Part 3: The Future of Education, March 2023 Edition

In Part 2, we got a glimpse at where parents are sending their kids: public charter increased a touch, private education a lot, and homeschool education a lot. But who is moving – and why they are moving – is different than before.

What do parents want for their children? What might we need to build in education to meet this need? The journey continues.

Welcome to Part 3: The Future of Education, March 2023 Edition.

What do Parents Want for their Children?

“Better” is No Longer the Goal – “Different” Is: One of the most prevalent threads across the data illustrates that Americans are fed up with the current education system, beyond the point of wanting improvements to the existing structure. A Purpose of Education Index published in 2022 by Populace reveals that much of the general population believes more things about the educational system should change than stay the same (71%), including 21% who say nearly everything should change.

What exactly does this change look like, then? The Tyton research reveals that many parents are looking for more student-centric learning experience. This includes smaller classes, more independent work, greater leveraging of virtual learning, a flexible daily schedule, close partnership with parents or adults, and multi-site learning. Multi-site learning is an old homeschool co-op concept refreshed with new language, with students learning at multiple locations across the week and month.

Some education thinkers and researchers are calling this an assembly model of education or an unbundled education ecosystem. You’ve probably heard me say that we need to provide families with high-quality tools to oversee their child’s education: from speeding up and slowing down to bundling and unbundling their learning.

“This brief argues that a system of education equal to the demands of the modern era will require the flexibility to customize learning experiences for each child, a dynamic ecosystem that’s responsive to changing needs and demands, and a commitment to equity in policy and practice. It will also require creating and sustaining communities where diverse students, families, educators, and others can gather and participate in shared endeavors. In short, to realize the excellent, equitable, and dynamic system of education we need, some Assembly is required.” – Juliet Squire and Alex Spurrier, Aug 2022 - Some Assembly Required: How a More Flexible Learning Ecosystem Can Better Serve All Kids and Unlock Innovation

Meanwhile, Classical education has surged. As Anika Prather, Ph.D. and Christopher Perrin write, “Many parents were getting an insider’s look at their children’s classroom experience [during remote learning]. And, too often, they didn’t like what they saw: declining standards and hollowed-out curricula, devoid of meaningful content.” A classical education is the remedy to these symptoms with high academic expectations grounded in love, a humane approach grounded in dignity, and the pursuit wisdom, virtue, and goodness for all children and families.

How does Teacher Quality connect with Parent Priorities?

Debra E. Ross is the founder, publisher, and CEO of Kids Out And About, LLC, a media and marketing company whose purpose is to celebrate what local communities offer their residents and visitors. In a survey to parents paying for private education, she asked parents to rate their motivations for paying for private school in two categories: 1) the “day-to-day experience” and 2) “preparation for life.”

• For the day-to-day experience, the #1 thing parents are paying for is *teachers who care* and are personally invested in their child’s success.
• In life preparation, the #1 motivation was the *development of character.*

With teacher shortages sweeping across America, organizations who are able to attract the most talented teachers and education leaders have an opportunity to thrive. Connecting back to Debra Ross’ survey data, “teachers who care” and “development of character” is all about the human being – the teacher – the role model – you put in front of students.

In October 2021 when we posted 40 Great Hearts Online teaching jobs, we had 1,400 applications. There is something about new, innovative education models that brings an insurgence of purpose back to the profession and provides teachers with meaningful, tangible value.

More on what people and organizations are doing about it tomorrow –

Kurtis