Rhegan McCall, a high school sophomore in Colorado, is today’s guest. Rhegan attends a private Jesuit school in which she enrolled just days before the start of high school, largely due to challenges her prior school was facing as a result of the pandemic.
Rhegan has had a deep understanding of school choice from a young age. From online learning pre-pandemic to choosing advancement pathways, Rhegan shows how students are picking up on alternative forms of education from the zeitgeist and championing choice within their schools.
In her conversation with Future of School CEO Amy Valentine, Rhegan talks about how quickly she had to change not only her school but also her expectations for high school. Although the transition was difficult, she found a place for advocacy and leadership in her new school, opening a conversation for herself and other students to explore alternative education paths.
Rhegan discusses her wish for more choice in her schooling, particularly the ability to graduate early. In attempting to graduate early, she lays a clear argument for how students have more choice in their education path. “This could be a good thing. This could help your institution and give individuals and students another way to education…” says Rhegan, “... I feel that it’s something a lot of people want to do but don’t know how to do. If educators could help students, that could be very beneficial.”
In exploring her options outside of a traditional classroom and education path, Rhegan believes that student self-advocacy and educator collaboration are essential. The change she wants to see is choice within the school and how much students should have control of their education. She believes that open and transparent communication with support networks like parents, teachers, and administrators is a way for students to explore options and uphold the kind of education they want to receive.
Future of School: The Podcast is hosted by Amy Valentine, CEO and Education Evangelist for Future of School. Subscribe to hear more Students Speak episodes along with upcoming series from Future of School. Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school, follow Amy @amyvalentine555, and learn more on our website: www.futureof.school
National School Choice Week is a not-for-profit, charitable effort to raise awareness of effective K–12 education options for children. NSCW focuses equally on traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online schools, and homeschools. Participate in the conversation by following @schoolchoicewk on Twitter and using the hashtag #schoolchoiceweek. Learn more at https://schoolchoiceweek.com
When students speak, the education world must stop and listen. Welcome to the “Students Speak” series on Future of School: The Podcast, presented in partnership with National School Choice Week.
Courtney Stevens is today’s guest. Courtney is a first-year student at Front Range Community College: Larimer Campus in Fort Collins, Colorado. She also did concurrent enrollment at the college while she was in high school.
Courtney began taking online classes as a high school senior as a result of the pandemic and found that she liked them as much as she enjoyed her in-person courses. She now takes classes online as well as in-person.
At first, the less structured schedule of online schooling felt challenging, but within a month Courtney adjusted. She also experienced more reading and writing in online classes due to the different structure, but found she adapted to this quickly, as well. Not only did she feel much more safe taking class online during the pandemic, but she also realized it was a great way to learn.
Classmates who remained in the traditional school were curious about the flexible schedule that enabled Courtney to take morning Tae Kwon Do classes and do Crossfit in the afternoon. She explained that online learning gave her control over her schedule, and she found this to be an important benefit.
When asked about some of the skills she developed most after transitioning to online learning, Courtney says, “I feel like I really cultivated my reading and writing skills... Even just looking at the stuff I wrote during my junior year compared to now, my writing has improved significantly.”
Future of School: The Podcast is hosted by Amy Valentine, CEO and Education Evangelist for Future of School. Subscribe to hear more Students Speak episodes along with upcoming series from Future of School. Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school, follow Amy @amyvalentine555, and learn more on our website: www.futureof.school
National School Choice Week is a not-for-profit, charitable effort to raise awareness of effective K–12 education options for children. NSCW focuses equally on traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online schools, and homeschools. Participate in the conversation by following @schoolchoicewk on Twitter and using the hashtag #schoolchoiceweek. Learn more at https://schoolchoiceweek.com
When students speak, the education world must stop and listen. Welcome to the “Students Speak” series on Future of School: The Podcast, presented in partnership with National School Choice Week.
Oam Patel is today’s guest. Oam is a graduate of Mountain Home High School in Mountain Home, Idaho, a small rural town, and a first-year student at Harvard University.
