I was recently at ISTE 2024 where I got the chance to sit down with Auditi Chakravarty, CEO of the Advanced Education Research and Development Fund (AERDF). Auditi had just finished leading a session...

“I was told that I may lose my job unless I went back to school and got my high school diploma,” said Natalie Pinales, a resident of Durant, Oklahoma. As a young mom, Natalie...

We’re 18 months into the age of human-computer interaction, where reasoning engines, new forms of co-intelligence, are accessed through natural language. It’s clear that generative AI will reshape work and learning in ways we’re...

We’ve been thinking a lot about microschools across the United States over the last few years, and certainly, they’ve garnered a lot of media attention. Certain policy moves and philanthropic attention have increased opportunities...

What would it look like to fully integrate AI into a learning environment? In the last few months, we’ve seen a surge of announcements about the vast potential of AI in applications. With Microsoft’s...

Remember those endless worksheets we all slogged through in school? They’re not inspiring and offer a limited snapshot of student understanding. Seeing surface-level learning worksheets coming home with my children is even more frustrating....

In 1969, a group of parents petitioned the Jefferson County School Board to establish a school that honored the development of the whole child. Since launching as an elementary school in the west Denver...

Imagine a bustling school gymnasium filled with parents, students, educators, and local community members. The energy is palpable as diverse voices share their hopes and dreams for the future of education in their community....

Founded by Dick Collins in 1998 in Dallas, Istation rode the 15-year blended learning wave to become a leader in second-generation edtech by providing personalized and adaptive learning in K-8 reading and math.   Founded...

Long trend: student enterprise. NFTE, Uncharted Learning, CAPS Network, FFA, StartEdUp, WIT, and others have been supporting youth entrepreneurship in and out of school for decades. Student enterprise also has a long history in...

By: Paul Herdman The U.S. Career Pathways Story: Federal Inspiration, Local Innovation In the last decade, the United States has seen a massive shift in the national consciousness around college and careers. Many of...

By: Jennifer Kabaker In states across the nation, we see growing momentum to shift education systems to be more personalized, competency-based, and equitable. About ten years ago, only about a dozen states were working...

By : Sierra Noakes, Kip Glazer and Pati Ruiz “Does this edtech tool work for my students, and in my classroom?”  It’s a question many have asked, though the answer isn’t always easy to...

By Bobbi Macdonald and Emily Liebtag It’s increasingly apparent that young people are grappling with growing disconnection, a challenge that extends well beyond traditional schooling and affects the entire landscape of education. In light...

In testimony at a school board meeting last week, I made three points about the implications of AI:   Artificial Intelligence Has Profound Implications for Work and Learning  The rise of artificial intelligence, particularly generative...

By Adam Strom, Meisha Lamb-Bell, and Fernande Raine In an era defined by profound demographic shifts and burgeoning diversity within our classrooms, the imperative to cultivate a sense of belonging within educational ecosystems has...

A lot of schools talk about increasing student agency. “Creating self-directed learners.” “Building lifelong learners.” “Cultivating global citizens.” But when you walk into many of their classrooms, learning looks pretty much the same.  A...

Two years after Universal ESA funding was introduced in Arizona, Phoenix has one of the most interesting and diverse portfolios of microschools in the country. They include district, charter, private schools, and homeschool cooperatives...

At the beginning of 2022, we attended a rowing class. If you’ve been to a cycling class, you know the feeling – dynamic lighting, loud music, fans, fans, and more fans. This was out...

By: Reagan Rogers, M.S., Psy.S., National Director of Invo Healthcare’s IMPACT Program In the wake of the pandemic, families, educators, and policymakers are all paying close attention to the impact of trauma on learning,...

We’re a step closer to skills transcripts for all learners today. Better yet, we’re a step closer to moving courses and grades into the background and helping all learners tell their story and express...

Over the last few years, we’ve shared hundreds of pathways stories through our blog, podcast, and various publications. To synthesize these key learnings, we compiled the New Pathways Handbook, a great jumping-off point to...

Over the past 120 days, we’ve conducted tours of over 50 high schools in more than 1,000 classrooms across various cities including Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Northern Colorado, Kansas City, Twin Cities, Pittsburgh, and...

