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.

Camilo Giraldo

As en entrepreneur, the experience that I’ve had from my dad as a business owner growing up has been a great example in work, discipline and consistency in which I have been able to use in my growth and development in my business today. In school most of the education in based on doing work to obtain a grade, the same happens out the in the working world today. You preform a job to make a salary at the end of the week. Due to this mentality, I believe a lot of people do the bare minimum just to make their salary instead if going above and beyond because either way they are going to get paid the same, Thanks to the example I had from my parents I saw another path and lifestyle that interested me and it seems to me more self fulfilling. A lifestyle where one is responsible for ones failures or successes in your business and home life. Being a business owner is the path to the freedom of determining the use off your time and finances but it should done in a responsible way, with concrete bases and with values completely different in what is taught in our educational system. Having self- discipline. Read more>>

 Jennifer Riley

I grew up during a time when college was pushed as the only option for success after high school. I didn’t realize how many options there are for successful trades or careers that do not require a degree. Most of the guidance I received was based on personality exams or career assessments that were constructed to find out my skill set. Over the years, as I have matured and changed jobs, I realized the importance of job satisfaction. If you do not feel successful or satisfied with your job, it can have a huge impact on your life. Read more>>

Jim Civis

I’d love to see the education system focus a bit less on career tracks and a bit more on supporting general curiosity, critical thinking, and communication and listening skills. I think this perspective is largely informed by my own journey to find work that I enjoy. While I was working on a PhD in English literature, I realized that the academic life wasn’t one that I really wanted to do long term. I enjoyed the teaching, research, and the discussions with colleagues, but if felt like my creativity didn’t have an outlet in the academic world. I kicked around for a few years tutoring high school students and working as a problem solver and all around fill in for a local furniture store before landing a more career-oriented job writing proposals for a government contractor. These jobs also didn’t offer the creative outlet I was seeking, but they did give me an opportunity to develop many of the skills that I use almost daily running the business. I didn’t have experience brewing commercially when we started, but I did have plenty of home brewing experience that was complemented by the skills I built in small business finance, pricing, marketing, and logistics. Read more>>

Cherene Johnson

I think the challenge with the educational system is the false reality of the success outcomes. Higher education has a sense of false advertisement. False hope. As young adults, people are told primarily to go to college, find a trade, go to the military etc. College is the most common path of choice, yet this is the path that does not often offer proper support, but in exchange pressure and failure. When a new student arrives, they are quickly forced to pick a path/major. How would one know exactly what they want to pursue if they’ve not career pathed for it before? This forces students to pick educational paths recommended by their parents, or paths that “pay the most”. Read more>>

Larry Carey

First, I would change how we fund education. In Ohio it took the State legislator over 20 years to fund public education. When they did, it was for two years. Second thing I would change is how we treat and pay our educators. When I say educator, I am adding support professionals, BUs drivers, cooks, etc. In the U.S. educators should be able to make a living wage and work one job. The last thing I would change is all the testing that goes on. each child learns different so there should not be just one test. Read more>>

Dori Edwards

I am a certified Waldorf Education Teacher. We look at the whole human being and our relationship to the earth. We also stress the importance of imagination. First off I would make sure children knew basic survival skills like growing food; the food soil web, vermiculture, electro-culture, composting, food as medicine, herbs as medicine, natural living and also how to care for our internal landscape; how to sit in stillness and silence, how to meditate, how to change our frequency so our physical bodies stay healthy, and how to co-create our reality. If this were children’s foundation, they would have an understanding of what true health is, mentally, spiritually and physically. This only serves their being in the highest when taking on any life goal or career path. They’d have a clear knowing of exactly who they are, deeper insight into what brings them joy and more likely to do something that serves both themselves and others. Read more>>

Robert Prentice

I love the fact that the children in Japan clean their schools and bathrooms. We need that here. Secondly, Life skills such as planning, creative thinking, decision making, time management, building healthy relationships, etc.

I have been working with schools and young people for 35 years delivering these sessions, and we need more. Read more>>

Huahua Liu

When considering the necessary changes in the education system to better equip students for a more fulfilling life and career, several aspects warrant careful consideration. One significant alteration would involve shifting the focus from solely academic achievement to a more holistic approach that encompasses essential life skills, personal development, and career readiness. Read more>>