In ninth grade, he spoke with a cousin in Houston and learned about the variety of courses that were available in his cousin’s school. From this, Oam realized that online courses could provide access to numerous subjects even if they weren’t offered at his small school. He began to take some courses that summer which were supported by the Idaho Digital Learning Academy, the state-sponsored online school serving the entire state of Idaho.
From there, Oam continued to use online learning to augment his in-person courses. He accessed some history and computer science courses that weren’t available in his school and learned a lot more about his interests (he determined he’s not a history buff, but was encouraged to take some computer science classes in college).
Reflecting on what would be different if he’d never learned about online options, he says, “I think I’d be a little more closed-minded in my academics. I wouldn’t know about certain subjects that I really enjoy now. I wouldn’t have explored opportunities that I’m very glad I’ve taken.”
Future of School: The Podcast is hosted by Amy Valentine, CEO and Education Evangelist for Future of School. Subscribe to hear more Students Speak episodes along with upcoming series from Future of School. Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school, follow Amy @amyvalentine555, and learn more on our website: www.futureof.school
National School Choice Week is a not-for-profit, charitable effort to raise awareness of effective K–12 education options for children. NSCW focuses equally on traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online schools, and homeschools. Participate in the conversation by following @schoolchoicewk on Twitter and using the hashtag #schoolchoiceweek. Learn more at https://schoolchoiceweek.com
When students speak, the education world must stop and listen. Welcome to the “Students Speak” series on Future of School: The Podcast, presented in partnership with National School Choice Week.
Anna Maria Iaramboykov, a graduate of Radnor High School in Pennsylvania and second-year international college student in the UK at the University of Oxford, is today’s guest.
Anna Maria took her first online class early in high school. She was curious about different subjects and wanted to expand her learning, so she searched for online courses and found some through the FutureLearn platform. She began with a filmmaking class (her first-ever experience with the topic) and learned how animators used handmade models, dealt with problems they’d encounter, and more. She later took a forensic investigation class. Anna Maria’s mom helped her search for courses, but she was entirely self-directed in determining what to seek.
“A lot of students…want to learn more than the fields that are taught at school,” she says. “Instead of seeing it as a limitation, students can see it as an opportunity to make their own choices about what they want to learn.”
When she reflects on her university studies and how things might be different if she’d never had choice in high school, she says, “I would probably be a bit more unsure of what I wanted to study, what I’m interested in. I attribute that to the fact that I was able to explore so many things during my high school years, both through my high school and online classes.”
When asked for her message to those who might want the education system to “go back to normal” post-pandemic, or who are not yet embracing online and blended learning, she encourages them to see technology as a way to progress the educational system and enhance the way students learn.
Future of School: The Podcast is hosted by Amy Valentine, CEO and Education Evangelist for Future of School. Subscribe to hear more Students Speak episodes along with upcoming series from Future of School. Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school, follow Amy @amyvalentine555, and learn more on our website: www.futureof.school
National School Choice Week is a not-for-profit, charitable effort to raise awareness of effective K–12 education options for children. NSCW focuses equally on traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online schools, and homeschools. Participate in the conversation by following @schoolchoicewk on Twitter and using the hashtag #schoolchoiceweek. Learn more at https://schoolchoiceweek.com
When students speak, the education world must stop and listen. Welcome to the “Students Speak” series on Future of School: The Podcast, presented in partnership with National School Choice Week.
Sahil Pontula, a Physics major at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is today’s guest. Sahil speaks with Amy Valentine, Future of School’s CEO and Education Evangelist.
Sahil first experienced online learning in middle school. He attended a traditional public school, but became interested in Latin, a class that wasn’t offered in his school, after visiting some archaeological ruins with his family. He was able to take the Latin class online without switching schools and later also took environmental science online, which fulfilled a requirement for high school ahead of time.
After he entered high school, Sahil continued to take some classes online in addition to his in-person learning. His high school has a partnership with the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, a public residential high school that is part of the University of North Carolina system, which gave access to many different courses.
