The State of Education in Connecticut: Insights into Past and Future - Western Connecticut ...

The State of Education
in Connecticut:
Insights into
Past and
Future

Education
in the land of steady habits.
 Or, how what made
 you great in the past
 may have nothing to
 do with being great
     in the future.

Public schools have
always…
…reflected the
culture they serve and
the particular needs
of the society that
created them.
                         © Corwin Press - 2011

What was the need
of this era?
 •   Common language
 •   Basic literacy
 •   Enculturation
 •   Rank and sort
 •   Production
     Conformity
                       © Corwin Press - 2011

‘80s and ‘90s..
• Economic changes
• Emerging global
  network
• Information
  explosion
• Comparisons

The era of
standards
and
testing.

What has
the
impact
been?

Then
began
the
acceleration
of digital
innovations.

Yes, It’s Happened Before Our Eyes

In less
...to going
From  going
 than
out
outofofyour
 ONE
way  to
your way
communicate..
 generation:
not to.

From  making
 In less
…to    having
 an effort to
 than
to  make
 get into thean
 ONE
effort   to get
 information
 generation:
out   of it.
 stream…

InAccess
       lessto and
     Teacher
               any
     textbook    as
  thanor any piece
expert
    single  source
   of information
  ONE
   experts    in
 from anywhere atthe
  generation:
      classroom.
       any time.

How will the use of
      virtual reality
 expand your ability
    to immrse your
         students in
meaningful learning
      experiences?

It is Indeed Inevitable
      There will be resistance, but
       the disruptive forces that
        we have unleashed are
      genies that cannot be placed
         back in their bottles.

New Economy
Motivated by the desire
to increase profits,
performance and
productivity, digital
workers offer improved
decision making, the
elimination of errors,
and the reduction of
labor costs.

Displacement…
…is not just
about factories
anymore.

Vaunted human intuition
    is in reality pattern
recognition. We are on the
verge of an era where more
     and more of these
 intellectual tasks will be
performed more effectively
by AI algorithms than they
   could ever be by live
           workers.

Robots, Artificial Intelligence, and Algorithms

  Laying waste to the routine-work workforce.

Big Picture: This Is Not Just About Tech
               Multiple systems,
               multiple changes,
               with less and less
               time for cultural
               adjustment and
               recalibration.

Time Span Between Disruptions
                                 (not to scale)
     1. Agricultural 1
                                                                  Six Culturally
                                                                Transformational
                                                                    Changes

    2. Agricultural 2

         3. Industrial

            4. Digital
            5. Mobile
6. Algorithmic/Art. Int.

                     10,000 BC                    1700   1860      1960   2008   2014

A Culminating Impact…

        From the National Alliance on Mental Illness

A Culminating Impact…

From the 2018 NEASP 10 Year Report (National Association of Elementary Principals)

Big Challenges Await
Refocusing the system on supporting mid 21st
century relevant skills and attributes.

Declining enrollment and opportunity amid
increasing costs.

Overcoming the existing paradigm of schools in a
way that can meet the challenges of the future.

Homo Deus
For most of human history,
we learned and then we
worked.
In the foreseeable future,
we will need to continuously
learn or we will be out of
work.

Thinking for the Information Age

          An ability to think critically
          (creatively, analytically, and
           with purpose) is the most
          important life skill for your
               student’s future.

Goals

             Mission
             Leadership
               Focus
 Practices                Measures

Re-Focus Foundational Systems

National, Regional and Local Trends

National, Regional and Local Trends

National, Regional and Local Trends

Fewer Kids, More Money

Titanic Tensions
                    Local Control and
                      Cost Burden

Regional Decision
  Making and
Resource Sharing

Titanic Tensions
                   Membership in a
                    Community

   Everyone’s
Individual Wants
   and Needs

Titanic Tensions
                   Illusionary
                 Security of the
                       Past

Uncertainty of
 the Future

Titanic Tensions

           Vision

Memory

Transformation
“The creation of the light
buld did not come from
continuous improvement of
candles.”

               Oren Harari

Hope & Optimism
Be a part of building and
sharing a vision of a
productive and future-
focused public education
system that can serve the
needs of all children.