Education Evolution, where we talk about today’s education: what’s broken, who’s fixing it, and how. We need to holistically serve a wide variety of learners and address academic, social, and emotional needs and we do that by making change happen today. Founded by Maureen O’Shaughnessy of Micro-Schools Coalition and Leadership Preparatory Academy in Seattle, Education Evolution is designed to start the conversation to transform the education system of today. Alternative education strategies including working with parents and colleagues, classroom management, lesson planning, activities, games, and more. Along with helping challenged students and those facing difficulty to find success.
What if we harnessed alternative and conventional resources and each child was seen, heard, valued, and met where they were academically, socially, and emotionally, with the goals of thriving NOW and being prepared for a productive, happy, and healthy adulthood?
Sadly, this isn’t what’s happening today. But that doesn’t mean those of us who know better have to stick with the status quo.
You’ll hear regularly from Maureen and guests from all corners of the educational landscape–from micro-school founders to concerned parents to journalists to lawmakers and decision-makers. Join the conversation today, we’re all in this together.
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With school back in session, things have changed. Again. Many schools have gone back to virtual or hybrid and that’s wreaking havoc on kids, teachers, parents, administrators, and the general public. So we’re leaning again (still?) on technology and innovation. Though the increased rates of COVID is scary and unfortunate, this is an opportunity to embrace new ways of doing things. New ways that we should have been using well before the pandemic. This week on the podcast, I’m talking again with M...
Think about how different the lives of our children are, compared to how we grew up or how our parents and grandparents grew up. It’s like night and day when you consider the technology changes, social development, human connection, racial awakening, and more. And yet. The status quo in education is for students to sit in a classroom and listen to a teacher talk. We’ve learned so much over the years about the importance of student agency, getting the child involved, hands-on learning, and more. ...
So many of us said goodbye to 2020 with starry-eyed hope for 2021...only to feel a sucker-punch at all that this year has offered up to us. I’ve felt the same way in many aspects. But while 2021 wasn’t the year we had hoped, I choose to look at the positives. I want to take learnings from this year and grow from them in the new year. Hit a reset button, if you will. This week on the podcast, I’m reflecting on four big bright spots of 2021 that have impacted society on a global scale. And I’m sha...
We’ve all heard that equality and equity are not one and the same. What one child needs to be successful can (and likely is) wildly different from what another child needs to be successful. But yet, so many schools still teach prescribed curriculum to the masses. On this episode, Professor Steven Cleveland is sharing his own take on equality and equity and offers a different way to look at it--one that will make the concepts crystal clear. Steven’s understanding of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s o...
We have so many amazing educational leaders in the field and I appreciate that we’re able to grow and learn together. But if we rely solely on leaders, our kids don’t have the agency they deserve. This week on the podcast, I’m talking with Rachel Kittle of Leadership Launch about how her organization is giving kids the real-world experience they need to build confidence and become leaders. The result? She’s watched incredibly shy youth come out of their shells to talk to community and business l...
We know that learning is challenging for many kids, especially when schools rely on a prescribed curriculum that’s voted on from the top--not with individual kids’ needs in mind. Seeing all the gaps in the education system has led many to taking action to support our colorful, mismatched learners. I’m one of those, and so are this week’s guests. This week we’re talking to three amazing powerhouses in educational change, Kathleen McClaskey, CEO and chief learning officer of Empower the Learner; J...
Arizona is a national leader in education reform, having recently passed one of the most robust education reform bills in the nation. The goal? To showcase that seat time does not equate quality learning. Instead, thanks to HB 2862, the state recognizes that instructional time can look vastly different depending on the students’ needs. Imagine that! This and so much more was possible thanks to the work of Emily Anne Gullickson, CEO of A for Arizona, a nonprofit with a vision to build an educatio...
Our youth and young adults have so many more options than we did as kids. We were taught that you go into college or a trade; those were your two choices. Today, kids are creating their own model of what life will look like in adulthood. But to ensure their success, we need to help them develop their voice and agency. They need to know how to speak up and speak out and allow their voices to be heard--literally and figuratively. In the literal sense, podcasting is a great option. And in this epis...
There’s so much overwhelm out there today, and our teachers are feeling the brunt of it. They’re tasked with so much right now, from their regular teaching duties to “catching kids up” to navigating the trauma of kids, families, and themselves. It’s no wonder that my own micro-school is seeing higher than normal teacher absenteeism. Maybe your schools are having a similar challenge. It’s time for solutions that don’t overwhelm even more. With good teachers leaving the classroom at an alarming ra...
It’s impossible to get around media these days. We’re constantly inundated with images and content on social media, in our search browsers, on television, and even walking or driving down the street. As adults, we know that looking critically at the media is important, as is asking questions about what we see. Our children are often the target of that media, though they don’t have that same insight. It’s time we teach them--starting from a very young age. This week on the podcast, guest Amy Juss...
