{"id":275,"date":"2014-12-04T13:42:38","date_gmt":"2014-12-04T04:42:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/shortword\/?p=275"},"modified":"2014-12-08T23:03:01","modified_gmt":"2014-12-08T14:03:01","slug":"what-has-rome-to-do-with-waco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/shortword\/2014\/12\/04\/what-has-rome-to-do-with-waco\/","title":{"rendered":"What has Rome to do with Waco?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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He knows how to write and how to listen and communicate. He has emotional intelligence. He knows how to work with a lot of personalities.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

These words describe a friend who was chosen to lead \u201ca new nonprofit group that will coordinate existing community efforts to improve health care, education and income.\u201d Not only do they describe him, they are an explanation of why he was chosen for the job (among other reasons, or course).<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

As the new executive director of Prosper Waco<\/a>, Matthew Polk will work with a team of people to \u201ccollect and analyze data about the community and then develop metrics to evaluate the progress toward Prosper Waco goals.\u201d His task is incredibly complex. As he says in the article, \u201cit\u2019s not just about education or jobs or any one vector that causes these problems. Education, health care and employment are all intertwined.\u201d<\/p>\n

Given the complexity of the task, who did the Prosper Waco board choose to lead them? Someone who \u201cknows how to write and how to listen and communicate.\u201d Someone who \u201chas emotional intelligence.\u201d Someone who \u201cknows how to work with a lot of personalities.\u201d <\/p>\n

I have no doubt that Matthew will bring to them a growing store of professional expertise and knowledge about education, health care, and employment. But I think it\u2019s important for parents and educators and, well, anyone who cares about education and society to recognize this: the core competencies that make him most suitable for the job can\u2019t be cultivated and measured by fill-in-the-bubble tests that many schools value so highly. And I don\u2019t think he could have acquired them all through highly specialized training (a good thing!) in each area, even if he were to wind up with three certificates proving that he knows a lot about education, health care, and employment.<\/p>\n

Then what sort of education has prepared my friend to take on such a complex and important job? Matthew majored in classics and history as an undergrad. And he continued researching and writing about history at the master\u2019s and doctoral levels. When I met him, he was researching and writing about ancient Rome.<\/p>\n

What has Rome to do with Waco? <\/i><\/p>\n

Though I\u2019m sure Matthew could point out many similarities between Rome and Waco, Texas, I\u2019m afraid I can\u2019t tell you anything about that. But I do know this:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n