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.

Ramswaroop Lakhera

Changing the education system to better prepare students for fulfilling lives and careers requires a shift toward more holistic, practical, and personalized learning. Read More>>

Leanne Kampfe

When I was growing up, going to college wasn’t just an option—it was an expectation. My high school years were focused on that goal, and once I got to college, my primary focus shifted to preparing for a career that would allow me to support myself after graduation. That singular focus had both positives and drawbacks. On the one hand, it helped me succeed as a student, earn a full-ride scholarship (a necessity given my family’s financial situation), and land a job in education after graduation—a field I’ve now worked in for 29 years. Read More>>

Nahrin Chowdhury

If I could change one thing about the education system to better prepare students for a fulfilling life and career, I would move away from outdated, industrial-age teaching methods and shift toward a model that emphasizes real-world learning, creativity, and collaboration. Read More>>

Jean-philippe Clark

I never imagined myself in a position where I thought I would be eager to go back to school. Eagerness might actually be the antithesis to what I felt about school and the educational system as a whole. Regardless of how very not punk my lack of piercings, leather, and sleeve tattoos may lead you to believe, for a while I held a rather large middle finger to the classroom. Yet, and not without a struggle with my inner rebel, in the fall of 2022 I wrote an email that set me on the course to both enroll back in full time education and be able to be deemed interesting enough to answer questions for publications like this. Read More>>