3 Trends that will impact the Future of Education

Last month, I attended the?ASU/GSV Summit , the world's largest gathering of education technology startups and investors.?Two years ago, a billion dollars of funding occurred during and the two weeks following the event. ?It is a fascinating experience that is also highly detached from the day-to-day challenges educators face in America. After attending the event, I balanced that experience with visits to Philadelphia and Memphis. I was fortunate to work with educators to talk about the future of student support services. We had these discussions at the School District of Philadelphia's office (picture below) and at NCCEP's District Leadership Institute. DLI was a meeting of up-and-coming ed leaders who are elevating their schools and communities through GEAR UP. GEAR UP is the largest federal grant that supports postsecondary success in some of our poorest and under-resourced communities.

Throughout my travels, engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders, including investors in formal attire and educators in casual wear, I've identified three significant trends that have influenced my perspective. These trends have significantly impacted how we innovate and enhance our company's model.

#1 Work-from-Home is here to stay?

The teacher attainment process will not get any easier as college-educated people are more likely to obtain work-from-home positions than applicants who do not have a degree. If we look at a recent report from LinkedIn, demand for remote jobs remains near all-time highs.?Fifty percent of job applications submitted on LinkedIn are for work-from-home positions, which make up just 15 percent of listings.

If you look at the largest metros in America, job ads to work remotely are at record highs.

A college degree increases your chances of WFH when you look at sectors with minimal inclination to slow down.

But it is more than just large urban metros. It is also university towns and government centers that offer more remote positions. These positions often require a college degree.

Why does this impact education and teachers who must be in the classroom to do their job effectively? Well,?women and minorities tend to value remote work more, which tends to work in sectors such as nursing and education , which are industries that require a college degree. If these candidates now have access to WFH positions and are more likely to crave them, the shortage of qualified staff in these areas will continue to accelerate. So what should we do?

We should take a considerable audit on how we operate school districts and campuses and start looking at how to transition more positions online and create a caring atmosphere digitally, not just in person for students. Can our counselors, tutors, or teachers do any of their work virtually? If the answer is yes, how can we create a schedule to allow for some asynchronous work and virtual synchronous best teaching practices to complement the needs of in-school instruction??Affluent parents with white-collar jobs also see that being in the office only means three days a week, Tuesday through Thursday, which is changing subway routes and the economics of cities worldwide. ?We must also consider that these microeconomic behaviors impact our schools and how parents engage with their student's learning.

Everyone is obsessed with ChatGPT and its effects on education; however, WFH and the design of human connection should be more of a priority when we look at improving our environments for staff and students. The most significant opportunity right now is not AI tools that organize intelligence. It is reimagining schooling to meet the needs of WFH families and the workforce we serve to assemble, equip and build them toward capacity.

#2 We need to create a robust postsecondary path outside of college that lets students get on a track to independence faster

The Wallstreet Journal and the NORC at the University of Chicago, a nonpartisan research organization, found that?56% of Americans think earning a four year is a bad bet compared to 42% who retain faith in the credential. ?Skepticism was most substantial among people ages 18-34.

It has always been unrealistic to assume all students should go to college. But now that perception of higher education is changing rapidly, we need to create more agile stackable credentials for adults and students who want to get to independence faster. The data from this survey is less about the fall of college and more about how the landscape of what Americans prioritize is changing. An example of this is finding people to work in person. The challenge is not that people do not value learning or earning, but leading them to value achieving those things in more flexible systems and environments.

What I found interesting about the article is how the overall values of America are changing. It is not just higher education. It is also patriotism, religion, having children, and community service that is in decline. The only thing we value more today than in 1998 is money which grew by 50%.

The importance of this particular statistic outweighs that of the higher education data point. It is evident that younger individuals are more motivated to earn money earlier in life, leading to their reluctance to pursue a four-year degree that will land them in debt. At Student Success Agency, we have observed that internships with monetary compensation or opportunities that offer prizes generate more engagement than those without financial benefits. Some may argue that enrichment should be valued without compensation, but it is essential to recognize that the American value system has evolved into a hyper-capitalistic society. The distorted incentives in our system have been present for far too long, even before affecting our children. Instead of judging the people within the system, we must question why we have created such a society. Interestingly, for the first time in decades, college tuition costs are declining.

If you dismiss the current decline in higher education enrollment as a temporary pandemic issue, you and your institution will face severe consequences. Surveys indicate that disengagement will continue beyond the pandemic, leading to a decreased interest in pursuing higher education. As most of our readers are involved in secondary education, focusing on increasing career advising and professional development for counselors is crucial. They may have experience in college advising but need more time or strategic partnerships to engage businesses and on-the-job training programs for young people. I collaborate with Tarrant To and Through (T3), a non-profit organization that prepares students economically through credentialing and mentoring. T3 has hired 10+ career advisers to be placed in local secondary schools, a strategic upgrade from their partnership with College Advising Corps to put college advisers in schools. This investment aims to support the 50% of students who must explore career options beyond college.

#3 The Rich is no longer interested in investing in public education in America

Over the last 20 years, how we invest in education has shifted significantly. We often discuss the political takeover our school boards and systems face. Before the politics, there was the transition of money. If you look at the VC investment in education between America and the rest of the world, that transition shifted from 73% of the funding in 2010 going to US startups to 40% in 2021.

• Since 2006, charter school enrollment has tripled.?
• Since 2019 homeschooling has increased by 73%.
• Public schools have lost a million students since the pandemic, and no one in the affluent society is fighting to revitalize our existence.

If people saw the hijacking of our public education system as a national threat, there would be a call to action to invest in and promote public schools for all. Instead, the money, politics, and affluent perspective have moved on.

Watching the founder of GSV,?Michael Moe, give his speech about the trends in education ?confirmed my belief about how those with money look at public education as a pastime. The focus is now on the East and how the youth population of the global world is in India and Africa.

• By 2040, 22% of Americans will be 65 or older.
• Today, 26% of the Indian population is under 14.
• In Africa, 41% of the population is 15 or younger.

It's beautiful to see such exciting advancements, but we must also consider our responsibility to our children and protect the talent pipeline of our nation and beyond. While investing in emerging economies may seem easier to disrupt, managing a socially nuanced, educated society is crucial for sustained success. To ensure a thriving public school system for years to come, we must work together as a community and prioritize investment in products, people, and partnerships that share our commitment to public education. Just as we prioritize domestic supplies of semiconductors and electrification materials, public education must also be a top priority.

Bringing it all together

These trends will likely persist, and we must adapt accordingly. If you are involved in state policy, regional agencies, or district leadership, it is essential to consider the ever-changing market when creating accountability measures and incentives. We need to establish benchmarks to allow our institutions to become more agile and flexible. We must also embrace the growing demand for remote work and improve our career advising services to prepare better students who plan to enter the workforce after graduation. The priorities have shifted regarding global investment in American innovation and students. Despite this, I remain optimistic that we can adapt to the current situation. The pandemic has shown us how systems can be altered in times of crisis. We must remember that we are still facing challenging times as we shift from traditional brick-and-mortar education to digital and mobile learning. As a society, we can provide a world-class education to all students, not just those from privileged backgrounds.