Organizing Public Education Systems for the Future

Abstract

In a world at the brink of a technological revolution that will cause changes to employment and life on a scale that has not been seen in generations, the American pK-12 public education system finds itself needing to pivot to meet future learning requirements even as it continues to execute on existing requirements. Despite this need, few public education systems have the structures in place that would enable them to pivot. Though organizational adaptation theorists have studied how private companies successfully manage such pivots between exploitation of existing work and the exploration of future possibilities, little research exists on what such adaptation would look like in the context of public education. This capstone utilizes organizational adaptation theory to explore how, within the complexities of the public environment, large public education systems can organize to effectively execute on present requirements and pivot to meet future needs. It specifically examines ambidexterity theory, punctuated equilibrium theory, disruption theory, and dual-operating system theory alongside existing practice in the public education sector to develop a preliminary modified model of organizational adaptation for Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS). The capstone examines the work of my strategic project, which consisted of engaging with key GCPS stakeholders to (1) make the case for the need for exploration in GCPS, (2) develop a defined GCPS exploration system architecture, and (3) conduct a small-scale pilot that tests critical components of the exploration system architecture and probes the broader system to gauge potential hurdles and opportunities for the full implementation of an exploration system in GCPS. The goal of the strategic project was to develop a model and knowledge base for GCPS to pursue further development of an exploration system that would enable the system to continue to capitalize on its current successes and to adapt to meet future requirements. The pilot’s promising results support further investment in and testing of an exploration system in GCPS. Through the analysis of a strategic project, I explore the implications of these findings for myself as a leader, my site, and for the American public education sector.