Although policy initiatives have focused primarily on teachers and prinicipals, they are far from the only adults in school whose work affects students’ lives. The April issue of Kappan addresses the role of such professionals as school nurses, librarians, counselors, social workers, and bus drivers.

For years, critics of test-based school accountability have pointed out that when schools face pressure to raise students’ scores in math and reading, they tend to respond by doubling down on those two subject areas and cutting back on the teaching of history, art, music, civics, and more. In short, when the spotlight focuses on a small part of the curriculum, other subjects get left in the shadows.

Less often recognized, but equally troublesome, is that recent school reforms haven’t just limited our view of what matters in education (what subject areas, what student outcomes, and what indicators of success) but also our view of who matters.