However, this cannot be achieved without first questioning the criteria by which we measure equity and excellence. In Skrtic’s view, traditional measures of equity and excellence in educational organizations have been inappropriately dictated by the bureaucratic structure of traditional public schools. In order to consider this point further, he cites the work of progressive reformers such as Max Weber and John Dewey. In Weber’s view, the bureaucratization of government that accompanies industrialization is by its very nature antidemocratic in that it causes government to overemphasize efficient performance and standardization. Bureaucracies in Weber’s view also are undemocratic because they are relatively unresponsive to change. Yet bureaucracies are essential to industrial democracies because they provide government with the structure necessary to oversee the enactment of policies and the equitable distribution of social goods.
