We not only gauge performance, but also
engagement and excitement. This context
empowers the student, putting their motiva-
tion at the forefront. Too often in education,
motivation and engagement are overlooked,
and they are the first steps to learning.
When our students were interviewed for
our accreditation process, they were asked
to identify what made our school different.
I expected them to talk about the fact that
they start their own companies, or that they
learn to code, or that they work with busi-
ness mentors. Instead, most of them talked
about how the teachers treat them.
They said that the teachers speak to them
as professionals and allow them to make
decisions in their educational process. The
value they felt based on how we work with
them is what mattered most to them.
Higher education has started to slowly em-
brace this context, partially because they have
to treat students as customers in order to main-
tain enrollment. In K-12 public education, the
school choice movement and other ideas have
also attempted to move to this context.
It is time that all educational systems
38
Leadership
recognize that the student is the customer.
Just because we work in a compulsory sys-
tem that generally requires students to at-
tend school based on geographical location
doesn’t mean we shouldn’t see education as a
service industry.
When we treat students as customers, we
put them and their interests first. Like busi-
nesses, we focus on customer relationships.
We also put ourselves in learning mode. As
Bill Gates said, “Your most unhappy custom-
ers are your greatest source of learning.” It is
an attitude that values all of those we serve.
Value proposition
Value proposition refers to how your or-
ganization helps or serves the customers.
I like to think of the question, “How does
our organization uniquely serve our custom-
ers?” Identifying a unique value proposition
is perhaps the most important part of the
startup process.
Most schools don’t think through the idea
of value proposition. Schools think that offer-
ing an education is good enough. Many school
mission statements get a bit more specifi c and
refer to student achievement, but most schools
don’t think of themselves as unique.
I often tell students, “If you come to our
school, you can learn how to build a web-
site, you can start a business, you can pitch
to investors, and you can learn to be a cre-
ative thinker.” Yes, we have common-core
based curriculum that prepares students to
graduate and go to college, but so do other
schools. That isn’t what interests prospective
students. That isn’t our unique value propo-
sition. Through a clear message, students are
aware of what we do differently.
If schools would take the time to think
about a unique value proposition, it would
force them to explore their identity and what
they offer to students. Schools that have
strong value propositions have also identi-
fied key resources and key partners. They
have started to look at how they bring value
to students beyond the traditional school
setting and school day.
Schools should recognize and celebrate
their uniqueness and it would help them le-
verage resources to be stronger educational
organizations.