As long as there have been public schools, there have been critics who have demanded reform. And with each new wave of reform, the role of the teacher has become more specialized. Specialization makes it easier for the critics to measure a school's accomplishments. The tragic cost of this reformation is that the teacher is subtly encouraged to be proficient rather than innovative. We now train our students to be accomplished in only those matters for which they have shown an aptitude. We do not teach them to aspire to be everything that they can be.

As long as there have been public schools, there have been critics who have demanded reform. And with each new wave of reform, the role of the teacher has become more specialized. Specialization makes it easier for the critics to measure a school's accomplishments. The tragic cost of this reformation is that the teacher is subtly encouraged to be proficient rather than innovative. We now train our students to be accomplished in only those matters for which they have shown an aptitude. We do not teach them to aspire to be everything that they can be.