I supervise a tutoring program that is part of a larger program, which has recently been called on the carpet by the state for poor reporting. In an effort to crystallize the problem, I present my extended metaphor for our reporting methods.
We have the best baseball team in the Majors. We've got an All-Star team that is going to win the World Series.
How do you know your team is any good?
Well, we spent a TON of money on player salaries and the players really like playing baseball. Plus, our fans say that they like the team.
What's your record?
Record for what?
Games you've won--what's the team's won-loss record?
Oh, I don't know. We don't keep score. That's not important. But, it's a really great team--very successful.
Well, what's your standing? How does the team rank against other teams?
We don't. We don't keep track of those kind of things.
You don't? Then how do you know it's a good team?
We just do! Baseball is a good game. That means that we must have a good team. People come to games. We have a lot of tickets for sale, so a LOT of people can come see us. Just come see the team, and you'll know they're good.
But you don't have any records.
Why would we need records when we already know we're good? That would just be a waste of time. We couldn't play baseball if we spent all of our time keeping records. What kind of stupid operation do you expect us to run here?
