Getting Unstuck: Building New Learning Pathways for Teachers and Students
“The area that we’re innovating the most in right now is in individual career advisement for students. It’s based on the evolving US work economy, and the need to totally disrupt and reimagine how we advise high school students about career paths.”
Today on Getting Unstuck
For the past few weeks, we’ve been focusing on answering a single question: How might we reimagine schools to better support our kids for the world today? To enrich that discussion, we welcome Dr. Ken Wallace, Superintendent of High School District 207, Park Ridge, Illinois.
“The best thing we can ever do for kids is help them find their ‘why’ in life.” — Dr. Ken Wallace
Ken’s transformation ideas
Increase student opportunities to explore career paths outside of college. “The majority of good jobs actually exist in the space between a high school degree just beyond high school degree and before for your degree in college.”
Reframe mathematics courses so the content is rooted in actual applications.
Provide one-on-one coaching plans for each faculty member.
Referenced
“Re-examining Career and College Advisement,” Dr. Ken Wallace, IASA, Leadership Matters, 10/2019
Video: One of many Maine Township students succeeding with a non-college career route.
Connect with Ken
“It seems like every year we try a ‘new’ educational initiative – something that somebody read about or experienced at a conference. We never seem to stay with it, though, because there’s always something new following on its heels. And our problems remain the same.” — A teacher
Tired of chasing the next shinny thing?
From our publisher:
In Shifting, educators and leadership experts Kirsten Richert, Jeff Ikler and Margaret Zacchei empower educational change leaders to proactively and coherently navigate complex change in schools to achieve the desired outcomes. Using a three-part framework—Assess, Ready, Change—this book leads educators to examine a school’s imperatives and readiness for change, identity the tools and abilities required to manifest change, and take action by defining the roles and processes necessary to effectively implement both sweeping change and smaller day-to-day adjustments.