L.M. Sixel's "Working" column in today's Houston Chronicle was titled
"If you hate buzz words, you, too, can fight the bull." (free registration required)
The article drew from the book A Bullfighter's Guide: Why Business People Speak Like Idiots by Brian Fugere, Chelsea Hardaway and Jon Warshawsky.

The article reminded me that so much of the school reform work I've been involved with is rife with jargon. So why do business people (or educators) use jargon? Why not use plain language?

Some of the reasons listed in the article are
-to avoid insecurity, to sound important
-to be exclusive, specialized language is like a secret code for the initiated
-to hide the true meaning
-to fit in, and
-to avoid responsibility

Some jargon that I have to be mindful of either avoiding or explaining clearly includes
CFG
PLC
protocol
imperative
reform effort
accountability

Can you think of more?

My favorite bit of jargon from an old NSRF pamphlet was "Dyad." PLEASE! I'd much rather just work with a partner or in a pair than in a "Dyad."