The Need and Opportunity for a Revolution in Education
As much as our world changes – socially, economically, politically and technologically – for the most part our schools remain the same. Yes, there are some minor improvements. And good ones too. However, most of these are still employed within an antiquated system and practices that do very little to truly impact the greater well-being and future of our youth. To judge schools (as we have done) solely on students’ performance on standardized ELA and math assessments has unwittingly pressed most schools and their systems made accountable to these results to “double-down” on this focus at the expense of the greater well-being of our youth.
But what do we mean by the greater well-being of our youth? Rather than answer that by myself, you can hear this from the voices of the dozen plus outstanding educators who contributed to this podcast. And not only do they speak to the need for a transformation/revolution of our schools and school system for the greater good of our youth, but in the end the greater good of our communities and our humanity.
Touched upon throughout is the need to give ALL of our youth the opportunity to pursue the lives they wish to live. Touched upon is not only the need to imagine the possibilities of learning and learning communities that can contribute to the well-being of our youth, our communities, and the world, but also the NEED to pursue these possibilities, and learn as we go. Finally, the contributors speak eloquently to the power of relationships within and across communities to transform education toward a greater purpose, and to engage everyone in that transformation. We need to co-create so that we can co-learn which can then lead us all to a shared transformation of outcomes rather than the transactional factory system we seem to be stuck in that resembles the "I Love Lucy" chocolate conveyor belt (if you are old enough to have seen this clip).
We need gardens that both value and support the natural growth of our youth. And we need gardens plentiful with the resources that allow each individual and the garden to thrive and be abundant and generative.
These educators give us some insight as to what it takes to grow such gardens – the result of a revolution through transformation.
But what do we mean by the greater well-being of our youth? Rather than answer that by myself, you can hear this from the voices of the dozen plus outstanding educators who contributed to this podcast. And not only do they speak to the need for a transformation/revolution of our schools and school system for the greater good of our youth, but in the end the greater good of our communities and our humanity.
Touched upon throughout is the need to give ALL of our youth the opportunity to pursue the lives they wish to live. Touched upon is not only the need to imagine the possibilities of learning and learning communities that can contribute to the well-being of our youth, our communities, and the world, but also the NEED to pursue these possibilities, and learn as we go. Finally, the contributors speak eloquently to the power of relationships within and across communities to transform education toward a greater purpose, and to engage everyone in that transformation. We need to co-create so that we can co-learn which can then lead us all to a shared transformation of outcomes rather than the transactional factory system we seem to be stuck in that resembles the "I Love Lucy" chocolate conveyor belt (if you are old enough to have seen this clip).
We need gardens that both value and support the natural growth of our youth. And we need gardens plentiful with the resources that allow each individual and the garden to thrive and be abundant and generative.
These educators give us some insight as to what it takes to grow such gardens – the result of a revolution through transformation.
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Episode 1 – What's Wrong? Episode 2 – What is Possible? Episode 3 – What's Important to Learn? Episode 4 – How can we Pursue New Designs? Episode 5 – What can YOU do? Episode 6 – Relationships and Networks for Transformation Episode 7 – Forecasting Challenges and How to meet them Head On |
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Episode 1: What's Wrong?
What is wrong with our current organizational design of schools? |
- Paula Dillon, Assistant Superintendent of Barrington (RI) Schools
- Corey Mohn, Executive Director of the CAPS Network - Chad Carlson, Director of Research and Design, One Stone |
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Episode 2: What is Possible?
There are educators across the country that have created new “images of possibility” in regards to new school designs. These educators share and discuss these new possibilities. |
- Jon Ketler, co-Director and co-founder of SOTA, SAMI, and IDEA schools of the Tacoma Public Schools
- Trace Pickering, Executive Director and co-founder of IowaBig - Ben Owens, former teacher at Tri-County Early College and co-founder of Open Way Learning - Gregg Brown, Network Coordinator, Center for Advanced Professional Studies Network |
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Episode 3: What's Important to Learn?
An inordinate amount of time, energy, and resources have been spent on increase students’ ELA and Math scores on standardized tests. It’s not that begin able to read, write, and do math are not important – but what happens when we ask the question: What is most important for our students to know and be able to do to pursue the lives they want? *** intro and outro music to be added *** |
- Grace Belfiore, Lead Researcher and Author of NGLC My Ways
- Laura Shibulla, Founder of Building 21, - Ayris Sanders, Principal of Building 21 school in Philadelphia - Theresa Moore, Founder and President of T-Time Productions - Tessa Simmonds, graduate of One Stone |
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Episode 4: How can we Pursue New Designs?
The old model of schools with the focus on content delivery and skills not attentive to or directly connected to the interests, passions, and context of youth needs to go. But how can we pursue new designs of teaching, learning, and schooling that far better engages our youth and affords them capacity to pursue the lives they want? *** to be edited *** |
- Jeff Petty, Regional Director of Big Picture Learning and Founder and Director of the Puget Sound Consortium for School Innovation
- Alexis Gwin-Miller, Executive Director of Momentum Edge Coaching and Consulting Agency and former Principal of Crosstown High School - Jenn Charlot, Transcend Education and co-founder of Rev-X - Sonya Wrisley, who helped to develop and was the first Principal at Design39 in San Diego |
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Episode 5 – What YOU can do
If we are going to make a dent in our education system today and both imagine and pursue new possibilities for our youth and the adults who serve them, then we each have to ask ourselves: What can I do? Three educators offer their thoughts on how each of us can assist, support, and be a part of the education revolution as a classroom, school, and district leader. *** to be edited *** |
- Mike Poore, Superintendent of the Little Rock (AR) Public Schools
- Nicole Allard, Interim Executive Director of Innovation & Educational Excellence at Vista (CA) Unified School District - Saskia Op den Bosch, Transcend Education and co-founder of Rev-X - Alexa Sorden, Founding Principal of Concourse Village Elementary School in the Bronx and recipient of the 2017 Ryan Award for being a transformational school principal serving urban, low-income, minority students - Ethan Wiechmann, Director of Cedar Falls CAPS - Hadley Ferguson, co-founder and Executive Director of Edcamp Foundation. |
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Episode 6: Relationships and Networks for Transformation
There has been a very strong press for networks as catalyzers, incubators, and supports to engender the development of new schools, transformation of schools, and agents of change in our educational ecosystem. Come hear three leading educational leaders talk about the power of networks in driving and supporting educational opportunity and visions for educators and communities around the world. *** to be edited *** |
- Tom Vander Ark, co-founder of Getting Smart
- Joanne McEachen, CEO/Founder of The Learner First - Justin Aglio is currently the Director of Academic Achievement and District Innovation at Montour School District and a frequent columnist for several educational blogs on innovation in schools and school systems. |
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Episode 7: Forecasting Challenges and how to meet them Head On
Three educators who have been working in the arena of system change in education for many years will share their insights as to what and HOW the system of education and educators at various levels of the system can effectively pursue new possibilities in agency and opportunity for all youth moving forward, potentially culminating in a much needed and desired revolution in education. *** forthcoming *** |
- Andy Calkins, Director of the Next Generation Learning Challenges - Grant Lichtman, an advisor, consultant, and partner in change in education - 1 more TBD |