Microschools, while not a new concept, are currently garnering increasing attention as an educational innovation. Microschools are small learning environments with typically less than 150 students that offer personalized and student-centered learning experiences. Teachers...

By: Lizette Valles Recently, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC, served as a vibrant venue for the first-ever International Micro School Conference hosted by Microschools.com, Mysa, and Prenda. This...

For the last five years, Kansas City educators have been visiting high schools across the country in search of great examples of real world learning including client projects, entrepreneurial experiences, internships, college credits, and...

By: Whitney Emke There’s been a lot of talk lately about how things like screen time and pandemic-driven lockdowns are impacting children’s mental health and creating an “anxious generation.” What we haven’t heard nearly...

Fundamentally, a microschool can be located anywhere. These nimble schooling models, while at the forefront of current education innovation, are a return to education at its most elemental. Microschools are a modern iteration of...

By Tyler Thigpen  Join me in a thought experiment where we envision creating a school focused on cultivating dependent students. Yes, you read that correctly—dependent learners who rely heavily on others for guidance and...

By: Seth Kannarr When we consider taking a vacation, we often make plans to visit our national parks. Whether it is the nostalgia from family road trips growing up, or just a desire to...

Youth violence causes death and injury. Homicide is the third leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 24.  Every day, approximately 12 young people are homicide victims, and nearly 1,400 are...

By: Erin Whalen As school builders, how do we best minimize blindspots, respond to inequities, and create universally designed spaces that account for the diverse array of lived experiences within our schools?  By building...

The unique connection between wolves and humans has been researched and chronicled in film, literature, and art. Additionally, the connection between teenagers and wolves might even be more aligned as both have a strong...

By: Danish Kurani Here’s an alarming statistic: in a 2019 survey of 47,000 high school students, just 40% of students said they felt like “a real part of this school.” That means 60% of...

By: Mat Erpelding Starting and operating a microschool, can be challenging to maintain quality and educational consistency as your school grows. Because microschools are designed to be small, and maintaining learning intimacy is crucial...

With the increased use of artificial intelligence in the world and our classrooms, especially since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, it has never been more important to get students involved in learning...

In the face of the evolving educational landscape, teachers are navigating a dynamic environment shaped by multiple factors. The intersection of a teacher shortage, rapid advances in educational technology (EdTech) and artificial intelligence (AI)...

Last month, a story by Jonathan Haidt in The Atlantic broke through the firewall that often separates education reform and parenting conversations: people from both my personal and professional network circulated Haidt’s scathing take...

By: Tyler Robert and Todd Smith A Student’s Perspective My name is Tyler Robert and I have been a Find the Why! (FTW!) student competitor (see my FTW! Digital Resume below) for 5 years....

There’s something in the water at education conferences — sneakers have become the new conference dress code. This shift toward individuality, comfort and practicality is also representative of transformations we’re seeing in education. The...

In October of 2022, a group of innovators set out to collaborate and “create an education system that is worthy of the students of Nevada.” This has manifested in one of the most intriguing...

By: Norton Gusky On a chilly Saturday morning this March, a sold-out crowd of more than 250 educators got up early and drove from towns all over Western Pennsylvania to gather in a primary...

By: Norton Gusky On a chilly Saturday morning this March, a sold-out crowd of more than 250 educators got up early and drove from towns all over Western Pennsylvania to gather in a primary...

SXSW EDU is a conference focused on culture. This year, persevering, sharing and proliferating culture emerged through conversations on critical race theory, book bans and literacy. Throughout the conference’s four days, we encountered numerous...

By: Dr. Parminder Jassal Job markets worldwide are buzzing with tech-driven transformations. With robotics and automation leading the charge, there’s a whole universe of new careers unfolding for those with a knack for tech. ...

In the evolving landscape of workforce development, numerous organizations are taking on the challenge of bridging the skills gap in the skilled trades sector. Industries face a growing shortage of qualified workers and being...

In Denver Public Schools, students have been leading the sustainability charge for the last few years, starting with meetings with the school board and, ultimately, leading to the development of the district’s own Climate...

By Josh Weisgrau and Kelly Mills Over the last decade, since school districts around the country began to adopt the Portrait of a Graduate model to define a vision for their learners’ outcomes, we...

