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.

TaTaNisha Copeland

A. One thing I would change about the educational system is the lack of focus on the mental well being of students and staff. It seems that is has taken an entire pandemic for the “powers that be” to realize that if educators aren’t okay , then the students will suffer. Teacher burn out is real and is the cause for the increasing teacher shortage throughout the country. It is encouraging to see some school districts offer upgraded employee assistance programs that offer free therapy for its employees. Read more>>

Kimberley Bates

I’d like to slightly rephrase this question… “How can we prepare HUMANS for a more fulfilling life and better relationships?” Our nation is experiencing crisis and polarization in so many areas right now… politics, media, corporate America, human rights… We fight, we bicker, we get angry, we throw “adult tantrums” and end up creating even more separation and disconnection from each other. Read more>>

Tiffany Cuellar Needham

I grew up in Alice, Texas, a small, predominantly Mexican-American town that was also a gas town. There weren’t many options in Alice regarding school choice. Still, looking back, it’s clear that some schools were able to provide more opportunities for students than others and that those divides often fell along the lines of race and class. Read more>>

Kahlia Meeks

Thank you for posing the question of what I would change about the educational system and how to prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career. There are five specific focuses of change I would execute regarding the educational system (not including cultural and ethnic sensitivity). Read more>>

Chaise Sanders

Financial education is extremely important in our journey to adulthood. Our education systems lack the importance of demonstrating financial fundamentals. Students should be learning how to manage finances. Financial skills are the foundation to becoming successful. In everything we do money is involved and it is essentially a lifelong journey. Read more>>

Margaret Montague

As an individual who loves every and anything related to finances, I feel as though the educational system on a whole doesn’t setup young adults for this area of life. While we are taught how to read, write and count as early as kindergarten – our financial education stops there. Read more>>

Pack Heavy

I believe that students should have more education on finances, credit, taxes, and managing their mind. Our school system today does not coach us on working for ourselves, managing our finances, and how to obtain a sense of our purpose to achieve true happiness. True happiness to me is doing what you love and living through that talent. Read more>>

Jordyn Wright

Education is super important. However, I feel like the educational system puts kids like me in a box by telling us that a successful student can only look a certain way; that the traditional pathway of graduating from high school, then college, and going on to start a career working for some big company is the pinnacle of success. I think it should teach us how we can start our own big businesses. Read more>>

Taylor Juarez

The American Dream is a very narrow path – graduate from high school, go to college, get a degree, get a good job, work hard, be successful, have a family. The problem is that many people cannot or do not want to follow this path. There are infinite ways to follow your dreams, find success, do work you love, and have a fulfilling life. Read more>>

Hannah Gongola

I believe we need to be teaching our future generations about self sufficiency. Just like health, this category of education tends to be brushed over. There are no longer shop or home-ec classes in the early years of students education. I’m not talking about how to do taxes or change a tire, which is also extremely important, but I’m talking about simply, how to cook and how to obtain your food. Read more>>

Bill Frey

This question comes to me at a time where I am watching my children (9th and 5th grade). I feel that there has been a great deal if emphasis placed on book knowledge and less on real world situati0ns. This leads to more structured answers than searching for solutions. Read more>>

Max Palacios

COVID-19 shifted a new paradigm in education. In a world of politics from the left, right and disappearance of the middle one thing we must not forget when working with education is empathy. If I were to change one thing about education, I would begin by ensuring my school would be a school that prioritizes equity. Many people have politicized this word, equity, and many confuse it with the word equality which both words sound the same but are completely opposite. Read more>>

Lucia Garcia

Throughout my nail career, and time as an educator in my field, I have learned that our students are not properly prepared to have a successful business by simply reviewing our states curriculum. One of the things I would change about the nail industry’s education system is to implement a mandatory program, included in the states current curriculm, elaborating on the state’s business requirements, permits, taxes, licenses, and renewal’s. Read more>>