This article argues that while accountability is the watchword of overseers, too often it is the bane of the overseen. At its best, it reflects a prudent concern for good stewardship and responsible management of necessarily scarce resources; at its worst, it becomes a form of mindless hector-ing, in which careful oversight gives way to invective and finger pointing. How is it that the same word has such divergent connotations? According to Webster, the word first appears in 1714, and it means, as one would assume, to be held to account. But its modern usage--also according to Webster--is disproportionately connected to education. In particular, it is linked to the idea that the executive and legislative branches of government must keep a baleful eye on school performance, reward the successful, and punish the wicked to ensure high student achievement levels.