By: Ed Hidalgo I was invited to share the opening keynote for Three Rivers Educational Technology Conference (TRETC) 2024, a conference working to revolutionize learning and work by bringing together educators and technologists from...

Many homeless children go to school. HUD released on December 15 the 2023 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR), Part 1, which provides estimates of homelessness in the U.S. According to the 2023 report, approximately 653,100...

AI Literacy Day is April 19. It’s rapidly approaching but you still have two months before the end of the semester and endless opportunities to engage your students (and faculty) in an opportunity to...

In a South Central California food desert, locating fresh and nutritious food can be a challenge. Growing Together Education (GTE) works with school communities across the country to develop academically rigorous and interactive environmental...

By Coi Morefield This isn’t just a rebellion against the status quo; it’s a reimagining of the purpose and possibilities of education. Sweeping waves of change are nothing new in the education landscape. Trends,...

By Michelle Culver and Tiffany C. Taylor Ben, a high schooler in Los Angeles, is an avid gamer. He is always coming up with imaginative storyline ideas, but he’s never known anyone with design...

By Evelyn Johnson Multilingual learners (MLs) face unique challenges as they navigate learning a new language and culture while also pursuing academic learning. An increasing number of multilingual students arrive in the U.S. also...

More than 80 Kansas City area high schools are working on Real World Learning, a Kauffman Foundation-sponsored initiative was launched in 2018 with a series of community conversations that illuminated the way to the...

According to the Center For Economic Research, the number of unemployed black teens and young adults is much higher than the number of unemployed white teens and young adults. Also, last year, there were...

Across the country, we’re seeing an emergence of new learning models that have been accelerated by rapid responses to the pandemic as well as shifting local and national policy. Our microschools campaign reflects our...

The ASU+GSV AIR Show, set for April 13-15, 2024, at the San Diego Convention Center, is dubbed a “Brave New World’s Fair,” and will explore the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and education. This...

By: Alin Bennett It’s a big year for democracy. In America and around the world, the justness, equity, and strength of democracy is being tested. Surrounding these debates are many questions about how to...

The world of work is changing more rapidly than ever. To help students develop new priority skills and a sense of purpose, educators nationwide are facilitating career exploration and work-based learning experiences. An evolving...

Non-Public Agencies (NPAs) are educational programs that school districts contract with to serve learners with unique needs that cannot be best met with in-district resources. Most of these NPAs operate as non-profit microschools, utilizing...

By David McCool When Polk County schools began focusing on career and technical education in the spring of 2023, one of their goals was to help students succeed in the workplace by offering the...

In the Jim Crow era of the American South, Jeanes Teachers, otherwise known as Jeanes Supervisors, were women of color who functioned as superintendents for black schools. These teachers were dedicated to community benefits...

Last year, we reflected on the first year of Khan World School (KWS) and their innovative approach to rethinking school. In that post, we highlighted the six core areas where the dedicated KWS team...

By: Bill Nicely and Josh Reppun If you were allowed to reimagine what education could be through the creation of a completely new school, what would it look like? What would be its overarching...

By: Mike Yates and Aaron Schorn I once shared Cy Twombly’s painting, “A blackboard covered in white scribbles” with a group of 6th graders. I asked them for their immediate thoughts on the work. ...

Navigating the landscape of educational transformation requires leaders to cultivate a reflective process and practice strategic decision-making. More than two decades ago, my involvement in a groundbreaking learning initiative in Alaska paved the way...

By: Rebecca Jacobson Lillyanne Pham ’20 and Jim Labbe ’95 were part of Oregon’s first-ever experiment in giving community members direct say over how to spend public dollars. Participatory budgeting, a democratic process in...

In the spring of 2022, Tacoma Public Schools (TPS) faced a heart-wrenching crisis. The district, which serves 28,000 students, was reeling from the loss of ten students to gun violence. With summer approaching, safety...

By: Norton Gusky At this year’s TRETC Conference AI was on everyone’s mind. According to Bard, the AI tool from Google:  The Three Rivers Educational Technology Conference (TRETC) 2024, held in Pittsburgh on January...

By Chris Wilmoth Osda Shunale Niagada! O-shi-no-tsi-gv-go-wa-ta! This familiar refrain meaning, “good morning everyone” and “good to see you”, routinely plays throughout the halls of Cherokee High School in Cherokee, North Carolina. Here, mornings...

