ABSTRACT
Being present as these reforms were rumored, piloted, implemented, revised,
and institutionalized provided a rare opportunity to see the reality behind the
myths of centralized reforms. The myth promulgated by the state commis-
sioner of education, Perot, and others involved in selling these reforms to the
public is that policies that centralize and standardize teaching and learning
generate “improvements” by setting minimum standards, by “bringing up the
bottom.” The myth further says that of course “good teachers” will not be
hampered by these minimum standards, but in fact will go far beyond them.
The “good teachers” are not the target, or so the logic goes; it is the “illiterate”
and “bad” teachers whom the reforms are supposed to improve or drive out of
the system. Classroom observations, extensive interviews with teachers, con-
ferences with teacher groups brought together from across these schools, and
examination of course content after House Bill 72 reforms were put in place
