During Commencement Season, Reimagining Education for Communal Well-Being
’Tis the season of commencements — when schools celebrate students’ achievements and inspire graduates to look forward. As I watch leaders’ motivational speeches, I’m thinking more about the future of education nationwide — from preK through higher ed.
What’s Wrong
The signs of trouble are everywhere:
Higher depression and suicide rates among youth, as chronicled in The New York Times and the American Communities Project’s Deaths of Despair series.
Increased cyberbullying and aggressiveness among youth.
Learning loss, particularly among disadvantaged students.
School board fights and new restrictions on teaching diversity issues: race, gender identity, sexuality, and social-emotional learning.
A record number of homeschoolers, with families motivated by “dissatisfaction with neighborhood schools, concerns about the school environment and the appeal of customizing an education,” according to an Associated Press story.
College enrollment plunging nationwide.
Reimagination is in order — now.
Previous Reimagining
It would not be the first rethink of education. The National Education Association Committee of Ten, a working group of college and high school educators, came together in 1892 during the Industrial Revolution to establish a standard curriculum. They reviewed current practices in U.S. high schools by conducting surveys, interviewing educators, and holding regular meetings. The group coalesced around eight years of elementary education and four years of secondary education, creating a curriculum of English, history, math, and science to prepare students bound for college or the workforce. Today this design remains the bedrock of America’s schools.
In the past 20+ years, there were various attempts to standardize K-12 education for this century, from No Child Left Behind to the Common Core State Standards.
On a parallel track, there’s been a rethinking of college to better meet society’s needs. In 2009, Columbia University’s Religion Department Chairman Mark Taylor presented intriguing ideas in his popular New York Times op-ed “End the University as We Know It.” He wrote: “It is possible to imagine a broad range of topics around which … zones of inquiry could be organized: Mind, Body, Law, Information, Networks, Language, Space, Time, Media, Money, Life and Water.”
Noting how water would become a concern in the coming years, Taylor outlined, “A Water program would bring together people in the humanities, arts, social and natural sciences with representatives from professional schools like medicine, law, business, engineering, social work, theology and architecture. Through the intersection of multiple perspectives and approaches, new theoretical insights will develop and unexpected practical solutions will emerge.”
Indeed, interdisciplinary education has become normalized, but by and large, schools have not reorganized in this holistic way.
Sketching a New Model
In any revamp, I like to keep in mind Sir Ken Robinson’s call for education “to enable students to understand the world around them and the talents within them so that they can become fulfilled individuals and active, compassionate citizens,” as he told attendees at the NAIS Annual Conference in 2017.
Some ideas I’m thinking about:
Ground learning in the present. That doesn’t mean skipping history but teaching good sourcing, argument, and context so students can come to sound conclusions on their own, no matter the time period under discussion.
Build a solid foundation. What life skills should all students know, no matter the path they choose to pursue? More than two years into the pandemic, some skills seem obvious, like personal communication, media literacy, financial literacy, meal planning and cooking. Make space to teach and develop these skills in elementary, middle, high school, and higher learning institutions.
Layer on customization; invite participation. Observe, ask questions, and zero in on students’ specific talents and interests. Encourage students to develop self and world awareness — to probe what excites and bores them, to work collaboratively, to engage in civics, to share successes and missteps, and to incorporate constructive feedback from teachers and peers. Weave in the principles of improv: employing “yes, and”; listening; regulating emotions; using movement; responding to the moment.
Organize around relationships and solutions. Right out of the gate, orient students to connect their talents, interests, and goals with what their community and the world need. Intertwine disciplines and leverage networks to create problem-solving assignments that are doable by grade level. Prioritize social capital at every stage of schooling for student development and community vibrancy.
With this framework, students can slowly mold their desires, hone their skills, and cultivate connections for their own transitions and fulfillment as well as the greater good — from nursery school onward. Then, rather than looking for work, they will possess the mindset, knowledge, and know-how to do what they are uniquely suited for and what the environment calls for, whether that’s coordinating networks, creating products, conducting research, building businesses, designing or repairing infrastructure, filling organizational needs, or… the sky’s the limit.
In this existential climate, we can’t afford to squander anyone’s gifts or spend time fighting over a cliff. Education, therefore, should revolve around maximizing talent to make a difference.