The view ahead

It’s a little ironic a term we associate with vision (20/20) is also the year when we had to take a hard “look” at so many historic events that will shape the look of our future for years to come. A big theme of 2020 is how the year changed our understanding of biological vulnerabilities due to the effect of a virus, or our acuity of equality due to the racial tension, or our understanding of our ecological impact due to the number of environmental catastrophes, or our political perception due to the intensely divisive presidential race. Or more specifically from my vantage point, as I stand on the chasm of a paradigm shift, how the year has changed the landscape of our educational system.

2020 has been the kind of year that made most people not want to “look” back.

As a public high school district superintendent, I bear witness to the complexity to deliver a curriculum through instructional practices that were completely foreign, especially to those of us in career and technical education. Assessing student’s skills on-line has been impractical or difficult to say the least. And although as unbearable these times have been, I cannot help to see the potential to shape our educational system that measures skill attainment rather than on a system that is antiquated and based on subjective measures. Just as we need to clear the fog of uncertainty, now is the time to move away from “seat time” and into an era of outcomes-based measures. Success comes to those systems that rise above the challenge and embraces a novel approach. And in this case, an objective system that embraces demonstrable skills.

Now more than ever, we need a system that rewards those that have obtained the skills that will increase the talent pipeline. We need to support a system that measures competency attainment; specific outcomes required for skilled (essential) positions in our community we have come to depend.    

For example, we have observed those that have the skills to fill the critical positions are in demand. This an argument in favor of CTE more than ever. Each day, during this current pandemic we are ever dependent on the basic necessities that only a skilled workforce can produce. For example, we caught a glimpse of what it may look like if those that manufacture, of all things toilet paper, took a week off. Additionally, the dependency on technology has come into sharp focus. Never before have we met, collaborated, convened, shopped and even socialized through the internet.

However, when I reflect on everything that has happened this year through my “rose colored glasses,” I also saw there were more than a few bright spots. I see signs of positive change. Glimmers of hope. What we experienced and how we adapted will surely have a historic impact in education.

There is a reason the rear view mirror is so much smaller than the view in front of us. We can decide how we see the year behind us. And yes, to ensure that we have learned from our past, occasionally we need to glance back. But more importantly, we need to keep our focus on the bright vista of our potential directly in front of us. We also have the choice how our field of view can look ahead. For me, I can see the potential ahead for 2021. I choose to see our world coming together for a common goal, to defeat the invisible enemy. I choose to envision the panorama of social equality. And I choose the lessons learned in having to adapt to an educational delivery model which embraces technology that can move us forward. If we pay attention and choose to see the fortunes ahead, we have a unique opportunity to embrace our adaptations to increase equity and access. Take what we have seen and position the events to lead us clearly into becoming better. Although there is a tremendous amount of uncertainty, there is no turning back. This can a serendipitous moment that will propel us forward provided we are diligent in seeing the best we have to offer. The signs that make the roadmap to a brighter future to learn, to grow, are right in front of us. All we need is to choose to see them and follow them into a new year.