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 conspires: 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 What is fascinating is that each of these factors runs headlong into our outdated, calcified, non-adaptive educational system.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,
%20(2).png?upscale=true&width=450&upscale=true&name=CAR%20logo_INTER_Black@4x%20(1)%20(2).png)
.png?upscale=true&width=600&upscale=true&name=CFN_600x400_Feb24_v4%20(2).png)
