Year: 2023

Education at a Crossroads: The Perils of Competition in K-12 Education

By Christina Dragonetti / November 2, 2023 / 2 Comments

The aim of this article is to specifically address the topic of competition among schools and districts as a means to improve the performance of the education system. (Hint: it doesn’t work!)

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A Toast to Dr. W. Edwards Deming

A Toast to Dr. W. Edwards Deming in Honor of his Birthday

By Christina Dragonetti / October 12, 2023 / 3 Comments

It is a great pleasure to offer a toast to Dr. Deming. He was a friend and mentor for 30 years. I cried when he died and would cry again today if I were here with you. And I am not alone. Dr. Deming touched many people’s lives in a very deep way.

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It’s More than Numbers: New Insights About Common and Special Cause Variation

It’s More than Numbers: New Insights About Common and Special Cause Variation

By Christina Dragonetti / October 4, 2023 / 3 Comments

In this guest post, Dr. Doug Stilwell shares his fresh insight into common and special cause variation – and how that concept can apply to emotions.

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The Golden Gate Bridge in the fog with a single pelican flying over.

The Joy and Irony of a Leadership Career

By Christina Dragonetti / July 31, 2023 / 5 Comments

In this guest post, Dr. Doug Stilwell reflects on his long career in education and shares the impact of Dr. Deming’s teachings on his work.

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Dr. Deming in his 80s, standing with his back to the audience writing on a green chalkboard. He is wearing a blue sports coat, has a bald head, and wears glasses.

A Beginner’s Guide to Control Charts

By Christina Dragonetti / June 15, 2023 / 1 Comment

The Deming philosophy is like an onion: it’s got layers. I’ve been studying the System of Profound Knowledge and all it entails for almost 2 years, and I’m at layer 4 or 5, I think. I love the aspects I understand and how my thinking has changed. Plus, I’m constantly learning new things that shift […]

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Old telephones in several colors lined up horizontally.

If Only I Knew Then What I Know Now

By Christina Dragonetti / May 31, 2023 / 1 Comment

(Guest post from Edward Martin Baker) As we get older, more experienced, and maybe wiser, some of us may reflect on what we could have done differently when we were younger – if we knew then what we know now. I have recently been reflecting on my teaching of introductory statistics when I was a graduate school teaching fellow in the distant past.

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Large red industrial fishing ship sinking from the back of the boat with the front end sticking up in the air.

Best Efforts on a Sinking Ship

By Christina Dragonetti / April 24, 2023 / 2 Comments

In this guest post by Ruthie Russo, she uses the metaphor of bailing out a sinking ship to show how traditional improvement efforts in education are missing the big picture – and harming students and teachers in the process.

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Kevin Goes to the Tugboat Evergreen Conference

By Christina Dragonetti / March 15, 2023 / 0 Comments

Last year, our Executive Director Kevin Cahill spoke at the Tugboat Institute’s Evergreen Conference where he discussed his grandfather’s philosophy, his impact on the world, and how modern businesses can grow and thrive by putting people first.

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Diagram of connections inside a computer

Deming Systems Thinking and Cyberwarfare

By Guest Post / March 3, 2023 / 0 Comments

How does Deming apply to the cybersecurity world? This guest post by Brian Barnier shows how systems thinking can help cybersecurity professionals outthink the enemy. (This is part 2 of a 2-part series.)

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Deming for Ransomware and Cyberwarfare? Yes!

By Guest Post / February 22, 2023 / 0 Comments

In this guest post, Brian Barnier takes the Deming philosophy into the cyber security world. Inappropriate methods applied to cyber security problems are like flaws in a building’s engineering: they set people up for failure and burnout. Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge is the antidote, but few understand how it applies to cybersecurity.

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