An Unwritten Rule

A small but widely accepted unwritten rule in public education is that school superintendents are expected to set the agenda for what gets discussed.  While this cultural norm may appear at first glance to be insignificant, it is an important symbol of the conventional thinking that is keeping citizens on the sidelines.  In some ways, it is eerily reminiscent of the time when we were in school and had to raise our hand and gain permission from our teacher before we could speak.  Today, many citizens still think they need to gain permission before they can speak.