Education Reform

Just Thinking… About Federal Funds, Student Support, and the Future of Education with Eric Reaves

As conversations around the future of the U.S. Department of Education continue to intensify, educators and federal program leaders are facing mounting uncertainty about how federal funds will be managed, distributed, and regulated. At the same time, schools serving historically underserved students remain heavily reliant on programs like Title I and other federally supported initiatives…

Engineering Education Needs to Be Human-Centered, Purpose-Driven, and Grounded in Real-World Problem Solving

Student disengagement, the rapid rise of AI, and shifting workforce expectations are pushing higher education to rethink how it prepares graduates. Engineering programs—long defined by rigor and technical depth—are now under pressure to stay relevant, improve retention, and produce graduates who can actually solve real-world problems, not just theoretical ones. And the numbers back…

If Higher Ed Wants Experiential Learning at Scale, It Needs a Broader Playbook

The ground is shifting under higher education. AI is changing how people learn almost overnight—and at the same time, more than half of graduates are underemployed after finishing their degrees. That’s forcing a more uncomfortable question into the open: what is a college credential really worth today? As employers and governments shift their focus…

Career-Connected Health Care: Why the Apprenticeship Degree Is the Future

Hospitals across the country are feeling the strain—too many open roles, not enough trained professionals, and a growing gap between what students learn and what the job actually demands on day one. Training is getting more expensive, timelines are stretching, and healthcare leaders are being forced to rethink how new clinicians enter the field….

Building the Next Generation of Educators Through Apprenticeship Pathways and Workforce-Aligned Training

Teacher shortages aren’t exactly a new headline—but lately, they’ve started to feel a lot more urgent. In some places, schools have gone years without enough fully trained teachers in the classroom, exposing real flaws in how we prepare and retain educators. Add in the rising cost of becoming a teacher and training models that haven’t…

The Degree That Pays You Back: How Employer-Sponsored Apprenticeships Are Rewriting Higher Ed

Higher education is under pressure. Over the past few years, public confidence in the value of a four-year degree has declined significantly, with fewer Americans expressing a strong belief that traditional higher education delivers a worthwhile return on investment. At the same time, employers consistently report that graduates lack job-ready skills—particularly the “durable skills”…

Workforce Alignment, and the New Blueprint for Career-Connected Learning Ecosystems

Workforce shortages, shifting federal and state policy, and rising skepticism about the return on investment of a traditional four-year degree have pushed career-connected learning to the forefront of education reform. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment is expected to increase by nearly 4.7 million jobs between 2022 and 2032, with…

The DisruptED Journey with Tim Maitland at MarketScale (Episode Two)

Education is at a crossroads. As AI, online learning, and workforce demands rapidly reshape how people gain skills, long-standing gaps in access and outcomes remain a major concern in Michigan. Recent reporting on the 2025 State of Education and Talent shows Michigan has fallen to its lowest ever ranking in per capita income, underscoring…

Building a Future-Ready Workforce: With Traditional Training Models Failing, It’s Time for Employers and Educators to Build Solutions Together

In an era where the average job tenure in the U.S. hovers under four years and industries are evolving faster than academic curricula can keep up, the need for a new approach to workforce development has never been more urgent. Companies like Amazon and McDonald’s are responding by investing in “education as a benefit”…

Bringing Community into the Transformation of K-12 Schools: The Impact of Mentors, Local Voices, and Student Entrepreneurs

As K-12 schools across the U.S. struggle to recover from the learning loss and emotional fallout of the pandemic, a deeper reckoning is underway—one that challenges the very foundation of who’s responsible for educating our children. Despite billions in federal relief, a third of U.S. students are not even reading at a basic level…

The Future of Higher Ed? Mass Experiential Learning That Delivers Durable Skills

Higher education is at a turning point. As employers demand more than technical proficiency, schools are being challenged to equip students with durable skills like collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. Traditional classroom models often fall short of this need. This shift has fueled growing interest in mass experiential learning as a way to prepare…

