Conventional schooling just doesn’t work as well as it could for a lot of students. Day to day, many kids go through their classes confused, disengaged, or stressed; and unclear about what they’re working toward. 

Fixing these problems isn’t just about improving school quality. We need to reinvent schooling to adapt to kids’ needs, ignite their ambitions, and prepare them for the world they live in today.

But like the law of gravity, unseen forces keep society tied to conventional schooling. It’s what we’re familiar with, and it still offers a lot of things that people value, like a place to find friends, good teachers, and fun extracurricular activities. And despite the drawbacks of the academic experience, most people feel like their lives still turn out okay. Given these realities, most people aren’t ready to drop conventional schooling for unproven or underdeveloped alternatives.

So how do we reinvent schooling? For starters, check out these resources:

Author

  • Thomas Arnett
    Thomas Arnett

    Thomas Arnett is a senior research fellow for the Clayton Christensen Institute. His work focuses on using the Theory of Disruptive Innovation to study innovative instructional models and their potential to scale student-centered learning in K–12 education. He also studies demand for innovative resources and practices across the K–12 education system using the Jobs to Be Done Theory.