Читать книгу From Reopen to Reinvent - Michael B. Horn - Страница 12

Fine. The word I most often hear people use to describe how their child is doing in school is “fine.” And these are the people whose children are doing best in school. I believe our children, our communities, and our country need better than fine. I think most people agree. The challenge is, how do we transform schools that are “fine” for some to places that are preparing all for a good life?

I met Michael sometime around 2011, when we discovered in a public dialogue that we share a vision for what American schools can be and a disappointment in what they are. As it turned out, we also share a commitment to doing everything in our power to help schools realize a much more compelling vision.

In late March of 2020, a few weeks after working around the clock to convert all of our schools from in-person to virtual in response to the global pandemic, I had two realizations. First, closing our school buildings was the easy part. Getting back into the buildings was going to be a long and difficult process, and there would be real costs for the students. And second, given that toll, we could not waste this unprecedented opportunity to truly redesign schools to serve every student and society, which even our “best” schools simply aren't doing. The next thing I did was call Michael.

My pitch was simple. The pandemic might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform schools (he agreed). Parents are seeing first-hand some of the significantly flawed structures and elements of schools that need changing (he really agreed as a parent). Redesigning during a crisis would be extraordinarily challenging and we should try to make it as easy as possible (he was in). As a first step, we decided to create the podcast Class Disrupted to surface real questions from families stemming from the pandemic chaos, ask “experts” to illuminate design principles and design advice, and then engage in real talk about what is required for schools to change.

Michael then took this joint project a step further. In this book he captures the best of those discussions and our dialogue over the past two years and combines them with additional research and insights. He has the incredible ability to take nuanced ideas and make them clear and, most importantly, implementable. His curiosity leads him to pursue understanding to a depth that is imperative for those of us who are doing the work. Over a decade ago, the book he coauthored with Clay Christensen, Disrupting Class, played a profound role in how we at Summit thought about redesigning our school model.

Leading and operating schools during these pandemic years is by far the most demanding and least rewarding experience I've had in my 25 years as an educator. On many days, simply keeping schools open takes every minute and all of the energy. Finding the mental space to step back and up to seize this moment, which is begging us to change, most often feels untenable, and yet imperative. It is my hope that this new book is as faithful and helpful a companion to educators, parents, and policymakers alike as Michael's previous works and weekly conversations have been for me.

Diane Tavenner

Cofounder and CEO of Summit Public Schools

Cohost of the podcast Class Disrupted

Author of Prepared: What Kids Need for a Fulfilled Life