Are Teachers Productive "Knowledge Workers?"

Peter Drucker described the Knowledge Worker as someone who possessed, “considerable theoretical knowledge and learning…”

So I ask, would the typical classroom teacher meet the definition of a knowledge worker as described by Drucker? Based on the above definition the answer is yes.

But looking further, according to Drucker, there are six factors that determine knowledge-worker productivity. So, if teachers are knowledge workers, how productive are they as knowledge workers. Let’s take them one at a time.

1. Knowledge-worker productivity demands that we ask the question, ‘What is the task?’

What is the task of the classroom teacher? Is it to teach? Is it to assess? Is it to plan? Is it all of the above?

Drucker would advise the teacher to ask, “What do I get paid for?” and “What should I get paid for?”

Does the typical classroom teacher know what they get paid for? Would their answer match the principals, the superintendent’s, the board members, and the public’s answer?

2. It demands that we impose the responsibility for their productivity on the individual knowledge worker themselves. Knowledge workers have to manage themselves. They have to have autonomy.

Teachers, if they are to be knowledge workers, must have individual responsibility for ensuring they successfully accomplish the task. They must be able to manage themselves.

One aspect of individual autonomy is that in the classroom the teacher is free to use their knowledge to best accomplish the task.

However, many teachers bristle that they do not have the individual autonomy they seek in the areas of time, pacing, curriculum, etc.
It seem there is some conflict between Drucker’s description and the reality for the classroom teacher. Also, if the teacher views the task as developing the love of learning in students and the principal views the task as increasing student achievement scores, there is going to be a battle over how much autonomy the teacher should have. A manager will certainly move to diminish teacher autonomy because they’re not alignment with the definition of the organization’s results (and tasks).

3. Continuing innovation has to be part of the work, the task, and the responsibility of knowledge workers.

Many teachers continue to innovate and take responsibility for continually bringing new ideas, techniques, methods, practices, etc. into their teaching task.

However, some teachers do not. Unions ensure that teachers are protected regardless of if they take the individual responsibility to innovate or not.

Principals, in many cases, do not see innovation as an organizational goal because it is a task that is not easy to measure.

4. Knowledge work requires continuous learning on the part of the knowledge worker, but equally continuous teaching on the part of the knowledge worker.

Here too there are conflicting realities. Many teachers take it upon themselves to continuously learn and increase their knowledge. Many districts are committed to providing teachers with on-going staff development.

However, teachers may not be required to continuously learn and increase their knowledge. Unions will afford protection to teachers regardless of increases in knowledge or not.

In addition, notice that Drucker includes “…continuous teaching on the part of the knowledge worker.” In other words, teachers should not only be increasing their personal knowledge, but they are responsible for sharing their newly acquired knowledge with their peers, thus increasing the knowledge of the organization.

Very few teachers are taking the time to formally train their peers. Very few principals are asking for or providing opportunities for teachers to train their peers.

5. Productivity of the knowledge worker is not—at least no primarily—a matter of the quantity of output. Quality is at least important.

Quality of learning is hard to measure, if define.

Quantity of test score is very easy to measure and measure in large numbers. Thus quantity is going to be the primary measure of the educational organization.

Teachers and educational managers should look to develop measures of quality. Not an easy task, but a necessary one.

6. Finally, knowledge-worker productivity requires that the knowledge worker be both seen and treated as an ‘asset’ rather than a ‘cost.’ It requires that knowledge workers want to work for the organization in preference to all other opportunities.

In difficult financial times, districts and schools will view their teachers as a cost. It is a financial reality.

They should be viewed as an asset, but teachers themselves are much to blame for district failing to do so. Unions to do not view teachers in terms of quality, but rather, in terms of number of years served. The net result is that while the organization may wish to view teachers through the lens of “quality” assets, the union will want the teacher to be viewed through the lens of “quantity” which is a cost. A young exceptional teacher will lose out to an average teacher who has more time in the district.

Secondly, unions have set up a system that makes it difficult to move from one district to another. If a teacher were to wish to move to a different educational organization, they usually have to take a large reduction in pay. Though teachers may prefer another opportunity somewhere else, they will pass on it due to the resulting financial loss.

However, districts and schools should be asking themselves if they are the school or district that teachers would want to work at in preference to all others.  

Are teachers knowledge workers? Yes.

Are they productive knowledge workers? What would you answer?

Comments

[Lizzie]

Great food for thought. I completely agree teachers are knowledge workers and am mulling the portion about whether they're PRODUCTIVE. I am currently going over this topic, with a great book, "Reinvent Your Enterprise," on increasing productivity of knowledge workers. The book is endorsed by the Drucker Institute, in fact. The author's aim is explain HOW businesses should do the tasks that Drucker outlined. I'm just now going through, in my mind, how the teacher fits into this all. As I said, great food for thought!

[Lizzie]

Hmmm -- I don't think my effort to link to the book worked. Try http://www.ReinventYourEnterprise.com