In his senior year the pandemic hit, and his traditional classes also transitioned online. Sahil observed the difference in this “crisis schooling,” when schools weren’t yet prepared to take certain courses online, in contrast with the online courses he’d taken for many years.
Reflecting on his experience in middle and high school, and where he is now, Sahil says, “I’d really be limited in the avenues I’d be exploring now” if he hadn’t had options in his learning. He is a big believer in the in-person interaction of traditional courses, especially with lab classes when it’s particularly valuable to speak with instructors directly, and also expresses the importance of online learning as an option to open up many different pathways.
Subscribe to hear more Students Speak episodes along with upcoming series from Future of School. Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school, follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555, and learn more on our website: www.futureof.school
National School Choice Week is a not-for-profit, charitable effort to raise awareness of effective K–12 education options for children. NSCW focuses equally on traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online schools, and homeschools. Participate in the conversation by following @schoolchoicewk on Twitter and using the hashtag #schoolchoiceweek. Learn more at https://schoolchoiceweek.com
When students speak, the education world must stop and listen. Welcome to the “Students Speak” series on Future of School: The Podcast, presented in partnership with National School Choice Week.
Jazy Manoukian, a second-year student at Patrick Henry College in Virginia, is today’s guest. She speaks with Amy Valentine, Future of School’s CEO and Education Evangelist.
From K-12, Jazy attended a small Christian school, and in fact graduated in a class of only three students. The school provided flexible options for all learners that present an effective illustration of choice in the classroom. Among other benefits, Jazy says the small class size enabled more one-on-one support from teachers and gave students the opportunity to work at their own pace.
She observed the power of specialized and personalized education for each learner. Jazy always pushed herself to try new and challenging courses, and having options in her education allowed her to do so. She also had peers who needed a slow pace, at least in some subject areas, and personalized tracks provided those students with the right support to succeed.
“By making everybody learn the exact same way, I think you’re really disadvantaging a lot of students,” Jazy says, when asked about the risks when schools don’t provide students with choices in their learning. This goes both for the students who want to accelerate and those who need to slow their pace a little bit in order to master the content.
Based on her experience in school, Jazy advocates for a hybrid learning model that includes both online instruction along with in-person learning, which she believes provides a richer, well-rounded experience and strong student-teacher relationships.
Subscribe to hear more Students Speak episodes along with upcoming series from Future of School. Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school, follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555, and learn more on our website: www.futureof.school
National School Choice Week is a not-for-profit, charitable effort to raise awareness of effective K–12 education options for children. NSCW focuses equally on traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online schools, and homeschools. Participate in the conversation by following @schoolchoicewk on Twitter and using the hashtag #schoolchoiceweek. Learn more at https://schoolchoiceweek.com
When students speak, the education world must stop and listen. Welcome to the “Students Speak” series on Future of School: The Podcast, presented in partnership with National School Choice Week.
Isaac Steinmeyer, a first-year student at The College of Wooster in Ohio, is today’s guest. Isaac is interviewed by Amy Valentine, Future of School’s CEO and Education Evangelist.
“It helps you to become more passionate about what you’re learning,” says Isaac when asked about the benefit of students having agency and choice in their own education. He first began taking some online classes in middle school and found completely new interests, from history to world languages like French and Russian. He also used resources like Khan Academy for online learning. Reflecting on what choice has meant for him, Isaac realizes he’d be bored and less engaged with his learning if he didn’t have the opportunity to pursue these passions.
Isaac was a homeschool student for a number of years and felt he had a good idea of the options available in education. But when he was in middle school and researched the variety of choices out there, he was “absolutely astonished” by everything that was available. He says it’s important for all students and families to learn about the options they can pursue.
By his junior year of high school, Isaac signed up for a few college classes and took a microeconomics class online which was recommended by his mother and his school’s guidance counselor. It was an academic leap but exposed him to new, interesting content. Thanks to information and support from his local school district, Isaac found yet another subject he enjoyed.
