective organizational behavior is not developed by the passing fads that are introduced. A comparison can be made to dieting programs. If the program sounds too good to be true it most Peter Drucker: Managing Organizations 11
likely is. Sometimes short term gains can be made with fad diets end up have no lasting results. However, effective dieting follows proven methods of healthy eating habits combined with an active lifestyle to produce lasting results. Managing organizations effectively does not include gimmicks or focus on the short term gains. A focus on positive relationships between management, employees, and all other shareholders in the organization will foster organizational longevity. “Individual professionals and executives will have to learn that they must take responsibility for placing themselves- both within the organization and outside of it. This means above all that they must know their strengths” (Drucker, The new business realities, 1999). An ability to know strengths allow management to meet organizational goals. This progress can form relationships of trust throughout the organizational structure. These positive relationships allow the organization to create common goals and vision that will result in satisfaction for all stakeholders. The organizations that are present in any city, state, or country form a culture that defines the society. The ability to influence culture is a real power that allows organizations to influence or in some cases dictate social issues. The influence and contributions that an organization has on a community can be very indicative of managerial philosophy. Drucker shares that managers and organizations are essential to the resolution of social problems due to the influence that they possess. “And yet who else is there to take care of society, its problems and its ills? These organizations collectively are society…Power must always be balanced by responsibility; otherwise it becomes tyranny. And organizations do have power” (Drucker, Post Capitalist Society, 1993). The responsibility that organizations possess can not be denied. An organization may choose not to be directly involved in politics, charities, or organizational associations. However, by choosing not to affiliate with these groups does not mean that the organization does Peter Drucker: Managing Organizations 12
not hold values or influence that affects shareholder decisions. Organizations who have no focus or do not stand for a set of values will find it difficult to retain employees who are goal oriented and civic minded. The organization in essence is building negative relationships with the community and shareholder by not participating or supporting the activities or values that are present in the culture. The influence on society by any business can be felt.“The business has social power which is going to translate into social responsibility.” (Schwartz, 1998). With this responsibility in mind managers have decisions to make. The question then management must address in relation to community culture and social responsibility is: What is important to the shareholders? And how can the organization create positive relationships for organizational shareholders. If organizations are not able to define culture and contribute to the resolution of social problems then the responsibility and power will be assumed by other groups. Communism and socialism advocate for government control of the social responsibilities and problems of a country. All power and responsibility is given to departments within the government who in turn mandate a belief of greater good for all citizens. This solution does not work because the values and culture are not based on individual needs. “Drucker also believes that any efforts by governments to censor the flow of information to its citizens are doomed to failure” (Johnson, 1995) .
produce a generalized outcome. Governments, organizations, or managers who act through generalizations cannot have a positive impact on the lives of all shareholders. This in effect nullifies the organizations power and influence. Freedom to choose and form positive relationships are principles that validate why government cannot mandate social responsibility. Peter Drucker: Managing Organizations 13
Without these freedoms individuals are unable to meet their potential and in turn become subjects to their government or organization. Effect of Management The roles and responsibilities of manager in the new business setting of the 21 st century have been covered and discussed. The next step is to analyze what effect the manager will have on organizations. Organizations are becoming equipped with more and more knowledge workers as university level study has become available to almost everyone in the United States. The work force is becoming more educated, but the problems at work do not always require the highest level expert to solve the problems. There are however, attributes that organizations need from their employees. Employees should be able to create positive relationships that can meet organizational goals. Rosenstein quoted Drucker on the organizational skills that employees should have saying, “during these fifty years of working with, and studying, institutions, and the people who manage them: workmanship counts… Few tasks in any discipline require genius. But all require conscientiousness” (Rosenstein, 2008). Managers must seek out employees who place quality over quantity. Machines and computers can be employed to boost quantity. The employee who is able to solve problems by seeking efficiency and quality will add more value to the company than production minded employees. “The most valuable assets of a 20th-century company were its production equipment. The most valuable asset of a 21st-century institution, whether business or non-business, will be its knowledge workers and their productivity” (Drucker, Management Challenges for the 21st Century, 1999). This shift in knowledge to all employees creates a new class of worker. A worker with strengths and skills that may not be present or attainable in management. Managers may be charged with responsibility over Peter Drucker: Managing Organizations 14
employees who are paid more salary than the manager. Experts in any field could feasibly make more money than their manager. An obvious example of this would be in the sports world. Players who are experts in their skill of baseball, basketball, or other sports are paid significantly greater salaries than the managers they play for. The managers have to respect and build quality relationships with these players if they want to win. This example is happening in the fields of science, technology and sales. Relationships take an even greater role in progressive organizations where manager no longer make all meaningful decisions for the organization.
