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.

Jen Hardy

The current public education system, with its out-dated technocratic style of teaching, often sets us up for failure to thrive in today’s world. Originally designed to create compliant workers during the industrial revolution, the system fails to nurture creativity and instead promotes a culture of conformity. Students are taught to memorize answers rather than ask compelling questions, and in many cases, they are even ridiculed for being curious. Read more>>

Bri Johnson

Before starting The Little Red Barn Preschool I taught kindergarten in public schools. As a kindergarten teacher, I saw play disappear from the classroom and get replaced with “rigorous instruction”. However, the more instruction we added the more negative behaviors increased. There is a disconnect in education between what we expect from children (standards) and what children can actually accomplish (brain development). Currently, we do not involve psychologists in the writing of educational standards. Read more>>

Luis Escarret

I am SUPER passionate about this topic for the single fact that I think our country is losing its “Juice” , As the greatest country ever to exist we aren’t focused enough on the next generation, we got to this point because those before us had such an important WHY and wanted our country to be great for the generations to come. Read more>>

Stacy Bunting

The education system is struggling and in most cases due to no fault of their own. Schools are underfunded, understaffed and teachers are taking on roles that go far beyond their job description to help their students succeed. Before any changes can be made the education system needs to find solid ground to work on. This requires support from their communities and proper funding. Read more>> 

Silvia Lloyd

If you Google white supremacy in education you will encounter a plethora of articles, studies, and data on the topic. If is well documented that white supermacy is deeply entrenched in all aspects of the educational system; from staffing to curriculum to funding to testing as well as to other policies such as the zero tolerance policy which fuels the school to prison pipeline. Read more>>

Tony and Nicole Davis

When the posed question is “what would you change about the education system to prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career”, the answer is encompassed in the question itself. Unfortunately, the current system is not constructed to prepare students for life and careers. The simple question of many high school graduates regarding their future desires will yield a far too common response of “I’m not sure” or “I don’t know.” Read more>>

Tiffany Ferrari

Our country’s higher education system is flawed and, in my opinion, affects both our immediate and future economical status as a nation. Higher learning advocates have long promoted the need for students graduating from high school to pursue a 4 year college degree, and placed zero resources into helping individuals determine what career path works best for them. Instead, young adults who are just graduating from high school and seeking to find where they fit in this world professionally, are advised to just enroll in college, get started and they will figure out what they want to do in the process. Read more>>

Liz Butler

Honesty and respectful communication from all parties is huge when it comes to the educational system. Not just being aware/making others aware of the needs that can be meet with students, but also making sure that if a student has a need that can’t be met at that school, then everyone needs to communicate whether or not there is a work around or not. The school and parents have a responsibility to that child to make sure they are set up for success from the jump. Read more>>

Emily Gould

Our educational system is suited to children with a very specific learning style. If a child lies outside of the pinhole approach of our current education system they fall between the cracks and adopt the notion that they are not intelligent, simply because they do not fit the mold (socially, mentally, physically, or emotionally) set by our education system. Read more>>

Austin Maxwell

There is a lot I would change about the education system. The first thing that comes to mind is the unbelievable amount of life skills needed in your 20s that are not taught in college or high school. How to buy a car, how to start an LLC, how to differentiate your resume from others, how to get a mortgage on a house, how to save for retirement, the importance of a strong support system from family/friends/spouse, the process of getting married … Read more>>

Skylar Saba

We are a creative agency that helps brands show up and stand out through their branding, website and strategy. Our business is built off of our teams creativity. I think that the general path for school doesn’t alway allow room for students to lean into their creativity and challenge themselves to work outside the box. I think that growing up we I would look around and see that my peers were often just checking the boxes off to get the good grade, memorize the materials to ace the test, do the resume building activities to get into college. The way our school system is set up teaches kids to stay inside the norm and follow the path. Read more>>

Nakisha Harris

I would most definitely like to improve the education system and prepare students, especially those growing up now a days, for a more fulfilling life and career, several key changes could be considered. Firstly, there should be a focus on equitable access to quality education. This means addressing disparities in resources, funding, and infrastructure between schools in different neighborhoods. Read more>>