Now in college, Isaac has the option to take hundreds of classes fully online, or to choose to take an in-person class remotely. He’s currently taking a blend of online and in-person classes. He encourages students to become familiar with all the options available to them and determine what is the best fit so they can become their own advocates.
Subscribe to hear more Students Speak episodes along with upcoming series from Future of School. Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school, follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555, and learn more on our website: www.futureof.school
National School Choice Week is a not-for-profit, charitable effort to raise awareness of effective K–12 education options for children. NSCW focuses equally on traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online schools, and homeschools. Participate in the conversation by following @schoolchoicewk on Twitter and using the hashtag #schoolchoiceweek. Learn more at https://schoolchoiceweek.com
When students speak, the education world must stop and listen. That’s the exciting opportunity we’re presenting in the newest season of Future of School: The Podcast, in which you’ll hear diverse perspectives from a number of learners whose experiences in school and their lifelong trajectories have been transformed for the better as a result of the choices they made with respect to interesting educational options. Future of School is pleased to present the Students Speak series in partnership with National School Choice Week.
The series is hosted by Amy Valentine, Future of School’s CEO and Education Evangelist. In the first episode, we hear from Satara Ehnes, a graduate of the Julesberg School District in Colorado and current student at Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Julesberg is a small rural district of fewer than 900 students, positioned just minutes from the Nebraska border. Despite the district’s small size and remote location, students have abundant opportunity to pursue their goals due to an administration that prioritizes students’ individual objectives and strategically utilizes technology.
In Satara’s case, she determined early on that she would like to pursue a medical degree, but was also aware of the time and cost associated with such a path. Through partnerships, the district made it possible for her to graduate high school with an Associate’s Degree, putting her well ahead by the time she entered a four-year university, and she is now nearing graduation and planning for medical school. Further, Satara is an advocate for the benefits of a well-rounded education that exposes students to real-world opportunities:
“I didn’t just learn how to read and write. I learned how to be a leader. I learned to take responsibility. I learned time management. So when I did make the transition from being in high school, living with my parents, being involved in all the extracurricular activities to the vast realities of being a young adult .. I think that really eased the transition.”
Subscribe to hear more Students Speak episodes along with upcoming series from Future of School. Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school, follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555, and learn more on our website: www.futureof.school
National School Choice Week is a not-for-profit, charitable effort to raise awareness of effective K–12 education options for children. NSCW focuses equally on traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online schools, and homeschools. Participate in the conversation by following @schoolchoicewk on Twitter and using the hashtag #schoolchoiceweek. Learn more at https://schoolchoiceweek.com
If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?
In this special episode of Future of School’s One Big Idea series, our guest is Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week (NSCW), the largest public awareness effort in the U.S. focusing on opportunity in K-12 education. With the goal of informing parents of their school choice options, Andrew and the NSCW team work with more than 25,000 schools annually—along with thousands of organizations and homeschooling groups. Follow Andrew on Twitter @andrewrcamp
National School Choice Week is held every January and in 2022 will take place from January 23-29. Learn more at https://schoolchoiceweek.com
Andrew shares his big idea advocating for kindness, compassion and understanding in our K-12 education conversations. He asserts that each individual who has a role in the education system, whether a student, parent, educator or anyone else, has a unique perspective on the system, the role of schools, and the opportunities that will best suit their needs, strengths, and interests. In response to this big idea, Amy Valentine, Future of School CEO and host of the podcast, adds, “We owe it to our children to build an education system that honors their uniqueness.”
Andrew explains further that a harsh, confrontational tone is rarely effective at “moving the ball forward” with respect to choice in education. We must maintain or, if necessary, reinsert the humanity into our conversations in order to recognize and realize the true value of personalized, individualized choice and opportunity for all students and families.
What’s your One Big Idea to transform education? Connect with us on social media or on our website, www.futureof.school, to share! Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school and follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555. And participate in the National School Choice Week conversation, including the opportunity to view new original content from Future of School, by using the Twitter hashtags #schoolchoice and #schoolchoiceweek
Learn more about Future of School and its mission to mobilize change in American K-12 education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that ensures all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning takes place at www.futureof.school.