Managers who work within a system of professional employees must consider the qualifications and strengths of those who work in organization. “In all developed countries, knowledge workers have already become the center of gravity of the labor force, even in numbers” (Drucker, Frontiers of Management, 1968). If this statement is true then the center of gravity will work against management if they knowledge workers are not satisfied. Pre- industrialized manager led by archaic dictatorial practices. This style is based on fear of the unknown or unemployment. Knowledge workers are aware that other opportunities are available. Employ neglect or restrictive corporate policy will drive problem solving, success driven individuals away from this type of organization. These knowledge workers will seek out opportunities where their value can be accepted and utilized. "The knowledge workers of tomorrow will have to know and accept the values, the goals and the policies of the organization," Drucker says. "They must be willing--nay, eager--to buy into the company's mission" (Johnson, 1995) . This quote speaks to the importance of collaborative efforts. A 21 st century company cannot succeed without the presence of the knowledge worker. They are willing to work for an organization that works for them. The Peter Drucker: Managing Organizations 15
consequence of ignoring the needs of the knowledge worker is plainly stated in Drucker following comments: “For the organization and their top management this means that they better stop talking about loyalty. They will have to earn the trust of the people who work for them, whether these people are their own employees or not. Even the professional or executive who has no intention of leaving the company’s employ will know that there are opportunities outside” (Drucker, The new business realities, 1999) . Gaining employees trust and providing knowledge workers with a sense of well being will become the focus of organizations looking to retain these valuable human resources. Corporations are already working to implement these changes by offering flexible work schedules, child care, wellness centers and a variety of amenities. These amenities are not designed to increase salary, but to promote the individuals sense of well being at work. Some companies have subscribed to the notion that a happy employee is a good employee. Management would be well served to learn from these examples and build relationships accordingly.
Implications Public School Organization
The United States has placed value on the importance of education to the point that the country has prescribed a public educational system that provides for a free and appropriate education for all school aged children. The school system in this country has grown and transformed from it humble beginnings as small secular units, into an educational system that serves millions of students each year. The structure of the public school system has remained Peter Drucker: Managing Organizations 16
virtually the same with students, teachers, and school administrators. It is easy to relate the outdated managerial style of business the present day administration of the school system. “Executives are used to command. They are used to think through what they want and then go to get acceptance of it by subordinates” (Drucker, The new business realities, 1999). Each year during professional development administration lines out the goals for the year. Principals and teachers look at the goals or programs and do what they can to meet administrative expectations. Unlike the changes that have occurred in the business world, organizations in the school system have not changed to meet the demands of an evolved economy. Basically we are using a 1600’s school system in an information age of the 21 st century. The principles of management that Peter Drucker has introduced and implemented in corporate organization should be adopted by the organizations of education. The inability of educational systems to effectively meet the needs of society and business has drawn scrutiny of public, political and corporate stakeholders. This scrutiny has been manifested in the form of legislative policy, the most recent being No Child Left Behind 2001. The aim of the legislation is to provide a system of accountability that has been absent from the educational system. However, these mandates and legislative requirements only provide a measureable system that will show the inadequacies of the system in providing a complete education for students. In order to enact real change in the system the traditional school model must be replaced with a modern organizational structure that manages student progress through a series of relationships. The joy for learning and creating relationships that foster learning was an attribute that Drucker lived throughout his life. In remembrance Rosenstein stated, “If more people operated in the Drucker spirit, we would live in a more begnin, enlightened world. Our workplaces would become inspiring. Our lives would be more satisfying, filled with new Peter Drucker: Managing Organizations 17
adventures and new people” (Rosenstein, 2008). The idea that learning is an adventure and acquired through relationship building not common in the school system today. A shift in priorities would allow these relationships to be based on the needs of the student. Schools would be structured as a problem solving team with the student serving two roles as the manager and product of their own education. The organizational restructuring of a school would allow school administrator to take on the role an organizational manager. In business terms Drucker explains how the new business structure will change the role of managers. “This will mean that in many organizations a majority of people working might not be employees of that organization but employees of an outsourcing contractor” (Drucker, The new business realities, 1999). As these changes are implemented into schools the teachers would act as consultants. The ideas of an outsourced contractor would provide teacher with the flexibility to work throughout the school with all students instead of the 25 students who are tied to the classroom. The manager or administrator then assumes a different role of retaining teachers and interacting with other educational organizations. This article defined the responsibilities of a manager as the ability to provide work for today and create future opportunities. Within the framework of schools these goals would have to change slightly. Schools are not an organization that requires a profit in order to meet its needs. Schools are, however, responsible for changing and keeping up with the needs of the consumers – students, business, and society. Possible goals that would work for educational organizations would be to promote individual learning and create students who are problem solvers. If these two goals were met, students would make the academic progress politicians have mandated and business would be provided with a steady supply of knowledge workers.
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School administrators have to take the lead in the movement for organizational change. The role of the manager within the school system cannot be simply modified with hope to bring about an organizational shift. “In the 1995 book Drucker on Asia, Drucker contends people must reinvent themselves, that mere revitalization won’t work. You have to make something different out of yourself rather than just finding a new supply of energy” (Rosenstein, 2008). How many times can politicians or schools implement a new program into school system with little or no change in the outcomes. The fact is that the traditional system of schools opposes change and will not allow for systematic implementation of programs that are not strong enough to move the traditional system. School administrators must respond to Drucker’s challenge to become mangers within the organization of schools. School administration is the only authority that can introduce and implement the changes that are prescribed by in Drucker’s principles of management.
