In the 1960s, the U.S. business community utilized the term "push/pull" to indicate whether or not industry should use the "one-size-fits all" or whether it should listen to consumers' needs and feedback as a system of producing and marketing products. As well, U.S. public education has become much more accountability-laden since the 1970s, partly because of shrinking budgets and partly because of society's growing penchant for more quality in curricular goods and services. Though there have been other "schools should be run as a business" treatises, this paper engages and elucidates "push-pull" as a bridge between both the education and business communities. Therefore, this paper traces the philosophical history of the first public schools in the United States and identifies their underlining questions of metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology. Using those questions, the paper examines the four major classical and teaching philosophies incorporated by our nation's schools and educators. The authors subsequently demonstrate how "push-pull" is not an exclusive business consideration, for that philosophical duality has existed in U.S. public institutions. Recently, the business concepts of Total Quality Management and Malcolm Baldrige Awards, updated "push-pull" programs, have entered the education landscape. These concepts have blended educational and business accountability and promoted a more customer-centric approach to our nation's schools. Finally, this paper concludes by forecasting how 21st century schools might use this "push-pull" alliance in future educational applications.