If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?
In the 16th episode of Future of School’s One Big Idea series, our guest is Justina Nixon-Saintil, Vice President of Communications and Global Corporate Social Responsibility at IBM. Among other initiatives, Justina leads a variety of programs that leverage multi sector partnerships to help create more inclusive and innovative schools and workforce.
Justina shares her big idea that retraining through upskilling is a viable alternative to traditional education. She explains how, especially over the course of the pandemic, a high percentage of workers have decided to pursue continuing education and change careers. Providing more options for reskilling and upskilling programs as an alternative to traditional university degrees is an effective way to increase access to high-quality retraining and new career options. Justina explains how these programs can advance equity and how various stakeholders in the industry can get involved.
What’s your One Big Idea to transform education? Connect with us on social media or on our website, www.futureof.school, to share! Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school and follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555.
Learn more about Future of School and its mission to mobilize change in American K-12 education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that ensures all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning takes place at www.futureof.school.
If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?
In the 15th episode of Future of School’s One Big Idea series, our guest is Rudy Flores, who has 30+ years of experience in education as a teacher, principal and superintendent. Rudy is now Executive VP & Chief Development Officer for ChanceLight Education.
Rudy shares his big idea of a portable national credential for teachers. He describes how the national teacher shortage makes this an urgent priority. With his idea, teachers’ certifications and licensures can be transferred across states. This would help address areas of need in different states who are short on teachers with certain specializations or other areas of expertise. Even in the absence of specific shortages, it would allow teachers with adequate experience and expertise more options in their careers and, as a whole, benefit students by expanding access to highly qualified teachers.
What’s your One Big Idea to transform education? Connect with us on social media or on our website, www.futureof.school, to share! Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school and follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555.
Learn more about Future of School and its mission to mobilize change in American K-12 education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that ensures all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning takes place at www.futureof.school.
If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?
In the 14th episode of Future of School’s One Big Idea series, our guest is Carolyn Gill, International and New Markets Specialist for Vista Higher Learning. Vista is a foreign language publisher and digital content provider, and Carolyn has a background in languages with a specialization in foreign language teaching.
Carolyn shares her big idea for a national program for all students to spend 6-9 months abroad after high school graduation. During this time, students would participate in service work, be immersed in another culture, and develop new language skills. When it’s not possible to go to another country, the program could also apply domestically, for students to travel to a different part of the country, spend time in a different regional culture, and develop life skills. “Gap years” of this type are common in countries like Australia and could provide many of the same benefits to American students.
Carolyn explains how the idea would increase cultural competence, help students gain maturity by living outside their comfort zone, and even look at their own community in different ways. These skills can be applied to an academic setting in higher education or the workforce.
What’s your One Big Idea to transform education? Connect with us on social media or on our website, www.futureof.school, to share! Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school and follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555.
Learn more about Future of School and its mission to mobilize change in American K-12 education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that ensures all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning takes place at www.futureof.school.
If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?
In the 13th episode of Future of School’s One Big Idea series, our guest is Haley Casten, a rising senior at Castle View High School in Castle Rock, Colorado.
Haley shares her big idea of eliminating the SAT and other high-stakes college admissions exams, or at least reducing their importance to the admissions process. She explains how for many students, like herself, who are good students but have anxiety around test-taking, they may not perform on the test in a way that demonstrates their actual ability. From Haley’s point of view, it’s much better to look at the student holistically, including their grades, character, extracurricular activities, and other well-rounded factors that are a truer representation of who they are as a learner.
“My grades are all A’s and B’s, and I feel that my SAT score doesn’t really show how hard I work in those classes, and how smart I actually am,” Haley explains.
What’s your One Big Idea to transform education? Connect with us on social media or on our website, www.futureof.school, to share! Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school and follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555.
Learn more about Future of School and its mission to mobilize change in American K-12 education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that ensures all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning takes place at www.futureof.school.
