The wheel of education reform has many spokes. Public and private schools have been joined by alternative schools, charter schools, home schools. Partly as a result of the addition of these new spokes, accountability for the results of education has become a major issue. And as public demand for accountability increases, politicians appear anxious to pass control of education into someone else's hands. The federal government wants the states to be more accountable for educational outcomes.
State governments are anxious to see that accountability is a local concern.
And in many localities, the authority and duties of central office administrators have been transferred to site-based school councils. The rim of the wheel is as important as the hub, and each spoke is connected to both hub and rim. The rim can be thought of as the foundation that holds all the diverse spokes together. Opinions differ regarding what makes up the rim. One could also argue that a strong administration makes a huge difference in the quality of education in a school district or building.