--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When it comes to public school education…" description: "\"When it comes to public school education, we have been unwilling to measure our results. We've been unwilling to pay based on performance. We have tenu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f5/michael-bloomberg-1293_education_when-it-comes-to-public-school-education_820445.png" --- # When it comes to public school education, we have been… ![“When it comes to public school education, we have been unwilling to measure our results. We've been unwilling to pay based on performance. We have tenure where, even if you can't teach, you can't get fired. We've been unwilling to invest in new schools.” quote by Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f5/michael-bloomberg-1293_education_when-it-comes-to-public-school-education_820445.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f5/michael-bloomberg-1293_education_when-it-comes-to-public-school-education_820445.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f5/michael-bloomberg-1293_education_when-it-comes-to-public-school-education_820445.png) > “When it comes to public school education, we have been unwilling to measure our results. We've been unwilling to pay based on performance. We have tenure where, even if you can't teach, you can't get fired. We've been unwilling to invest in new schools.” [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Public schools avoid accountability, performance pay, and new investments, hindering improvement. **In simple terms:** Schools resist measuring success and rewarding performance. Key Takeaway Push for accountability and innovation. Themes education policy accountability innovation tenure Mood concerned determined Type policy advocacy When to use this quote - school board meetings - legislative hearings - parent-teacher conferences - district budgeting - teacher evaluations Key Concepts performance metrics pay for performance school choice investment tenure reform Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance teacher security with accountability? - What incentives truly improve student outcomes? A Different Perspective Change faces political resistance and entrenched interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Education Unwilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education-unwilling-469332/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Public school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-school/) [Results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/results/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [School education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-education/) [Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach/) [Tenure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tenure/) [Tenure Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tenure-teach-469334/) [Unwilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unwilling/) [Unwilling Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unwilling-pay-469333/) ## Related quotes > [I have realized why corrupt politicians do nothing to improve the quality of public school education. They are terrified of educated voters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam/i-have-realized-why-corrupt-politicians-do-nothing-to-improve-the/) [Miriam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam/) > [I had an Edinburgh, middle-class childhood and a public school education,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-bremner/i-had-an-edinburgh-middle-class-childhood-and-a-public-school/) [Rory Bremner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-bremner/) > [I graduated with over 600 kids in my class. Getting that top 10 percent, you had to be grinding it out, with a ridiculous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-tucker/i-graduated-with-over-600-kids-in-my-class-getting-that-top-10/) [Justin Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-tucker/) > [And so with Hemingway's writing, he famously wrote to one of his publishers - he said, you don't need a high school education to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-m-m-blume/and-so-with-hemingway-s-writing-he-famously-wrote-to-one-of-his/) [Lesley M. M. Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-m-m-blume/) > [English was great because I could just write my opinion, and that was good enough. I was terrible in Math, even though I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-harding/english-was-great-because-i-could-just-write-my-opinion-and-that-was/) [Ian Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-harding/) > [This game has taken a lot of guys over the years who would have had to work in factories and gas stations and made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sparky-anderson/this-game-has-taken-a-lot-of-guys-over-the-years-who-would-have-had/) [Sparky Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sparky-anderson/) > [I left high school very early. I was 17. So I guess it wasn't that early, but I did not get a high school education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-biersack/i-left-high-school-very-early-i-was-17-so-i-guess-it-wasn-t-that/) [Andy Biersack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-biersack/) > [I'm not saying to the kids yo drop out of school, education is the most important thing first and foremost. 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Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [My mind was never into school, and education did not matter to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjay-leela-bhansali/my-mind-was-never-into-school-and-education-did-not-matter-to-me/) [Sanjay Leela Bhansali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjay-leela-bhansali/) > [“The quarter century following World War II was a ‘golden age’ for most workers and their families…, even for men with a high school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-alexander/the-quarter-century-following-world-war-ii-was-a-golden-age-for-most/) [Karl Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-alexander/) ## More by Michael Bloomberg > [I'm not going to run for president. No way, no how.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/i-m-not-going-to-run-for-president-no-way-no-how/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [Now, you might say – “But why should we pay people for doing what they’re supposed to do?” It’s a fair question – but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/now-you-might-say-but-why-should-we-pay-people-for-doing-what-they-re/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [What I'm trying to do is to create excitement. 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That would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/i-think-one-of-the-great-dangers-here-is-going-and-categorizing/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [Stubborn isn't a word I would use to describe myself; pigheaded is more appropriate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/stubborn-isn-t-a-word-i-would-use-to-describe-myself-pigheaded-is/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [Many of America's and New York's sons and daughters are around the world fighting for the freedoms that the Statue of Liberty stands for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/many-of-america-s-and-new-york-s-sons-and-daughters-are-around-the/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [If you really believe that you're making a difference and that you can leave a legacy of better schools and jobs and safer streets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/if-you-really-believe-that-you-re-making-a-difference-and-that-you/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [The next day after I got fired, literally the next day, I started a new company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/the-next-day-after-i-got-fired-literally-the-next-day-i-started-a-new/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [We all must recognize that homeland security funds should be allocated by threat and no other reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/we-all-must-recognize-that-homeland-security-funds-should-be/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [In New York City, a lot of people think "the great outdoors" is the area between your front door and a taxi cab.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/in-new-york-city-a-lot-of-people-think-the-great-outdoors-is-the-area/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [Is your company so small you have to do everything for yourself? Wait until you're so big that you can't. That's worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/is-your-company-so-small-you-have-to-do-everything-for-yourself-wait/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) [Explore all 259 Michael Bloomberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) [Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. 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But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) [Ioannes Amos Commenius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ioannes-amos-commenius/) > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) [H.D. (Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-hilda-doolittle/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. 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