Our children are our future. Education is at the heart at developing their skills and abilities and yet year after year we hear about the degrading state of our educational system. Our nation has spent trillions of dollars on failed programs that research and experts had promised would work. Achievement gaps persist, performance declines are accelerating and so it is of paramount importance that we explore novel ideas and solutions. You might not agree with many or any of the ideas below, and we certainly are not endorsing policies – our hope is just to create a space where bright, dedicated folks from the community can share their ideas – so that we can all come together and better understand each others experiences, concerns and how we might move forward together to build a brighter future.

Ana Burcroff

I think it’s sad that the general trend in education has been to phase out hands on topics like woodworking, gardening, cooking, sewing or even gym class to be able to spend more time on academic subjects like math, literacy and STEM curriculum. A well rounded person has mastery over the academic subjects AND values creative pursuits and self sufficiency, like knowing how to mend or do basic repairs. I believe that the overarching message from our education system and the media is to “achieve,” and the definition of achievement doesn’t include making sure that our souls are nourished with creative or hands-on endeavors. This results in a population that feels unfulfilled even if we hit all the standard marks of achievement, like a car, a house or a certain job title. And a population that in general needs to outsource basic things like repairs and even cooking. When we don’t nourish our passions and creativity, we lose connection with some of the basic things in life that can bring us great joy. Read more>>

John DiGirolamo

In my book, It’s Not About the Predator, I detail how kids and teens are targeted online. Many parents don’t know about predator tactics and how easy it is to lure a child for illicit purposes. Parents and kids should be made aware of what the predators are doing and how they operate. This can be taught (Digital Safety) to both the teens and the adults. Most parents are not tech savvy with social media and newer programs popular with the 13-20 year age group. Read more>>

Chris Staehler

I am always disheartened to hear about art programs being deprioritized and defunded. Art can be a powerful tool for communication and health. This includes painting, drawing, music and performance. For me, art was a safe place to focus and let my imagination run and to this day there are things easier communicated through imagery rather than through other mediums. It’s why I gravitate toward filmmaking and photography. By taking away this option from children, we are taking away an important tool. I love history, and the majority of what I remember from school was due to my art history education more than any social studies class. Art, culture and history are all tied together and it helps provide insight and perspective to some of our greatest triumphs and darkest hours. I would love to see those programs prioritized and given the focus they deserve just as much as programs like STEM. STEAM (including Art) has a better ring to it! Read more>>

Dr. Estenia Goodridge

Addressing the need for change in our education system and preparing students for a more fulfilling life and career is a crucial endeavor. Having worked in higher education for over a decade, I’ve had the privilege of nurturing the growth of college freshmen. Through this experience, it’s evident that many students are entering this next phase of life without the essential tools to thrive in our society. Read more>>

Jared Madsen

I would change the value placed on vocational courses, arts, sports, etc. Let’s show our value by grading these on an equal basis as other classes. How does someone graduate with a 4.0 but can’t draw a simple representation, or run a lap, or understand the simple mechanics of a machine? Yet those who excel in these latter areas, but struggle in English, writing, or math – have no hope of graduating with a GPA like that? Or even graduating period. We hold kids up on a pedestal because they excel in English and Math, and put everything else as secondary. Read more>>

Lamar Seay

Students should be taught subjects like real estate, investing, taxes, natural health remedies, growing your own food, social media and public ettiquite, trusting your instinct, following your path, and other relevant subjects that we end up learning later in life through trial and error. It’s common knowledge amongst progressive people that the government puts us through meaningless school subjects to keep us dumbed down as a culture and keep people from rebelling against the system set up to keep the general public blind and in debt. I would also make things like learning about your mental health and remedies used to keep us healthy mandatory to learn. The general public has caught onto big Pharma’s plan to keep us sick in order to keep us dependent on their drugs and insurance companies. Read more>>

Cheeto Ryan

I think the education system needs to change the culture of school for kids to have a fulfilling life and career. The education system sets a culture that does not speak to the actual real world. We start off children with the general education classes however, we leave out the knowledge needed to be successful as an adult (examples: personal financing, employment, taxes, etc. ). I also feel like the treatment of elective courses could be treated as important as general education. In my experiences, these courses are not implemented and create adults without any financial literacy or ability to navigate in the world . Furthermore, the treatment of electives does not allow a child to open their mindset to any and all opportunities. Read more>>

