The Quest for Instantaneous Perfection and the Demand for “Push-Button” Administration

Abstract

Educational leaders in the United States are faced with a society seeking instantaneous perfection, immediate and perfect solutions. In education, this leads to a demand for push-button administration and an abandonment of trust in educators' judgment. As exemplified by the No Child Left Behind Act (2002), the search for quick fixes results in simplistic, technocratic, and prescriptive solutions that deskill teachers and educational leaders. The antidote to instantaneous perfection and push-button administration is courageous leadership that keeps leaders focused on their educational vision.

Acknowledgments

Stella C. Batagiannis is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Indiana University–Purdue University, Fort Wayne, having transitioned from over 30 years in K–12 education, which included serving as superintendent. Her research interests are in qualitative research focused on courage in leadership and the dispositions of leadership.