Michael B. Horn

The #educationchoice landscape is shifting rapidly as Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and universal school choice gain traction across the U.S. I spoke with Andrew Clark, President of yes. every kid., about what’s driving these changes and what’s next. Here are three of his key points: 1??Universal Choice Wins Support: Universal choice programs are 30% more popular than targeted ones. With 40% of U.S. students already eligible for private school choice, that number could hit 65% this year. 2??ESAs Should Empower Families: State #ESA programs vary in their rigidity. Giving parents true flexibility in how they spend their funds is key to unlocking personalized learning. 3??From Unbundling to Rebundling: Families have already started unbundling by stacking #tutoring, #microschools, and more. The next phase? Smart rebundling—making choice easier while keeping customization. How should policy evolve to balance flexibility and quality? Let’s discuss! ??

It’s not just about school choice anymore. It’s increasingly about education choice, in which families are no longer bound by a single institution but can mix and match learning experiences to fit their children’s needs. I sat down with Ron Matus, Director of Research at Step Up For Students, about how this transformation is unfolding in Florida. Here are three key insights: 1. The Great Unbundling is Here: Families are using Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) not just for private school tuition but also for à la carte learning—#microschools, online courses, #tutors, and more. Over 80,000 students in Florida are already on this path. 2. Public Schools Are Adapting: Some districts now accept #ESA funds for individual courses, which allows students to take just a class or two. Florida Virtual School paved the way, and more schools are rethinking their role in this unbundled system. 3. Accountability in an Unbundled World: With more choices comes the challenge of measuring success. Early data suggests that when #parents choose, quality improves organically, but policymakers must still balance flexibility with oversight he said. As #educationchoice expands, how will institutions—public and private—adapt? Would love to hear your thoughts! ??

I can’t think of a recent technology with more education-centric product rollouts than AI. And for good reason. There are so many applications for AI in education—for better or worse. And at the center of all of the discourse on AI in education is OpenAI's ChatGPT.? So, Diane Tavenner and I invited OpenAI’s Education GTM Leader, Siya Raj Purohit onto the Class Disrupted podcast to discuss. Here were her three key points: 1??Potential for Personalization: Siya claimed ChatGPT has the potential to make personalized learning widely accessible - a long-time goal of education technology that has struggled in the implementation stage.? 2??Enhancing Educator Roles: AI could reduce teacher burnout by automating time-consuming tasks like lesson planning and grading, allowing educators to focus on mentoring and inspiring students. 3??AI in Higher Education: Universities are using custom GPTs to create tailored learning experiences, from AI-driven orientation programs to classroom assistance, aimed at helping students navigate their academic journey more effectively. Check out the full episode to learn more about how AI is being used in classrooms. https://lnkd.in/ds8W6qsu #AI #Education #EdTech #FutureOfLearning #Podcast #OpenAI #ChatGPT

The U.S. has a lot to learn when it comes to systematizing apprenticeship. Thankfully, there are successful international models, like Switzerland’s, that we can study. And there’s perhaps no one better to help us extract those lessons than Katie Caves, the Director at Switzerland’s CEMETS, who joined Jeff Selingo and I on the Future U Podcast. Here are some of my takeaways from the conversation:?? 1?? Permeability Is Key - One of the reasons so many Swiss students participate in apprenticeships is because there are paths moving back and forth between more vocational and academic tracks.? 2?? The Power of Prestige - Apprenticeships have stronger status in Switzerland than they do in the US. That’s partly because of structural differences. For example, the Swiss have vocational terminal degrees on par with Ph.D’s.? 3??International Replication - It’s never as simple as just copying what some other country is doing given we operate in different contexts—but there are a standard set of factors (e.g. unified employer voice) that are consistent across successful systems. Check out the full episode and let us know what you think the US needs to change to do apprenticeship better.? https://lnkd.in/ec95MRP7

