The number one thing we hear from entrepreneurs and artists and creatives when we ask them about their education is about how irrelevant it was to their story. Sure, some folks had wonderful educational experiences, but for many their experiences left them feeling ill prepared for life and their careers. So, we wanted to create a space for folks to share their experiences and ideas for how we can improve our educational system.

Amy Bryant

Currently, our public educations system promotes a culture of obedience and conformity. It fails to meet the developmental and diverse needs of students, and fails to help students develop critical thinking and collaborative communication skills. Education can prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career by building a collaborative culture that values the diversity of ability, perspective and culture, so that rather than being afraid of conflicting ideas, people can learn to listen with the goal of understanding and collaborating. When we learn how to listen, understand, and collaborate, we build a culture of acceptance and trust, where we can collaborate on solutions that work for everyone involved. Read more>>

Jonathan Pajak

I chose this response because I find myself constantly discussing this topic with other individuals on a weekly basis. Our educational system in my opinion has truly failed us on so many avenues, some examples include; not teaching the youth proper financial literacy, rushing the youth into career paths, not educating the youth on mental stability and health, pushing the youth away from trade specific jobs, pushing the youth towards college because its the “right way”. There are many area that need improvement, the few I stated are some important ones but are often over looked. Read more>>

Marissa Potts

I’m always blown away by the response I receive when I encourage students to go to school for something they are passionate about- whether people around them think they can make a career out of it or not. When I went to college, I really wanted to study something creative- theater, journalism, videography, etc.- and I was told by multiple family members that it wasn’t a good idea because it’s hard to make it in creative industries. Now, I regret not pursing what I knew I wanted to do, because I got a degree that I don’t even use and I could have spent 4 years learning and growing in a field that I truly loved. Read more>>

Brittne Martin

If I had the opportunity to change the educational system, I would provide additional resources to parents who often face unique social, emotional, and financial barriers. I would ensure that every parent had access to supplementary funding, support groups, and childcare. One of the biggest hurdles that parents face when returning to college is the ability to balance their needs along with the needs of their children. It is important for colleges and universities to provide online courses and provide access to changing stations, lactation rooms, and flexibility to bring their children into the classroom. The way we traditionally think about classroom settings may be to evolve to address the growing needs of students. Read more>>

Genell Ferrell

Throughout my career as a teacher of teachers and as a mother of four students stumbling through the realm of public education, I found myself constantly questioning pedagogy (the methods used for instruction) and curriculum (what is taught). I was frustrated with the state of education and the rigidity of “doing what has always been done.” In working to combat educational injustices, I collaborated with and summoned my students to design classrooms tailored to their pupils’ interests and strengths through the inclusion of the arts, watching them blossom into creative, empowering teachers. I began documenting their successes with photographic storytelling, and in this effort to share with them the beauty I saw unfolding within their classrooms, I re-kindled a love for the art of photography. Read more>>

Arianna Garcia

There will be a day where monotonous jobs and tasks will all be done by machines, which is both scary and exciting. Our educational system is outdated because it runs parallel to what was needed in the workforce years ago. The children of today will take care of us in the future, we owe it to them to give them the resources they need to be prepared. We should incorporate teaching them to think deeper, critically, and more creatively. Read more>>

Ted Irving

A Non-Profit, Corporation, DBA, LGC, etc. It doesn’t matter. Taking advantage of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Career & Technology Education (CTE) Career Clusters is a huge benefit for any organization in Texas that seeks to positively impact our youth. In 1999 the state of Texas TEA adopted a statewide revision to the old K12 Vocational system. It was temporarily coined Achieve-Texas, a bold and new look at vocational offerings in Texas schools, such as Auto Mechanics, Dry Cleaning, Agriculture, etc. Today, vocational programs are referred to as Career & Technology Education, or Career Readiness. Read more>>

Carl Koch

In my opinion, we can prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career by incorporating more practical knowledge rather than the theoretical knowledge currently implemented. The practical courses I would incorporate starting in high school would be meditation, sleep tracking, nutrition tracking, healthy cooking, exercise (strength and aerobic), budgeting, taxes, financial goal planning, credit management, parenting, arts (where the student chooses how they want to express themselves) and positive habit development. Read more>>

Hope Reid

When it comes to the educational system something that I would change would be the information that is given to us and taught to a growing mind. In my opinion I feel as if the things that students should be taught are things that are essential to everyday life beyond the classroom. Things that’ll help you grow as an individual instead of taking one perspective and teaching it to a variety of different personalities. Allowing the minds to think outside of a narrative written for particulars. Preparing students for a fulfilling life and career can be as simple as teaching them to believe in themselves and knowing that others believe in them too. Read more>>

Terrell Dinkins

I would make in-depth personal finance courses mandatory in our school system, starting with middle school (6th, 7th, and 8th grade). Our behavior with money gets us in trouble and can have a negative financial impact on our lives indefinitely and generationally. To have a more fulfilling life and career, we must learn to master five different areas of our life: spiritual, physical health, mental mindset, time, and finances. Learning to master these five areas of our life makes us better human beings and in a better position for the rest of our lives. Imagine if a student fully understood the magic of compounding interest and the concept of the time value of money. We would have far more millionaires! Read more>>

Leslie Bravo

I am Leslie Bravo an entrepreneur, Founder & CEO at For A Better Day Foundation and Co-Founder at SoFlo Behavioral Health. I recognize the healthcare industry’s immense potential to offer innovating/new, exciting opportunities in the mental health space. I believe that my passion for providing tools and resources to those afflicted by the stigma of mental illness inspired me to form “For A Better Day Foundation”, a community driven, non-profit organization raising awareness and increasing access to mental health services. Our top priorities, the prevention of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Toxic Stress. Read more>>

Ashalah Michelle Wright

What would you change about the education system? How can we prepare kids for a more fulfilling life and career? Dr. Gloria Bonilla-Santiago wrote, “Despite your problems–too many low-income residents, too much crime–it is possible to help children in your communities break the cycle of poverty. And all it takes is convincing adults to care and believing that poor kids can take an interest in STEM (the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math education)” (U.S.News, 2011). Read more>>

Dr. Saliha Nelson

Imagine an educational system designed for students to experience a learning journey where they have a meaningful voice and build the capacity to not only envision their future but design it. This type of learning opportunity is limited. I am currently involved in designing an educational option that is committed to the mission of inspiring and preparing learners to solve real problems, act on social issues they care about, use creative technologies, and build the 21st Century skills sought after by today’s creative and technology-driven industries. Learning will happen in real-world spaces in partnership with entrepreneurs, industry professionals, designers, artists, and educators. Read more>>

Caroline Kelley

The educational system right now is failing students in many ways. One of the most significant ways is lack of preparation for the real world. It’s expected that after students get an education, they will use their knowledge, combine it with a passion or interest, and find a career that suits them. It sounds very simple. But the reality is – it’s not. Read more>>