Chapter 9: A Model for Change

Chapter 9 focuses on how to reimagine education by convening multiple stakeholders and building a new operational public school ecosystem. The chapter points to several examples where Education Reimagined is engaging parents, students, and community entities to envision and create their ideal education ecosystems.

Education Reimagined, along with other partners and leaders like Alin Bennett and Bobbi Macdonald, is driving this transformative work by asking key questions to community partners: What would they build if given full policy freedom and significant investment? What are their current barriers and opportunities? What do they see as possible? By engaging community members in rapid prototyping and envisioning innovative learning environments, Education Reimagined aims to overcome challenges like funding and policy constraints.

The chapter presents two specific examples: Purdue Polytechnic High School in Indianapolis and the reimagining of high school education in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Purdue Polytechnic High School, initiated by Purdue University, focuses on competency education, empowering students, and providing pathways to success through authentic learning experiences. This successful model demonstrates the impact on youth and serves as a catalyst for further innovation in Indianapolis.

Similarly, Cedar Rapids embarked on a journey to reimagine high school education with the support of Iowa BIG and Education Reimagined. They are creating a new high school model that engages students in real-world projects with community partners. By intentionally designing spaces throughout the community, such as libraries and the YMCA, they aim to break free from outdated facilities and foster meaningful learning experiences.

The chapter highlights the current challenges in the education ecosystem, where policies and funding systems prioritize standardization and compliance rather than innovation and divergent practices. It calls for a shift in perspective on the purpose of education and the need to engage youth towards those purposes. The impact of funding and policy decisions is discussed, including examples of how funding streams and philanthropic support have incentivized or hindered innovation.

The chapter emphasizes the critical roles of district leaders and state policy actors in supporting the incorporation of new practices and the creation of innovative learning environments. It urges a reorientation of state policies from ensuring standardization to incentivizing, creating, and supporting opportunities for innovation. Furthermore, it advocates for a transformational change in education, where students are at the center and their agency and aspirations are prioritized.

Chris concludes by highlighting the importance of inspiring others about the possibilities, supporting endeavors that benefit students, and rallying relationships and resources to start a new wave of schools. It acknowledges the role of philanthropic entities in driving innovation but also calls for greater involvement and investment from public institutions to create impactful and meaningful change in education.

Overall, Dr. Unger presents a compelling case for transforming education by engaging stakeholders, challenging existing policies and funding models, and creating new learning environments that prioritize student agency, authentic experiences, and community partnerships. It serves as a call to action for educators, leaders, and policymakers to reimagine education and empower the next generation for a better future.

Highlights

In this Chapter, Dr. points to several needs and actions that could take place to pursue a revolution in education:

  • Engage stakeholders: The chapter emphasizes the importance of convening multiple stakeholders, such as parents, students, and community entities, to give them a voice in shaping the education ecosystem. It highlights the work of Education Reimagined in various localities as an example of engaging community members in envisioning their ideal education ecosystem.

  • Rapid prototyping: Education Reimagined engages community members in rapid prototyping, allowing them to imagine what education could be and how it could work. This approach encourages creative problem-solving and innovation in school and learning designs.

  • Overcome barriers: The chapter discusses the need to address funding and policy constraints that hinder innovative school and learning models. Education Reimagined works with potential local funders and state policy actors to secure funding and waivers that support innovative practices, such as competency-based learning.

  • Borrow from successful models: Purdue Polytechnic High School in Indianapolis is highlighted as a successful model that focuses on competency education, student empowerment, authentic learning through industry projects, and pathways to success. The chapter also mentions Iowa BIG and other innovative schools that have demonstrated positive outcomes.

  • Revisit the purpose of education: The chapter challenges the current education system's focus on test scores, credits, and standardized learning. It encourages a shift towards a broader perspective on the purpose of education and engaging youth towards meaningful learning and personal growth.

  • Review and redesign current funding and policy: The chapter explores how funding and policy decisions impact educational outcomes. It discusses the limitations and unintended consequences of certain policies, such as the emphasis on content knowledge without real-world application, and the allocation of funding that may not incentivize transformative change.

  • Thank philanthropies for their support, but public monies should be incentivizing an supporting the work: The chapter acknowledges the role of philanthropic entities in supporting innovative initiatives, including the examples of foundations like the Gates Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, and MacArthur Foundation. It highlights their contributions to the transformation of schools and the need for additional support beyond public funding.  However, collective efforts to reimagine education and create new learning environments should be actively incentivized and supported through pubic monies.

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  • The cascading effects of policy and directives: The chapter discusses how policy decisions made at the macrosystem level, such as state legislatures, trickle down and impact district and school leaders, teachers, students, families, and communities. It highlights the need to reconsider and revise policies that hinder student-centered and innovative approaches to education.

  • The challenge of outdated high school models: The chapter critiques the current design of most high schools, which prioritize specific content knowledge and seat time requirements for graduation. It argues that this narrow focus often fails to prepare students with the necessary skills, aspirations, and real-world connections for success in their personal and professional lives.

  • The use of finds that do not actively incentivize or support innovation: The chapter provides an overview of the different funding sources for K-12 education, including public funding (federal, state, and local), private funding through independent private schools and networks, grants, and philanthropic giving. It highlights the limited availability of funds for supporting innovative school designs and calls for dedicated resources to incentivize and support new models.

  • The chapter urges a shift in perspective on the purpose of education and advocates for the creation of new schools and programs that better serve the needs of students, families, and communities. It emphasizes the importance of inspiring others about the possibilities and supporting endeavors that harness relationships and resources to drive transformational change in education.

With the above as a backdrop, the Model for Change presented in the book includes:

  • Convening multiple stakeholders in local ecosystems to reimagine education.

  • Engaging community members in envisioning their ideal education ecosystem by asking questions about their aspirations, barriers, and opportunities.

  • Facilitate rapid prototyping and exploration of innovative school and learning designs.

  • Collaborate with potential local funders and state policy actors to overcome funding and policy constraints.

  • Support the creation of new models of schools that focus on competency education, student empowerment, pathways to success, and authentic learning experiences.

  • Design learning environments that extend beyond traditional school buildings and leverage community spaces and partnerships.

  • Inspire and support educators, leaders, and communities in starting new schools and programs that better serve students, families, and communities.

  • Seek involvement and investment from public institutions alongside philanthropic entities to drive transformational change in education.

  • Rally the resources and supports to ensure that the new school gets off the ground inspired and informed by other models but specifically focused on the aspirations of its community and for their youth