The Future Is "Now"

I have been fortunate to work with Ray McNulty, President of the Successful Practices Network, in various capacities over the years, and my current district has the privilege of doing so now as part of its involvement in the American Association of School Administrators' Learning 2025 Network, a collection of more than 100 school districts from across the country.

I remember a dozen or so months back when Ray suggested that a better name for the term "The New Normal" should be "The New Now."  His point being that, in today's world, with the pace of change as it is and the associated unpredictability that results, even when this pandemic is finally over, we will be hard pressed to define normalcy as we once did.  Rather, we must become adept at navigating and thriving in a VUCA World--one that is Volatile, Unpredictable, Complex, and Ambiguous.

In 1965 Gordon Moore predicted that number of transistors in a microchip would double every two years.  Though scientists believe this capacity will plateau sometime this decade, what has come to be known has Moore's Law has held for more than 50 years.  This is one important example of how the pace of change has exploded exponentially.

Since I arrived at the Arlington Central School District this academic year, I have committed to trying to co-create a system with our teachers, administrators, Board, and community that can thrive in this new reality.

My first conclusion as it relates to next steps, is that it is time move past the incessant negativity.  Most of us who work in schools are being bombarded with constant negativity, and it is affecting schools' ability to effectively serve the needs of students.  While I understand the level of frustration that exists, I think we need to help frame the conversation in a way that supports the ability of our children to cope, and ultimately thrive, in our current situation.  It is my opinion that the reverse is too frequently true, compounding whatever problems individual children may be dealing with.

I do not believe that anger and hostility will lead to improved student outcomes, attend to the increasing behavioral health concerns of many children and adults in our society, or help heal the divide that ails this country.  The pandemic has been horrific for many people in a myriad of ways, but this country has experienced, endured, and overcome setback after setback, and it must do so again.  

One obvious example is The Civil War, in which more people died than in all other wars combined.  My grandparents' formative years were defined by BOTH the Great Depression AND World War II.  I am closely associated with several people who served in Vietnam and the division that existed in our country when they returned home.  Recently, our country commemorated the 20th Anniversary of the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001. 

It is past time to end the negativity and come together.  The purpose of this post is neither to laud the accomplishments of public schools, nor deny their shortcomings.  Rather, it is to encourage society to reacquaint itself with the concept of the public good and reconsider the role that public schools must play toward that end moving forward in this VUCA World.

Which brings me to my second point.

Most people crave routine, and one thing that many long for is a return to "normal."  Public schools simply cannot afford that luxury.  Rather than longing for a past that will never return, public schools must chart a course into the future by re-imagining what is necessary to ensure for life ready graduates.

According to the World Economic Forum's 2020 Future of Jobs Report, the Top 10 Job Skills employees desire for 2025 are 1) Analytical Thinking and Innovation, 2) Active Learning and Strategies, 3) Complex Problem Solving, 4) Critical Thinking and Analysis, 5) Creativity, Originality, and Initiative, 6) Leadership and Social Influence, 7) Technology Use, Monitoring, and Control, 8) Technology Design and Programming, 9) Resilience, Stress Tolerance, and Flexibility, and 10) Reasoning, Problem-Solving, and Ideation.

The list does not include things like the following:  recite the gravitational constant, name the Austrian prince whose assassination allegedly led to the start of World War I, recall the year of the TET Offensive, or know the associative property.

In a VUCA World, one in which routine knowledge is at one's fingertips, schools must prepare students for their future, not our past, as Ray often says.  This is the challenge of the Learning 2025 Network, and I am excited to embark on this journey with my colleagues from across the nation.