While recognizing the value of "vision," it could be argued that vision alone--at least in schools--is not enough to rally the financial and emotional support required to translate an idea into reality. A compelling vision needs to reflect substantive, research-based knowledge if it is to spark the kind of strategic thinking and insight…

Examines changes in official Finnish school-reform discourse over the past 30 years, noting four discursive changes from the 1860s to the 1990s (individualization of students, disciplinization of teaching knowledge, goal rationalization, and decontextualization). Interprets these shifts as the result of a blend of utopianism and rationalism which…