The downfall of current education ... maintaining the status quo ... and not taking the courageous leap

My concern is that educators – whether they be teachers, school, or district leaders – are not courageous enough to push the envelope and do something different than what they have been doing for so long.  Grant you, my feeling is that most do NOT because they feel "pinned in" by the ongoing expectations and mandates of "the system."  However, I would argue that we MUST break this cycle of maintaining the status quo and that each one of us must step "out of the box" and do something different.  And not just anything for the sake of just doing something different.  But I would argue for specific ends.  These are as follows:

• Authentically engaging youth – so that they care to learn, and want to learn, and genuinely engaged in deep THINKING while they learned.  Student-driven, intrinsic, meaningful, authentic, and purposeful to the student.
• They are learning knowledge and skills truly of value – and developing the competencies that can empower them to pursue their interests, passions, and enable to be successful in the ways they desire to be successful

If we are not doing this, what are we doing?  Why are we chasing the acquisition of content and skills for acquisition sake.  Let's stop forcing content down the throats of students and dis-engaging them from activity that is engaging, meaningful, and joyful for students.  It makes no sense ... and we MUST stop doing this.  So the next time we ask a Kindergarten student to sit still and pay attention and tell a student its good for them without it being clear how and why for them, let's simply STOP.

Get out of the rut and do something different.  And start SOMEWHERE!  Stop the inanity, and try another way of student engagement.  That's the point of this area of work.  To suggest ways for educators to consider HOW they can innovate so that students are more fully invested and engaged in their learning, and that they are developing the competencies that will truly benefit their future lives.