The school organization embodies the use of knowledge workers. All teachers are educated professionals who have obtained a degree of higher education. However, the organizational structure of the school least effectively takes advantage of the wealth of knowledge workers. Effective organizations and managers utilize their knowledge workers to build upon the strengths of each employee. Schools, on the other hand, isolate their educated professionals in single rooms with collaboration mainly focused in departmentalized efforts and goals. There have been movements to strengthen cross curricular collaboration of teachers within the school organization. However, for the most part schools continue with the same traditional system where teachers work within their own isolated classrooms. In order for a collaborative effort to be established for schools the tradition classroom teacher will have to transform into an educational advisor. Teachers will be responsible for collaborating with other teacher to teach the Peter Drucker: Managing Organizations 19
concepts that individual students need to master. The ideal set up would create a school where relationships between all organizational users can be established with little or not barriers. Departments would not be necessary because teams will be formed and dissolved in order to meet the specific needs of any student or group of students. The administrative role in this organization would be to attract teachers and professionals that would compliment and add to the strengths of other organizational employees. Social responsibility is an area of student development that is within the reach of the school system. Granted that school should not be responsible for all aspect of this issue students should be allowed to experiment and learn social skills. Schools can take the lead on providing students with a sense of social responsibility through the providing an accepted social structure for students. This includes teaching student to be responsible and take ownership in their education. By shifting the responsibility of an education from teachers and administrators to the students create a sense of value in themselves. Drucker was quoted on the work ethic of Germans who were dedicated to social responsibility he promoted their values in saying, “Attitude to work, and that Germany was the nation of work (where) work (was) done for its own sake and the good of the work rather than for profit” (Schwartz, 1998). The human spirit is active and wants to make progress and succeed. Teaching students to produce quality work and seek the best for all should be our goal for students. These built in values are then able to translate into the workplace and social settings. A common complaint against the students who are graduating from the public school system is that they do not have usable skills and they are not problem solver. Accountability standards emphasize student comprehension of knowledge skills. These assessments do not require students to become active problem solvers and thinkers. This further validates the need for a Peter Drucker: Managing Organizations 20
change in the system that was mentioned earlier in the review. Under the traditional system student can pass standardized assessment based on memory and comprehension skills. Reforming the school structure would allow students to focus on their own education, form relationships and become problem solvers. Students who have these skills will be able to take an active role in social issues. They are able to advocate for their interests and understand the social needs of the nation. Instead of being bystanders in the political arena upon reaching eighteen they can serve as active participants. “Social responsibility objectives need to be built into the strategy of a business, rather than merely be statements of good intentions” (Drucker, Frontiers of Management, 1968). The word schools could easily replace business in the statement. As social responsibility is built in to the public school experience students will enter society with service as a common goal. Most would agree that schools do have good intentions. The problem that schools often encounter is that we are not able to meet the need of all students with the broad programs that are mandated. Social responsibility and learning needs to become student-centered for individual students. Students may hold many common values, but the idea that beliefs or values hold true for all individuals is flawed. This is the value that comes from individualized instruction and student directed education. The issue to be addressed in the transformation of the school system is- when are we going to shift the control to the individual learners. Drucker said, “You know the old saying- At first if you don’t succeed, try, try, try again. It’s wrong. If at first you don’t succeed, try once more, and then try something else” (Rosenstein, 2008). How much longer will the school system sit idle as it listens to the complaints of the critics? If no meaningful changes are made then there will come
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a time when the school system will become obsolete and replaced by another means of educating children. The saying rings true with education. We have tried to revise, revisit, retool, and remake the same teacher-centered educational system in as many ways as can be imagined. Now it is time to follow Druckers’ admonition and principles. “Drucker found out that (the composer) Verdi had noted that although his life-long pursuit of perfection always eluded him, he wanted to give it one more try” (Rosenstein, 2008). Although the paper has presented a number of aspects where schools are inadequately functioning, that does not mean we should throw in the towel. Improvements can be made and school have employees who are capable of making a difference for their colleagues and the students who they teach. Teacher are not lazy and they are usually engaged in the activities that they feel administration places as priorities. This is not a time to be discouraged and give up on the prospects of change and improvement within the public school system. Perfection may not be feasible, but improvement can be made. These improvements in administration and education can make a difference for all stakeholders. Education based on knowledge worker and individuals who are responsible for their own education is the future. The principles that are prescribed do not entail massive changes in personnel or facilities. The major shift will come from the positive relationships of student with teachers and teachers with administrators. The structured system of tradition will be replaced with a constructivist agenda for students to drive their own education. Then when historians write about this century they will say that they empowered citizens with a motive to succeed and act as problem solvers.
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