Using Negative Tactics to Get Results in Education

Gordon Bethune and Pedro Garcia both have daunting tasks. Bethune has to improve Continental Airlines and Garcia has to improve a school system. There intentions are very similar in that they both want improvement and have a vision to implement. However, Garcia uses negative tactics to produce results while Bethune uses positive tactics to produce results. It reminds me of the argument I have made to the parents of my students. Instead of taking things away when they do “bad” things, it is better to reward them for doing the “good” things. As a coach of many sports I have found that positive reinforcement works better than negative feedback. In many ways I have enjoyed Bethune’s style and see many of his traits in me.

Garcia and Bethune have money problems. Where Bethune is attempting to keep Continental Airlines from going bankrupt, Garcia is trying to find more money from materials needed in his schools, such as textbooks and computers. In this fashion, the two are similar. They are similar in that they are running a business. Garcia’s business in non-profit, yet the rewards are seen in more ways than just the “almighty dollar”. When you educate children you educate the future, which is worth every penny spent. Bethune is trying to keep a for-profit organization from going out of business and ultimately placing thousands of people (parents) on unemployment.