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title: An inflection point for education
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Colleague, explore Carnegie’s March Newsletter and discover how education is at a transformational moment.

| View in browser Dear Friends and Colleagues,    It is no secret that many young people graduate from high school disengaged, underprepared, and uncertain about what the future brings. Of course, there are pockets of educational magic in virtually every school, the world over. However, these bright spots are often invisible, isolated, and fail to spur broad change.      I am convinced we are at a juncture in history when this can change.     Evolutionary biologists describe a phenomenon called ‘punctuated equilibrium’ (you probably remember it from high school science class). In essence, it refers to long periods of stability in the characteristics of an organism, punctuated by very short periods of rapid change during which new forms of life appear. Physicists, ecologists, and sociologists observe something similar when a minor change in a particular parameter triggers significant qualitative changes to an ecosystem or a non-linear transformation to a social system.     Education is at such an inflection point.    A confluence of factors conspire: unambiguous demand from communities large and small for schooling that better meets the times we’re in, massive shifts in the labor market, opportunities and threats born of generative AI, and persuasive evidence about the kinds of teaching and learning that matter most. What is fascinating is that each of these factors runs headlong into our outdated, calcified, non-adaptive educational system. This brings with it the potential for accelerated evolution – a tipping point in the lexicon of sociologists. Put another way, despite political and economic turbulence, a window is open. For education, there is an opportunity to get somewhere very different, more powerful, and broadly felt.      As I’ve noted previously, the current moment is not unlike when the U.S. transitioned from an agrarian to an industrial economy. In just a few short decades, communities across the nation transformed the lives of millions of young people, introducing a uniquely American idea – universal high school education. Ours can be an era of universal transformation.   Of course, there is peril in the times we’re in. But we must recognize too, that times of accelerated evolution come with extraordinary opportunity. We have the chance to leapfrog models of education that have failed too many, adapted too slowly, and underleveraged the extraordinary talent that exists in every neighborhood in the nation. If we bring our most ingenious, ambitious ideas and actions to bear, forge new alliances, catalyze rich, multidimensional research and development, and establish new kinds of K-12 and postsecondary institutions, many more young people will engage, discover agency and thrive.    And that will be good for us all.   In partnership, Timothy Knowles President, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching P.S. As always, we aim to amplify the voices of educators, scholars, and leaders in our newsletter who make educational transformation happen every day. In a recent conversation with Bibb Hubbard, president of Learning Heroes and member of the Carnegie Expert Workgroup, Bibb frames how family-school partnerships can build more powerful, learner-centered schools and stronger communities. Enjoy! FEATURED NEWS Interest Is Soaring in Career Pathways. Here Are the Implications for the Education Market (EdWeek Market Brief)  Read more → FEATURED STORY Engaging Families, Empowering Students: A Conversation with Learning Heroes CEO Bibb Hubbard Read more → Degree in Hand, Jobs Out of Reach: Why Recent Grads Are Struggling in a Competitive Market (CNN) Expanding Access to K-12 High School Work-Based Learning (NASBE) Texas Now Has More Top-Tier Research Universities Than Any Other State, Report Finds (Texas Tribune) CUNY Revamps Transfer Process to Reduce Credit Loss for Students (Inside Higher Education) How Philanthropy Can Bring Red and Blue Together (The Chronicle of Philanthropy) Connect Your Community to Our Work. Share this newsletter and follow Carnegie on social Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching 51 Vista Lane, Stanford, CA 94305 Unsubscribe  |
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