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Boardside: What is a Dronoid? |
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René Magritte L’art de vivre The Belgian surrealist, René Magritte, believed that an image, even if perfectly rendered, can never be more than a pale imitation of the reality one hopes to capture. Anyone who has tried to render the harm that Dronoids, some with the best of intentions, do to public education is soon convinced of Magritte’s wisdom. Over time, I will post some of my favorite Dronoid quotes and display video of them in action. You will not believe your eyes. You will think you’re dreaming. You will think you’ve fallen through a black hole and landed in a parallel universe. You will think you are trapped in a painting by Magritte.
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Dronoiddro·noid [dro nòyd] (plural dro·noids) noun A term derived from a combination of the words, “Drone” and “Android.” It refers to Board of Education members who emit a boring, low-humming sound that is ofttimes confused with human speech and human thought. In popular usage Dronoid frequently appears with the modifier rubber-stamping Dronoid. In the strictest sense, this formulation is redundant, but it does capture the essence of an individual who is given to the knee-jerk authorizing of curriculum, policies and expenditures without thinking, researching, questioning, or dissenting. Dronoids are often cited as the reason behind bloated school budgets and exploding property taxes.
Editor’s Note: Although used in reference to those who fail to provide good governance in public education, Dronoids are found in other fields of endeavor. Apparently, some board members at Enron were Dronoids. (“Another new company, Mr. Skilling? Wow! You’re wonderful.) Perhaps the most egregious example of a Dronoid was Gen. Kevin Kiley. Though not a board member, Gen. Kiley was tasked with overseeing all Army medical facilities. When he was asked how it was possible for him to be unaware of the squalid living conditions in which wounded soldiers were forced to live right across from his own home, Gen. Kiley replied: “I don’t do barracks inspections at Walter Reed.”
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