Temporary Work

The story of Michelle Rhee is inspiring. But it makes me wonder why more school superintendents don’t behave in the same way. Perhaps this excerpt provides a clue:

Ms. Rhee says that her mission is not incremental change, and she doesn’t plan on making being a school superintendent a career. “This is a one-time gig for me,” she laughs, “so I can make every single decision in a way in which I think is in the best interests of the kids–without the politics, without owing people, just with that in mind.”

In other words, Ms. Rhee doesn’t expect this to be her last job. The typical school superintendent is concerned about career and is careful not to rock the boat too much for fear of jeopardizing their chance of future employment.

I’ve had similar thoughts before: why are some industries unionized and others not? It seems to me that there may be a similar answer. Perhaps union members believe that their current job is the best they’ll ever have and will therefore want to protect against anything that threatens it. Perhaps non-unionized workers see their jobs more as a stepping stone to something different and better, so why spend the time and money to protect it?

Could it be that the degree of worker aspiration contributes to the nature of supporting institutions?