For nearly two decades educational reformers have been touting the need to create rigorous curriculum, standards, and learning for our students. The result of all these reforms are tepid at best and has damaged...

By Dacher Keltner I was headed to bed at midnight when I noticed the glow at the bottom of my 18-year-old daughter Serafina’s bedroom door.  “Are you going to bed soon?” I asked. “I...

Every child needs to know the power of their VOICE! Every child needs to know that their VOICE is more than their words. Their VOICE is also how they show up in the world....

Just north of Bend, Oregon in the shadow of Mt. Bachelor is Cascade Academy, a small K-12 independent school focused on experiential learning. The beautiful building (featured image) sits on 52 wooded acres on...

A study from the American Psychological Association found that student mental health is in a current crisis since the pandemic. Additional research shows that although the pandemic accelerated the continued deterioration, student mental health...

By: LeVar Jenkins These are hard times for educators. Students are striving to make gains after the biggest disruption to student learning in the history of American education. Students and adults have significant social-emotional...

Visiting High Tech High in San Diego taught me about project-based learning. Visiting the first Big Picture school in Providence taught me about work-based learning. Visiting Francis Parker in Boston taught me about principles...

By: Jimmy McCue Embark Education is a competency-based school driven by the authentic integration of learning in projects at our enterprise, Pinwheel Coffee and co-authored learning experiences. My own collaboration with a group of...

Our team is incredibly fortunate to participate in and attend dozens of conferences around the world where we learn with and from experts, facilitate sessions and cover various conference happenings. Throughout our travels, we...

Building a new school can take years. Agreeing to can take decades. In Owatonna, Minnesota, there had been frustrated failed attempts and dreams of passing bond referenda for a new Owatonna Public Schools high...

A foundational tenet of problem and project-based learning is having students address real-world problems. The students and staff at Laguna Beach High School have unearthed the natural FLOW of how to spot local challenges...

By iThrive Games “Promising.”  “Progressive.” “Unique.” “Revitalizing.” “Relief.” When Moiz, Tanisha, Ibad, Jaiden, and Samirah were asked to describe in one word the workshop they took part in with designers and museum educators from Educating...

By: Sabba Quidwai, EdD and Stefan Bauschard The brief departure and return of Sam Altman as CEO of OpenAI underscored the need for stable, trust-based leadership in the rapidly evolving AI sector. This episode,...

Over the last few months, we’ve been fortunate to accompany school leaders to some outstanding Colorado schools. Many of them we’ve written about before (St. Vrain, Eagle Rock, and Cherry Creek), but these most...

The United States is one of the few countries in the world that does not have a nationalized curriculum. The combination of local and state control allows for extraordinary leverage on outcome decisions and...

By: Jared Schwartz “The College Lab is the single most valuable project I’ve ever completed.”  As a high school AP Chemistry teacher, it’s a powerful statement to hear from a student. It might also...

In the lower level of Grandview High, away from the crush of a busy passing period, a manufacturing lab hosts students working on a client project. These Grandview students are joined by peers from...

In a move to foster both personal and community development, the state of California has launched the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program. This initiative promises to bring a wave of positive change not just to...

The dining room is a learning lab, the living room is a classroom, and the backyard is a playground. Amy’s Anthem home is also a school. High Point Academy serves 11 students aged 6-14...

At first, it’s disconcerting. As well-crafted sentences appear on the screen, we can almost hear the keys clacking. But no one is typing; the words simply appear. And the pace is furious. No human...

Microschools, rooted in a tradition of cooperative and small-scale learning, are envisioned to become diverse, sustainable, and impactful alternatives within the educational landscape. To better amplify, evaluate and develop these learning models, Getting Smart...

By: Semanthe Bright There are few things more rewarding, as an educator, than seeing young people spontaneously make real world connections to what they learn in the classroom.   When 36 students joined a trip...

By: TheNotifeye team from Westlake HIgh School in Austin, Texas.  It’s crazy to think that the five of us barely knew each other at this time last year. Our journey with Notifeye, our innovative...

A recent Gallup poll shared that students give their schools a lower rating around generating excitement for learning, mental health support, career preparation, and personalization. In fact, over 20% of students rated their schools...