The Editor’s Note

Abstract

The editor responds to the most lopsided response in this year's PDK Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, which concerned how to deal with failing schools. The public favors keeping failing schools open but replacing the principal and teachers in them. The editor says the public seems to think that just removing adults from a struggling school will solve its problems. But swapping out one principal and staff for others ignores the complexity of making change in low-performing schools. The author says that if the teachers and leader knew how to do their work differently, they would be doing it.