The Leadership for Change strand refers to the educational leaders that are implementing innovative approaches to learning that are curated to meet the needs of At-Promise students. These individuals can range from teachers, principals and system level leaders. Regardless of who they are, they play a critical role in improving the educational experience for students by fostering innovation and finding unique ways to aid students on their journey to success.
It is clear that not all students learn in the same way. Just as they do not all come from the same background or upbringing. These variations in lifestyles and learning habits are key factors that need to be taken into account when it comes to their education. A group of Superintendents from different areas across the United States are diligently working to rework the standard education system and curate it in a way that allows every student to achieve success.
Superintendents Morcease Beasley of Clayton County, GA, Alberto Carvalho of Miami Dade County Fl, William Hite of Philadelphia PA, Jesus Jara of Clark County NV, Monica Goldson of Prince George’s County MD and Jerry Almendarez of Santa Ana, CA are the Founding members of the Superintendents Alliance at the National Center on Education and the Economy.
These individuals have banned together to work to transform the current public education system. In an article published by Education Week the Superintendent Alliance paints a picture where students attend school for thirteen years and by the time they graduate some are ready to attend a four year university while others are still struggling with learning to read. This is one of the main reasons for the work that they do, they believe there needs to be change.
As quoted in an article, Graduation Must Depend on Learning, Not Time, the Superintendent Alliance states, “What if we flipped the current model of public education on its head and made the standard of learning the constant and time the variable? What if the goal of education was to get all children truly “life ready” no matter what the obstacle?”
The type of education system the alliance hopes to achieve is one that ensures all students meet a “life ready standard.” The alliance mentions that a starting point for building this system is to have local conversations that cover what a student should know and skills they should have before graduating. Thus implementing goals and what kind of change needs to be made.
“Achieving real equity in education does not mean all kids learn the same things at the same pace, but, at a minimum, equity dictates all kids get the support they need to be educated for success in life after high school,” said the Superintendent Alliance.
These individuals are working to alter the education system for their communities in a way that they believe benefits all students. Taking a step back to assess the education situation and find ways to improve it to ensure all students achieve success is Leadership for Change in action. RAPSA looks forward to hearing from others that are working to make changes for their own communities to help better serve At-Promise students.