Educational Choice Isn’t Enough—Implementation Will Make or Break It

The U.S. education landscape is undergoing a seismic shift as more states adopt education savings accounts (ESAs), signaling a broader push toward personalized, parent-directed learning and broader educational choice. With over a dozen states now offering universal ESA programs, debates around school choice have reached a new level of urgency. Throughout 2024, enthusiasm for…

AI in Education Can Democratize Expertise—But Only If Systems Evolve

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in our everyday lives, AI and education are becoming more tightly intertwined. Many teachers and students are experimenting with AI in education, from personalized tutoring tools to automated lesson planning. While traditional edtech tools struggled to deliver on the promise of personalized learning, today’s generative AI appears poised to…

Rethinking the High School Transcript: ETS and MTC Chart a New Path for Student Success

A major testing organization's acquisition of an alternative transcript platform reflects growing momentum to move beyond traditional grades and standardized me

Can a Docuseries Change the Way Communities Think About School Infrastructure Reform?

Media campaigns are shifting how voters perceive the urgency of crumbling classrooms and aging school facilities

Will the New Education R&D Bill Spark the Innovation Schools Desperately Need?

Federal lawmakers propose a DARPA-style research hub to fund breakthrough education innovations that traditional funding mechanisms have left behind

ESA Success Requires Strategy, Infrastructure, and Support Beyond Legislation

Implementation of education savings accounts hinges on operational readiness that extends well beyond passing new laws

Preparing Students for the Real World: Why Career Education, Not College, May Be the Answer

Millions of young adults are neither working nor studying, signaling that traditional pathways may be failing students in today's job market

Tackling All That K-12 Schools Try to Do: The Solutions

Schools grapple with impossible mandates while emerging technologies challenge how education's expanding mission should be divided among institutions

What K-12 Education System Tries to Do And Where It Misses

American schools struggle to balance expanding social missions with declining literacy proficiency among core student populations

Equitable Funding, Community Involvement, and AI Solutions Can Help Overcome Educational Inequities

Strategic investments in underserved schools, community partnerships, and emerging technologies are narrowing achievement gaps for vulnerable student population

Excellence in Action: Lessons from the 2023 Yass Prize Winner

The winning approach demonstrates how educational innovation can bridge pandemic-era gaps and reshape learning on a sustainable scale

Is the Traditional College Degree Obsolete? Digital Credentials are Emerging as Key to Bridging the Skills Gap

Employers seeking proven competencies are turning away from degree requirements in favor of stackable digital credentials that verify real-world skills

Bridging the Gap Between Traditional Education and Modern Needs: Why School Educators Need to Shift Focus to Durable Skills Part 1 of 2

Schools must reimagine curricula to equip students with adaptable competencies that outlast technological change

Reevaluate IDRs to Ensure Equitable Student Aid and System Durability

Current repayment plans may be worsening the very problem they were designed to solve, prompting calls for fundamental policy reform

Cut Costs, Not Corners for the Future of Higher Education: Redirect Focus to Student Achievement

Institutions must strategically streamline operations while maintaining quality outcomes that prepare graduates for competitive job markets

Bold Measures are Needed to Improve Investment in Higher Education

The higher education sector faces mounting pressure to reimagine funding models or risk falling behind in a rapidly transforming landscape

From Academia to Real-World Success: The Essential Shift Needed in Math Education Focus

Students are losing ground because schools aren't teaching the math that actually matters in the workplace

Transform Education Now: Embrace Tech-Driven, Student-Focused Models to Crush Chronic Absenteeism

Schools are discovering that personalized interventions and technology-enabled support systems offer concrete solutions to America's spiraling attendance crisis

Is Apprenticeship the Key to Bridging the Experience Gap in Education?

Hands-on training programs offer a direct pathway to closing the gap between classroom learning and real-world job readiness