Choosing a career path can be scary for kids and stressful for the adults trying to guide them. So, Jean Eddy and I invited @Kristine Sutherland, famous for her roles in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Honey I Shrunk the Kids,” onto the podcast to offer her advice to pathfinding teens. She urged them to start talking to adults in their lives about what they do and think hard about which careers align most closely to their interests and preferences. You can hear the rest of her advice on the full episode linked below. https://lnkd.in/e8qj-zrR

AI is often framed as a force that will replace jobs. But a recent report from Harvard Business School professor Frank Nagle and coauthors suggests it could be a tool that enables employees to craft more meaningful careers—if they know how to harness it. Combining these findings with the research I conducted for Job Moves with Bob Moesta and Ethan Bernstein led me to a couple of insights on how to leverage AI for a better career, which I shared in my recent Forbes article: 1??Job Crafting: #AI allows employees to shape their roles to maximize engagement and satisfaction. If it can handle the aspects of work that sap energy, employees can focus on the tasks that excite and motivate them to boost job satisfaction and performance.? 2??The Career Balance Sheet: Employees should document their assets (skills, knowledge, etc.) and liabilities—investments to maintain assets. AI can then free up time to invest in your assets by allowing you to offload the things you don’t want to do. ?? Check out the full article and let me know how you’re using AI to shape your work and career.

I had the chance to speak with the HBS Institute for Business in Global Society at Harvard Business School to chat education innovation. Here are some of my points from that conversation:? ?? K12 Innovation: Schools have had trouble implementing some of the changes Clay Christensen and I predicted years ago in Disrupting Class, but the growth of highly personalized microschools gives me hope that innovation that prioritizes what’s needed for success of each and every child is accelerating ??Higher Education: More and more and colleges are closing as demographics and public trust in higher education continue to decline, and these trends are driving more and more states to consider alternative, work-based pathways? ??Big Picture Thinking: In the age of AI, information is more accessible than ever, so we need to train our leaders of tomorrow with the critical thinking and theory to know what to do with that information??

Mergers aren’t easy. They demand careful analysis, require big decisions, and involve tricky stakeholder management. But they are becoming increasingly necessary in hashtag #HigherEd as dropping enrollments make going it alone less viable for more and more institutions. So, Jeff Selingo and I sat down with Katherine Fell and Jane Wood, PhD, presidents of The University of Findlay and Bluffton University, two colleges in Ohio that are in the process of merging. We were also joined by Ricardo Azziz of SPH Consulting Group, a consultant and expert who also helped guide them through portions of the merger. Kathy and Jane discussed how to find the right partner, navigate federal approval processes, and manage the emotional elements of a merger—and proactively nonetheless. ??You can listen to the full episode at the link below. ??And share your thoughts in the comments—would you be able to have the foresight that Jane and her board did to approach another college years before they needed to for a merger? How would you manage such a process with the various stakeholders on your campus—knowing that a merger evokes all sorts of emotions?

"The pursuit of the 'perfect' job can create more hesitation than progress. Growth and fulfillment come from exploration, adaptability, and the willingness to embrace new experiences along the way." Those are some of the insights from Job Moves shared in a recent article by the South African publication Daily Maverick. The article goes on to highlight a few of the strategies we recommend to find a job that meets those criteria: 1??Self-discovery: Identify what truly energizes you, what activities fuel your passion and which ones drain it? Assess your skills and strengths: Are they in sync with what fires you up? 2??Develop career prototypes: Create multiple scenarios or roles that fit your priorities. This shift in mindset opens the door to diverse opportunities for progress and fulfillment. 3??It doesn’t have to be all or nothing: Explore pathways through side hustles or hobbies that excite you; you don’t have to quit your day job right away. ??Check out the full article in the comments below and let us know a time when you’ve really felt in flow in your job—or what you’ve done to regain it short of switching roles.

Breaking into acting isn’t easy. But John Pankow did it. He has starred in hit series Mad About You as well as Amadeus and The Aristocrats. On this episode of Youth Career Readiness, he tells Jean Eddy and I about how fostering an attitude of gratitude helped him—and can help young people hoping to break into any line of work. You can hear all of John Pankow’s advice in the full video in the comments.?