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.

Laura Martinelli

I can speak directly to my high school experience on this one. I went a Big Picture Learning school called The Met school in Providence, Rhode Island, where their educational model is “one student at a time”. Read more>>

Lorraine Hawley

Support school literacy events with funding. Social media and video games have kids’ full attention, while the alarming statistics on middle-grade books show a steep decline. Read more>>

Lauren Ortega

In the early start of my career, I was privileged in high school to be able to attend high-level design classes. When I decided to go to art school, Read more>>

Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz

I would love to change the teacher preparation system to be more focused on the cultural and historical lives the students. Read more>>

Lex Ritchie

Oh, I love this question! It really hits home for me as someone who has worked as a teacher across many different fields and in many different contexts. Read more>>

Sophia Pav

Artists need to get their hands dirty—literally. In Art School, students are rarely taught about what it is to own and operate a business. Read more>>

Nancy Liles

By helping students K-12 have exposure to other educational paths besides a four-year degree, they have the opportunities to discover their skills and interests. Read more>>

Claire Campagna

I would love to see educational systems incorporate tools specifically designed to support students through the process of self-discovery. Read more>>

Pamela Kaylor

Socrates said, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” Our students are not empty vessels needing for us to only pour in knowledge. Read more>>