Sign, sign, everywhere a sign

Sign, sign
Everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery
Breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that
Can't you read the sign?

(If you recognize the song and want to sing along, here it is.) 

The sign said, “please disinfect before and after use.”

The sign was on a door. The door said, “roof access.” Which raised a question: Am I supposed to disinfect the door or the roof?

Neither, actually. Because this door, in the recreation center in my hometown, used to sit behind some exercise bikes. The bikes are gone. The sign, which is still there, referred to the bikes.

In a sense, the sign is a policy that no longer applies. And in fact, it no longer makes sense at all.

And the sign said
Anybody caught trespassin'
Will be shot on sight

This next one doesn’t quite say you’ll be shot on sight, but it’s close…until you look at the second sign.

So, after being told you’ll be prosecuted, you’re told to ignore that and push through? Despite the fact that the third sign says this is an emergency exit? Notice this is an airport, where they tend to be serious about security.

I’m picturing the person in court… “but judge, there was another sign, saying ignore the sign that said I would be prosecuted.”

This second example is from my hometown airport, which has expanded, and now there’s a nice outdoor seating/drinking area that you get to by…you guessed it…ignoring the sign that says you’ll be prosecuted if you go through the door. There’s no other way out to it. If you’re confused, the helpful bartender will tell you that you can actually take your beer out there and no, you won’t be prosecuted.

 So here we have a policy, contradicted by a second policy, which is counter-contradicted by a third policy.

These are amusing because the consequences are low.

But public agencies, including public schools, are constantly faced with outdated policies, requirements, and signals. And those policies are stifling innovation, undermining confidence in public education, and putting up roadblocks to new public schools, programs, and models of instruction.

Much more on this in the next post.