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Foreword

by Sean Covey

It is both an honor and a pleasure to write the foreword for this tremendous book by Dr. Suzette Lovely. Although we don’t know each other well, her reputation precedes her, and I have the greatest respect for the decades of her life she has devoted to education. Having worked in all educational roles and capacities during this time (from teacher’s aide to educator, principal, and then California superintendent), Dr. Lovely truly walks her talk. What, then, has led her to connect with me?

I am also in the education business. And although I come from quite a different background (having never been an official teacher or received a PhD), I spend my life in a classroom of sorts. I study kids—their behavior, ideas, opinions, and more. And as president of the FranklinCovey Education division, mentoring future-ready learners is also my passion. Several years back, I published a book (following in my father’s footsteps) called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Following a decade of research, I concluded that our current education system is just not keeping up with the needs of today’s students. This led my division at FranklinCovey to bring forth a character-based curriculum of its own, The Leader in Me. We saw the need and knew that something needed to be done.

Which brings me to Dr. Lovely. I am enormously gratified by her courageous leadership in identifying ways to bring our current school systems and educators into the new millennium. The time has come to shift away from the paradigms of the past and embrace the future. In Ready for Anything: Four Touchstones for Future-Focused Learning, Dr. Lovely introduces us to her education model, comprised of four touchstones or criteria which can help point educators toward meaningful adjustments that will help prepare our children for the future. These four touchstones are remarkable, proven principles that work wherever a student or teacher falls in their educational journey. Let me explain by giving a quick preview of these principles.

First, Dr. Lovely stresses the need for implementing innovative practices. Mahatma Gandhi said, “The future depends on what we do in the present.” This touchstone encourages educators to challenge students to innovate and create through new ideas and practices. When they do this, they take a big step into the future.

The second touchstone describes how important it is to build a strengths-based culture. This is accomplished by talking to students about their interests and ideas and helping them utilize their innate talents. This, in turn, can lead to new discoveries and build confident learners of the future.

The third touchstone explains the importance of designing personalized experiences for each and every student. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to learning. Students must be individually considered and given what they personally need to progress in their own time and their own way.

Fourth, Dr. Lovely believes in the vital importance of collaborating with the outside. Communities, organizations, parents, and others help shape, mold, and connect students to their own unique environments. It truly takes a village.

Each of these touchstones frames a future-ready learning process that advances the cutting edge of education. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” I believe Dr. Lovely is doing just that. By providing this forward-looking framework, she invites educators everywhere to utilize these tools in the way that works best for their situation. I believe it’s time that we take a good look at what’s happening around us in technology, with the internet, social media, and the economy. It is so important to recognize that today’s students need to be prepared to face the reality of a changing world. We can no longer sit back wearing our old lenses and think all is well. A new prescription is needed. Students are ready and waiting for us to guide them into the future. I wholeheartedly support Dr. Lovely’s efforts to aid in this process and highly endorse Ready for Anything as a crucial catalyst for implementing these changes.