If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?
In the 12th episode of Future of School’s One Big Idea series, our guest is Dr. Terry Farris, Chief Academic Officer at American Heritage College.
Dr. Farris shares his big idea of individualized education plans (IEPs) for all students. Especially after the pandemic, we’re seeing more and more that kids (and adults) have different interests, and they deserve the opportunity to explore those interests productively. This also involves prioritizing critical thinking instead of over-testing, to keep students engaged and avoid the risk of “losing them.”
He proposes that we truly explore the possibility of IEPs for all. Often, according to Dr. Farris, most attention is either focused on designing education around the top 10% of students. Additionally, students in special education programs will have an IEP. What’s left is the students in “the middle” who aren’t provided with a personalized or engaging learning plan according to their needs or interests. As a result, many students will feel as though they don’t like school, or at least will fail to get the most out of their educational experience.
What’s your One Big Idea to transform education? Connect with us on social media or on our website, www.futureof.school, to share! Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school and follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555.
Learn more about Future of School and its mission to mobilize change in American K-12 education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that ensures all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning takes place at www.futureof.school.
If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?
In the 11th episode of Future of School’s One Big Idea series, our guest is Nicole Biscotti, a proud educator who believes that everyone should have access to a quality education that connects them with their purpose. She seeks to bridge understanding, spark conversations, and inspire through her writing. Nicole wrote her book, I Can Learn When I'm Moving: Going to School with ADHD, with her 9 year old son about ADHD from the unique perspectives of a child and a mother who is also a teacher.
Nicole shares her big idea that all teachers should have education and practicum in the area of special education so they’re prepared to teach all learners. As a general education teacher whose own child was diagnosed with ADHD, Nicole realized she’d never received training in special education, and got a firsthand perspective of why it would be so beneficial. Her dual roles of educator and parent informed one another as she developed her big idea.
Follow Nicole on Twitter @BiscottiNicole and using the hashtag #ADHDGlobalConvo
What’s your One Big Idea to transform education? Connect with us on social media or on our website, www.futureof.school, to share! Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school and follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555.
Learn more about Future of School and its mission to mobilize change in American K-12 education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that ensures all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning takes place at www.futureof.school.
If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?
In the 10th episode of Future of School’s One Big Idea series, our guest is Kyair Butts, a sixth grade teacher from Baltimore City Public Schools in Maryland. Kyair was Teacher of the Year in 2019 and 2020 largely because of his passion for adopting technology in his classes, his stellar mentorship of his students, and the facilitation of great minds and wisdom.
Kyair shares his big idea of Small Group Wednesday. This was an idea developed by the BCPS teacher advisory council along with the district’s CEO, and it proposes that Wednesday should be a half day of school in which, rather than teaching new content, the teacher will bring together small groups of students to focus on a particular skill based on what the teacher observed Monday or Tuesday, or based on data from recent assessments. It’s an opportunity to be more responsive to students’ personalized needs. In the afternoons, teachers would collaborate across grade levels for vertical planning, making sure that students in every grade are being equipped with the right standards-aligned skills.
Kyair presents his idea in response to the sentiment, common in some places, to get back to “the way it was” in schools following the pandemic. He explains that the traditional way of doing things didn’t work for all students, and now is when we must seize the opportunity to do not what was, but what could be. "Why not us, and why not now, to perfect education as something that it could be?," he asks.
What’s your One Big Idea to transform education? Connect with us on social media or on our website, www.futureof.school, to share! Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school and follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555.
Learn more about Future of School and its mission to mobilize change in American K-12 education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that ensures all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning takes place at www.futureof.school.
If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?
In the ninth episode of Future of School’s One Big Idea series, our guest is Tillie Elvrum, an education advocacy pioneer with experience at the state and national level. With a background in communications, early childhood education, and personal experience as a parent advocate, Tillie specializes in grassroots organizing, parent engagement, school choice policy, and innovative education models. She is co-founder and administrator of Parent Support for Online Learning.
