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.

Brandon Turk

At Rocket Drones, we are committed to providing students with hands-on exposure to cutting-edge technologies, and we’ve pioneered an exciting approach by integrating drones into core curricula for elementary through high school students. Imagine exploring world history while piloting a drone around the classroom—making learning an unforgettable experience! Read more>>

Alaysia Joi Hicks

Growing up, I wish there had been more resources for understanding yourself on a deeper level. In school, there’s so much pressure to become something, but no real guidance on where to start. If I could change anything, it would be the classes and resources available that truly help students explore what they want to do in life after graduation. Read more>>

Deion Graham-Long

If I could change the education system, I’d focus on making coursework more relevant to real life—equipping students with the skills they’ll actually need in adulthood and ensuring that academic concepts are tied to real-world applications. Too many students graduate high school and even college without knowing how to do essential things like filing taxes, investing, or buying a home. If school is supposed to prepare us for life, why aren’t we given the tools to succeed in these fundamental areas? Read more>>

Rhea Hinger

My journey into design was accidental. Growing up in India, I experienced a very traditional schooling system where art and design were treated as synonymous. Design was always linked to artistic talent—painting, sketching, illustrating—and since my drawing skills were pretty average, I assumed that becoming a designer was out of the question. Read more>>

Vicki Davis

The most vital transformation we need in education today isn’t about curriculum, technology, or assessment – although certainly we can improve there. It is about reclaiming the soul of learning itself: the relationship between the teacher and the student. Read more>>

Bianca Diaz

One of the biggest flaws in the education system is its lack of focus on real-life skills. Students graduate knowing how to solve equations and write essays, but they aren’t taught the fundamentals of credit scores, taxes, budgeting, buying a house, retirement, investing or even setting personal and financial goals. These are essential to living a fulfilling life, yet they’re often overlooked in favor of textbook knowledge that many students never apply in the real world. Read more>>

Katerina Manoff

I firmly believe that bringing quality education to every learner WITHOUT REMOVING THE HUMAN TOUCH is the most important change we can make to our education system. Think back to your education – formal or informal. I’ll bet that a human being was at the center of your greatest successes and breakthroughs. A passionate teacher, a mentor, or even a peer. For me, it was Madelyn, a volunteer who practiced English with me at age 8, when I was a terrified brand-new arrival to the United States. It was Ms. Foster, a high school teacher who nurtured my love of writing. It was my colleague Julia, who showed me how to be a great boss and leader. Read more>>

Brendan McKay

From a professional standpoint, my day job is oriented around investing in many different types of businesses across the US – everything from healthcare products and dental clinics to manufacturing and aerospace and defense companies. It’s extremely rewarding and I get to interact with people from all walks of life who are building interesting things and thinking through how to navigate an increasingly complex growth outlook. Photography is a wonderful creative outlet for me, and I’m lucky that in my spare time I’ve been able to work on some unique and rewarding projects for a number of different clients, as well as focus on my own personal ideas. Read more>>

Andres Mendoza

Aside from producing and and acting I also work full time as an English Language Arts at a local high school. I think one thing that would allow for students to prepare for a more fulfilling life and career is allowing them to understand that is not about the material we are seeing during any particular unit, but about the skill learned and the ability to create your own thoughts. Read more>>

Allison Wong

I believe college can be a great path for some, but it’s certainly not the only—or even the best—path for everyone. Society often pushes the idea that higher education is the key to success, but when you look at the numbers, the majority of millionaires never went to college. Instead, they learned valuable skills, took risks, and found ways to create opportunities for themselves. Read more>>

Ryan Marshall

Education today has become scrutinized and, in my opinion, bacterized. We always look at people as different from one another. Everyone has their own thoughts, views and opinions. No matter how much you want to fight that idea it always rings true. So why do we place kids in large classrooms to learn a single curriculum? It doesn’t really make sense to me. Yes, it works for the early years like 1st through 5th grade but the push towards the student’s identity should start within that time frame as well. Then years after are more geared towards the students’ ambitions and dreams. Connecting the dots of different subjects to how they relate in the real world. We are told that math and science are everything in this world yet, we have our children literally sit in classrooms for 13 years. Read more>>

Shakthi Hari N V

Design schools, especially graduate programs, should be the place where people from diverse backgrounds—whether they come from engineering, science, business, or literature—can seamlessly transition and thrive. Too often, the system assumes a baseline of knowledge that not every student has, making it harder for those without formal design training to find their footing. Instead of expecting students to “catch up” on their own, schools should provide structured pathways that help them bridge gaps in technical skills, industry expectations, and creative thinking. The most innovative designers aren’t always the ones who followed a traditional path—they’re often the ones who bring in fresh perspectives from entirely different disciplines. Schools should recognize and nurture that. Read more>>