True Autonomy

Tensions around accountability demands and the desire for professional autonomy are not new. Fullan, Rincón-Gallardo and Hargreaves (2015) argue that instead of relying solely on external accountability systems, education systems should invest in professional capital by building internal capacity. They emphasize that internal accountability depends on shared commitments that are collectively owned, morally grounded, and embedded in professional practice.

But for that to work, we can’t overlook the role of responsibility. Which brings us to a central question: What is the relationship between accountability, responsibility, and autonomy?

One way to think about this is through a deceptively simple equation I recall, though I don't have a source.

Accountability – Responsibility = Autonomy

Professional responsibility is the internal commitment to act in alignment with shared values. If we lack clarity about what we collectively commit to, autonomy drifts into isolation, and internal accountability remains unfulfilled.

Here’s the hopeful side:

Accountability + Responsibility = True Autonomy

When we name our shared commitments and embed them into our accountability structures, what remains—what we “subtract”—is true autonomy.

The challenge is that educational systems often lack the conditions to support this kind of autonomy. Without internal accountability, isolation increases. Disconnection grows. Control tightens. And the work becomes less human, less collaborative, and far less joyful. This is a leadership problem—but it’s also a design problem.

So we’re left with a set of essential questions:

1. What are the “big rocks” all students deserve, no matter who is in front of them?

2. How will we hold ourselves accountable to those commitments—not because we’re being monitored, but because we believe in them?

3. And how do we design the conditions that allow educators to truly own the rest—the space to innovate, to lead, and to bring their full selves to the work?

Reference

Fullan, M., & Rincón-Gallardo, S. (2015). Professional capital as accountability. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 23(15). https://epaa.asu.edu/index.php/epaa/article/view/1998