Outschool.org

What if the future of American education got rid of all our old rules and assumptions? Justin Dent of Outschool explores that question in Moving the Needle. https://lnkd.in/gpz4bww6

MLK day has always been a day of great reflection for me. This year, I paused to reflect on the power of the pulpit. Since the early days of black churches, reverends have done so much more than preach — they've acted. Through their words and deeds, they have transformed communities, sometimes nations, with the spirit of their convictions. Rev. Janelle Wood is one such reverend. When spirit called on her to end the school-to-prison pipeline, she acted, and Black Mothers Forum, Inc. was born. It's been an honor to call her a partner and a friend — I've learned so much, and hope you will too. Rev. Wood, was our most recent guest on Outspoken — I hope you'll take a moment to listen and reflect with us. You can find Outspoken on Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

I’m excited to share that I have launched the Outspoken podcast with Justin D.,?an opportunity to talk with education experts we admire like Kaya Henderson and Michael Horn and be unapologetically honest and offer fresh perspectives on education. An intro episode sharing my personal motivation (check out the clip below), along with our first two episodes with Kaya and Michael can be found at?www.outspokenpod.com?or wherever you find your podcasts. I am curious to hear what you think, including about what might be a prescient forecast on Tuesday’s up and down ballet results from Michael Horn.

It's official! I have a podcast! ?? Excited to announce Amir Nathoo and I have launched Outspoken, where we invite guests with expertise and perspective to discuss our unapologetically honest perspectives on the state of education. Our intro episode on how we fell in love with learning is live wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, Amazon), and at?www.outspokenpod.com. Please follow and listen wherever you podcast. More episodes are on the way soon — we'll drop a new one each Friday. Let me know what you think! ?? Up first, how I fell in love with learning:

How are K-12 parents reshaping the education landscape post-pandemic, and what does this mean for EdTech providers? Join Christian Lehr from Tyton Partners and two leaders with a strong pulse on K-12 parent needs: Justin Dent, Executive Director at Outschool.org and Sunny Verma, CEO of TutorBright. The cohort will be at #EdTechWeek on October 9th as dive into these key questions, exploring how shifting parent roles are driving new opportunities—and challenges—in the K-12 market. For EdTech leaders looking to understand and adapt to these changes, this panel will be a must-attend. Check out the full agenda here: https://bit.ly/3NaXt47

We are excited to share that Start Lighthouse has been chosen as one of six finalists out of over 200 applicants for the 2024 #EALANewChampionsFund! This honor includes a competitive sub-grant and year-long mentorship to support our work promoting literacy within our community. By extending our Literacy Hubs to District 75, we aim to provide every student with the same high-quality literacy programming and support, ensuring they have the necessary resources to succeed. Our inclusive approach ensures that every child, regardless of any challenges, can experience the joy of reading and the benefits of literacy. We are grateful to the #EALANewChampionsFund for recognizing our ongoing work to close the literacy gap in NYC.??

Congratulations to the two final grantees for the Bellwether Assembly Grant Program, Children's Scholarship Fund New Hampshire and Outschool.org! Learn more about the grantees and their plans. https://lnkd.in/e3-44VTR

As my sunburn fades, I am still feeling the glow in my heart from reuniting with former colleagues, making new connections, and hearing from changemakers providing access to education and working towards a more equitable world at the ASU+GSV Summit. My top three highlights: 1) Deep listening interspersed with dancing at Big Picture Learning's annual Leadership Journeys event: As a TFA alum, I appreciated the vulnerability and honesty from Elisa Villanueva Beard about diversifying the corps. She spoke about a white donor’s audacity to approach her at a TFA event and question why it matters for corps member background to reflect those of their students. Her testimony is one small example of the huge extra emotional burden and labor placed on fundraisers of color to educate. I also loved hearing Carmita Semaan proclaim her background as an asset and describe her humbling early experiences as an executive, and I was completely charmed to hear Jeff Livingston describe how his grandmother raised him to hold women’s purses for them, get out of the way, and let them lead, and inspired to hear him describe times in his career when he has been able to make her proud (I even got to see it in action as he championed Elisa and Carmita throughout the evening).?In the pic below I am at the event behind the sunset with my amazing colleagues Kris Comeforo, Ed.L.D. and Justin D.. 2) An exceptional panel discussion about balancing “double bottom lines” of mission-driven brands: Amir Nathoo shared Outschool.org’s origin story at the height of COVID-19 when all learners became homeschoolers overnight, and Arne Schepker of Babbel described the power of language to connect us. The panel was moderated by the wonderful Jessica Rolph of Lovevery who tied all of the pieces together beautifully about why mission-driven brands matter.? 3) Moving for equity: Just before heading to the airport I attended the LGBTQA reception and had the chance to engage in a dance lesson to the moves in “Straight Up” from the very best, Paula Abdul, after she proclaimed how much the gay community has meant to her throughout her career.?