The Decomposition of School and Regeneration of Learning
[…] carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen of schooling? Learning, change, and growth. Relationships. Different people and perspectives coming together. Meaning and purpose. Agency. Well-being. And these are what parents hope for when they send their kids off to school—that they will belong, be treated kindly and treat others that way, and that they can grow […]
Freedom: One Teacher’s Journey to Student Loan Forgiveness
[…] of his loans forgiven. Anthony McCutchen was born in the small rural community of Kingstree, SC, in 1968. He is the fourth of five children raised by parents who were sharecroppers. Even though his parents were not well educated, they governed their home with spiritual guidance, the strength of character, and education as their […]
Increasing Educator Capacity to Act on Learner Well-Being Data for Improved Academic Outcomes
[…] and efficiently check in and act as needed. Another essential component to student well-being and academic health is encouraging an open line of communication between learners and their parents/caregivers. Sown To Grow is committed to protecting student privacy and invites young people to use their voice to talk about any challenges they may be facing, such […]
Delivering on the Promise of Digital Equity
[…] digital skills and digital use competencies. Big Play 6: Charge a task force to create a statewide plan to upskill the K-12 educator workforce. Focus Area 3: Upskill students, parents, families, and caregivers. Big Play 7: Utilize local groups to convene underrepresented populations and gather information. Big Play 8: Scale up community-based efforts to develop the digital skills […]
Excerpt: Student Centered School Improvement
[…] earlier for support, as well as the real-world experiences of a wide range of “school improvers”—in education from Governors, Secretary of Education, and State Education “Chiefs” to parents, students and teachers. This book will show how an aligned, systemic approach to early identification and support of issues in school can help improve the educational […]
Our Learning Future from A to Z
[…] replicate and scale the arrangements of schooling, we must seize the possibility to shift from a schooling system to a learning ecosystem to truly empower learners, educators, and parents to create a virtuous future for themselves and their communities. Clearly, we live in this moment of increasing complexity with generative AI (ChatGPT), geopolitical crises (Ukraine), […]
Talk About It: Why Asking Questions and Sharing Ideas is a Core Part of Starting a School
[…] how we were going to educate students. It also created a critical mass of individuals who years later would become some of the first board members and parents. I won’t sugarcoat it though. Hearing people push back against our ideas for innovation was hard, as was making peace with the fact that there would […]
Designing at the Margins
[…] what they needed to learn, but felt like they needed to talk about mental health and wellness well before they leave for college. Between that and hearing parents say their children don’t express emotions – that helped me realize I needed to create a school that focuses on this.” Other programs use empathy interviews […]
Why Entrepreneurship Might Save Our Kids—and the Rest of Us.
[…] of school shifted—when they were asked to launch real solutions to real problems they experienced every day. Students who I discovered were running successful businesses with their parents outside of school and who thrived when we no longer focused only on their deficits and skills gaps. Students who, in spite of – not because […]
What Educators and Families Should Prioritize in the Age of AI
[…] challenge to fellow educators is to join us in rethinking what it means to learn and thrive, given AI-powered tools. Our combined 100-plus years of experience as parents, educators, and applied researchers lends us confidence. We can embrace agency, encourage intellective character, and foster the abilities that shape us as individuals and help us […]