Ginny Dixon

I’m coming to the end of a career as a teacher. I always had my photography business but have taught for nearly 30 years at an advertising school in Miami. The school was built on the principles that the owners were trying to create a school they would have wanted to go to. In 1996 when I started teaching photography there– from the moment you walked in the door you could see the space was innovative and different. The space was designed and really was always being redesigned to encourage gathering, collaborating, healthy competition and ideas. The thing was really to generate ideas. Read more>>

Jessica Santana

My lived experiences growing up in East New York, Brooklyn and being a proud product of the NYC public school system really taught me that genius is equally distributed and opportunity is not. There are a myriad of suggestions I would make to our educational system that include: -Offer Early Exposure to Technology: Provide early exposure to technology and tech-related fields to spark interest and awareness among students. I didn’t have access to the kinds of opportunities growing up, which inspired me to create them for others. Read more>>

Martina Cruz-Madera

I went to Remington College for Cos program. This program was 1 year . We learned hair, nails, make up etc. Being in Cos we had instructors who were simply amazing , professional & has taught us so much more than hair, nails services back when I was in Cos program being taught to be on time to clock in and out, being clocked in late we will have to return home make up our hours on a Saturday which taught me to be on time, to communicate if we were late, running behind . Coming in with uniforms or we would be sent home. We had certain days where we will have receptionist time where I would have to answer the phone professionally, schedule clients in the system, cancel etc. Read more>>

Kasondra Billups

Incorporating practical financial literacy into the education system is crucial. I believe students should be equipped with the knowledge to make informed decisions about money, whether pursuing higher education or entrepreneurial ventures. Personally, I’ve seen friends struggle post-graduation because they lacked financial planning skills. Introducing comprehensive classes on money management and promoting healthier lifestyle choices could empower students to navigate adulthood more successfully. If I had this is my curriculum when I was growing up I’d be a dangerous human being. Read more>>

Kimberly Ware

I believe the schools should be sharing with students about the jobs and careers that are available and trending at the time they will be of age to be employed. The education system should help them in the process of determining their innate skills they have that would naturally help them in a certain field. I believe they should give job aptitude test along with personality test so they could know more about themselves and what atmosphere they would thrive in. This should also include interviewing training and how to write a resume and how to dress appropriately for the work environment they are interested in. Read more>>

Randa Agha

As the entrepreneur behind UniGate for study abroad services, and as my business is connected to the higher education sector, I consider it imperative to shift our focus away from solely trying to improve the education system itself. Instead, I firmly advocate for a significant shift in the mindset of both students and their parents. It’s a common trend for students to aspire to pursue undergraduate studies in Medicine or related medical fields. While these professions are undeniably crucial and prestigious, it’s essential to acknowledge the significance of alternative careers and fields. Read more>>

Brandon Hern

One of my favorite memes is – its great I learned about Trigonometry to prepare me for this tax season! Long story short, it seems we spend a lot of time in our schools learning about concepts and applications that do not serve us as productive citizens. What is a productive citizen? I would suggest a productive citzen could read, write, do basic math, know their rights under the Declaration of Independance and Bill of Rights, understand basic laws, undertand basic tax code, know how to use the banking and credit system, the list goes on. Is history important – 100%. Is math important – 100%. What I am suggesting is to re-think how we teach these subjects to support a more productive citizenry. Read more>>

Tiffany West

It is my firm belief that the AMerican educational system suffers when compared to other countries educational systems. Many do not know that I was and remain an educator in addition to my business Herbal Phoenix STL. I have seen first-hand how the system has failed our children. We need to first provide the proper funding to schools, educators, and extracurriculars. Without the proper foundation the educational system will continue to fail regardless of what new initiative or trend the board or government may try. Read more>>

Suzzanne Rubio

First let me begin by saying how important teachers and educators are. Truly marvelous and important people. However I do believe a lot of curriculum doesn’t necessarily benefit young generations for their careers or life. I have always felt there needs to be more education on preparing kids for everyday issues you face as an adult. I feel a lot of my knowledge came from experience in the field, and trial and error as a young adult, not from grade schools or my college degree. Read more>>