Beyond Learning Loss: Tangible Outcomes for Education Equity Post-Covid
The educational impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is unquestionable. But what if we spent less time talking about closing achievement gaps and more time talking about practical strategies and outcomes for shattering achievement ceilings? We invite you to a presentation and discussion with Colin Seale, a lawyer, educator, and the founder of thinkLaw, which helps […]
A New Economic Development Strategy for Michigan: put people and place first to create good-paying jobs
The evidence is clear that it’s time to stop a failed economic development strategy that invests state resources in businesses, and reorient towards investments in talent. In this commentary, first published by Bridge and co-written with Ned Staebler of Wayne State’s Office of Economic Development and TechTown, we argue that economic developers in Michigan are looking at their […]
The truth about the relationship between education and earnings
We are continually confronted by the myth that there are lots of good-paying jobs that don’t require higher education. “Not everyone should go to college,” people claim. While that’s true on a personal level–not every person will benefit from college, and people find fulfillment on the job in a myriad of ways–on a community level, […]
Equity in Education Demands Innovation: What Now? Ep. 7 with Kevin Polston and Carol Lautenbach
If you ask students and families what they want from education, what do they say–and is our system providing that? Godfrey-Lee Public Schools is a district on the west side of Michigan that we’ve talked about before. They adopted the 6Cs (from Becoming Brilliant) as their framework for learning as the result of a human-centered […]
Achieving Outcomes That Matter: What Now? Ep. 6 with Craig Carmoney
The interview we’re releasing today illustrates the critical differences that result from choosing different measures for educational success. Craig Carmoney, who was recently honored as the 2021 Superintendent of the Year by the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators, has been the superintendent of Meridian Public Schools since 2011. During that time, he has led […]
Purpose, Belonging, Value, Trajectory: Student Success at Midnight Golf: What Now? Ep. 5 with Dave Gamlin
The part of this interview with Dave Gamlin, Executive Vice President of the Midnight Golf Program, that has stuck with me the most since we recorded, was his description of the layers of mentoring that Midnight Golf provides. We put them in the title of the video: purpose, belonging, value, trajectory. As in, different mentors […]
Critical Perspective and Engaged Learning at High Tech High: What Now? Ep. 4 with Dr. Sarah Fine
Some people watch Most Likely to Succeed, the 2015 documentary that showcases High Tech High‘s revolutionary approach to teaching and learning, and think, “Why can’t my kids go to a school like this?” But I think the more common reaction among adults, watching students passionately engage in rich, project-based learning, is: Why didn’t I get […]
Guiding Students Toward Self-Actualization: What Now? Ep. 3 with Danielle Jackson
In the context of a global pandemic, what happens to the priorities of our education system? At U Prep Schools, reorganizing learning during the pandemic has meant centering and elevating existing priorities around human relationship and self-actualization. “Rather than taking things off our list, we made the list,” says Danielle Jackson, the CEO of Detroit […]
Upgrading an Outdated Education System: What Now? Ep. 2 with David Britten
Just a few years before his retirement, superintendent David Britten knew that there was something our education system wasn’t getting right. He felt then that, “I know what learning is about, but I don’t know how to package that into a school system.” He was concerned that students were studying ever-more narrow content standards, and […]
Announcing What Now? video interviews, episode I: Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
We’re excited to announce our brand new video interview series, which will explore issues where the coronavirus pandemic helps us see things in a new light. What Now? asks: how should we navigate through this pandemic, and ensure a more prosperous Michigan in our recovery? In our first season, we’re discussing education. In particular, the […]