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.

Tracy McHugh

Something I believe our education systems could do better is preparing students for life and gearing to the child’s strength from a younger age. When I was coming up through K-12, I am sure there were vocational schools but it wasn’t really an option discussed, most kids just went to their public high school. I remember there were home-ec and wood shop classes and then there were more traditional academics such as math, history, science and English, but there weren’t classes on many necessities in adulthood that aren’t as easy to grasp. For instance, there were several math courses such as Algebra, Statistics, Calculus, and Geometry but what about a class to teach students about 401ks, savings, budgeting, interest rates on bank accounts, and investing for the average person. Read more>>

Jill Laseke

I believe that education is the foundation of success in all aspects of life. We are all born into different circumstances that present different advantages as well as challenges which we all have the opportunity to learn and grow from. Our nation at one point valued learning and supported public education in even the smallest of communities. If I had the opportunity to change the education system it would be to return to small community based schools. When I was a young girl in the early 80’s redistricting was beginning to sweep the nation, I personally experienced the dismantling of our school and community through this process. We went from a small rural community that came together regularly to support one another to seeds scattered by the winds of bureaucracy. Read more>>

STEVEN NGOWI

Our education system is different from all the countries in Eastern Africa, it is something we all wish to change. kids when they start school all the subjects are in Swahili not unless you’re in an international school where the fees are something you can work for years to be able to pay for just 1 year. Swahili is our national language, and we are proud of that but where the world is going right now English is the key to access most of the jobs. now a child will start with Swahili in primary school for 7 years then join high school. In high school everything is in English and after 2 years you have to sit on a national exam so that you will have an index number to sit for your final exam after another 2 years. remember all these subjects are in English a language that you’ve only studied as a subject in primary and nothing more. if all the subjects were in English it would have been easier. Read more>>

Chantel Thyfault

In the beauty industry, schooling is vague. We are taught what’s needed to pass state boards, but unfortunately not much more. I would love to see the education advance in a way that would teach students more of the business ownership side. How to set up a business, filing for a trademark, taxes, finances, structuring a business entity and hiring employees. None of this information is easily available and can be discouraging to new beauty entrepreneurs. We are definitely left in the dark with a lot! I would also like to see schools focus on more advanced trades like permanent makeup, lash extensions, dermaplaning, microneedling and laser. Read more>>

Taelyn Lang

I truly believe that our education system as a whole should be much more focused on preparing students to be members of society that are able to be both self-sufficient and a part of a team. Teaching practical skills like basic mechanics, cooking, how to prepare a budget for your household, and basic civics seem to really be lacking in modern schools. Growing up in the ’80s I was in the very tail end of having an opportunity to get some of that education like wood shop and I took a lot of cooking classes because I knew I wanted to be a professional chef from a really young age. Read more>>

Rayan Mykal

One quote that I always have listened to, which was written by Tom Bodette states “ In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson.” I’m currently still in university finishing my last 2 classes before graduating with a sociology degree. I also had graduated from college with a paralegal degree so if any topic was to be chosen, it would be this one. Our education system has taught people to act, think, and solve problems in a specific way. When I was in highschool, there wasn’t much teaching of how customer service works, if you want to open a business here are some suggestions, if you want to problem solve with customers here are some tips and tricks. Read more>>

Ursula Emery McClure

As a college professor in the design disciplines one of the greatest things I get to help students with is transforming their creative thoughts into tangible products and projects. Helping a young person bring their ideas and imaginations forward for discussion and development (no matter how random or different they may seem) gives them value and thusly makes the student feel heard and more engaged and interested. The more engaged they are the more likely they will have a fulfilling life and career. Design education methods unfortunately are relatively exclusive to the design fields and not commonly found in general education instruction where memorization and recitation of learned material is still primary and standardized test scores are still relevant. Read more>>

Gogo Griot

Both of my parents were school teachers. It wasn’t their first choices of a career. My father was a photographer and film cameraman. But he was trying to establish his career in the 1950s in California. Even though he was light-skinned and fine featured, he was a Black man who could not progress in the film business in Los Angeles. Eventually, he ended living in Chicago and teaching shop in high schools. Mama, was bright, beautiful, and college educated. But she was dark brown and even the Black people she grew up with didn’t acknowledge her attractiveness. She became a home economics teacher, got a masters degree and eventually was the head of the science department in a middle school. Read more>>