Tillie shares her big idea about changing the way K-12 education is funded in the U.S. She proposes funding students rather than systems, meaning that the funding for education would be put into the hands of parents, enabling them to make the decision they feel is best regarding the learning environment that suits their child. As Tillie describes it, this idea would empower students and parents, and may also lead to a new level of personalization in learning.
What’s your One Big Idea to transform education? Connect with us on social media or on our website, www.futureof.school, to share! Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school and follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555.
Learn more about Future of School and its mission to mobilize change in American K-12 education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that ensures all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning takes place at www.futureof.school.
Follow today’s guest on Twitter: @TillieElvrum
If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?
In the eighth episode of Future of School’s One Big Idea series, our guest is Dr. Shaun McAlmont, President of Career Learning Solutions at Stride, Inc. In this role, Dr. McAlmont manages all aspects of Stride's growing career readiness programs including the Destinations Career Academies. He is responsible for providing career readiness and workforce development solutions for students around the country that go beyond jobs traditionally aligned with vocational education to emerging new collar jobs of the future.
Dr. McAlmont shares his big idea of moving best practices from adult career learning to students at the youngest of ages. Every child has the right to explore and attain great careers, he shares, and it’s up to us as a society and an education system to help them get there. This idea includes rethinking credentialing, certifications, and more to better prepare students for jobs, careers, and life.
What’s your One Big Idea to transform education? Connect with us on social media or on our website, www.futureof.school, to share! Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school and follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555.
Learn more about Future of School and its mission to mobilize change in American K-12 education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that ensures all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning takes place at www.futureof.school.
Follow today’s guest on Twitter: @shaunmcalmont
If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?
In the seventh episode of Future of School’s One Big Idea series, our guest is Judy Perez, CEO and Founder of iLearn Collaborative. Judy has been identified as a national level expert in K-12 online and blended learning by the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to founding the iLearn Collaborative, she directed district-wide blended learning at Jeffco Public Schools and led their online school from turnaround status to Performance accreditation.
Judy shares her big idea of empowering students by giving them access to the learning environment they prefer for the courses they are taking, anywhere and any time. This means providing flexible, fluid learning options for students that might change depending on the subject area and the courses they desire to take. With personalized learning realized to this extent, students may take certain courses in a blended setting, others fully in-person, and others online, depending on what works best for them.
What’s your One Big Idea to transform education? Connect with us on social media or on our website, www.futureof.school, to share! Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school and follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555.
Learn more about Future of School and its mission to mobilize change in American K-12 education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that ensures all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning takes place at www.futureof.school.
Follow today’s guest on Twitter: @judyperez612
If you could share One Big Idea to change the future of education, what would it be?
In the sixth episode of our One Big Idea series, we hear from Ray McNulty, President of the Successful Practices Network. In his career, McNulty has served at the school, district, and state levels – as a teacher, principal, superintendent, and commissioner of education of Vermont; is a past president of the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE); was senior fellow at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and was previously the dean at the School of Education at Southern New Hampshire University, which was named the 12th most innovative organization in the world by FAST Company Magazine.
Ray’s One Big Idea proposes that we must dramatically rethink the way assessment is used, as he describes the shortcomings of the high-stakes standardized testing environment that is used to measure students and teachers. “I don’t hear parents coming up to me and saying ‘I want my child to be an incredibly good test-taker,’” he says, later adding, “We’ve made assessment an incredibly dangerous thing to learning.” Ray talks about the importance of well-rounded development, including how students are developing their character, and how schools should be promoting continuous growth in all areas. When testing is presented with such high stakes that it will mark students as a “success” or “failure,” it is counterproductive to learning. “We have to move to a growth model. We have to move to a growth perspective. We have to move to multiple measures, and not this one assessment,” he says.
What’s your One Big Idea to transform education? Connect with us on social media or on our website, www.futureof.school, to share! Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school and follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555.
Learn more about Future of School and its mission to mobilize change in American K-12 education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that ensures all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning takes place at www.futureof.school.