Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/innovation-or-standardization/5021122/
In October 2012 Betty Jones and Louise Derman-Sparks delivered a keynote address in which they raised the question, “Has professionalizing the ECE field been a help or hindrance to where we want to be?” We were reminded of the efforts that were hard won over many years to arrive at agreed upon standards, accreditation criteria, and professional ethics. However, when conference attendees were asked if they are pleased with where we are as a profession and where we seem to be headed, the responses revealed plenty of discomfort. The discussion focused on the need to distinguish standards and standardization, a subject I’ve written about in the past (Carter, 2006; 2011). Yes, we want to hold ourselves accountable to standards, but we don’t necessarily want standardization.A typical teacher or administrator doesn’t see a strong connection between required compliance documents and actual improvement in the quality of their work. Rather, the general sentiment is that completing documents leaves little time for the things that matter most, for instance, deeper relationships with children and families, thoughtful reflection on curriculum planning, advocacy efforts to improve public policies, and education reform. And the belief that the blurred distinction between standards and standardization is preventing innovation in ...