By Dori McCarroll
“If you were asked to design a school and had no limitations on what you could do and what you could offer students, what would you create?”
That was the question our group received during an October gathering in Atlanta of educators, legislators, faith leaders, parents, and other school choice advocates.
The goal was to dream of what the future of education could be.
Over the two days we spent together at the EdChoice “Envisioning Our Future” convening, we were asked to leave our official titles at the door and be fully present and engaged.
An opening reception led to a meaningful conversation about the intersection of education, race, faith, and policy. It set the tone for the types of discussions we would have throughout the event.
We toured a majority Black Christian private school that many of us had not known existed, and ideas began to form.
We were invited to tap into our childlike imagination and think about what is possible for children.
One attendee said they used to be a free thinker as a kid but lost that as they grew up. To think innovatively, we must think freely.
So, what did the group envision for the future?
We believe that every child should have the freedom to learn in ways that best suit them and that these models should be easily accessible from an early age. They should be able to learn without boundaries or barriers.
Education doesn’t have to begin when children reach school. It should start before that. We want all children to be on a level playing field so that when they reach pre-kindergarten, they are prepared and ready to learn.
These ideas are promising, but none of them can happen without the right support in place. We need to strengthen the community—building it, fostering it, and relying on it to help make these visions a reality.
Community members ran Rosenwald Schools in the South to educate the descendants of enslaved people. Many of those schools are now located on the campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
What if we received a commitment from HBCUs and members of the legacy organizations connected to them to invest in young people and create an intergenerational community that supports itself?
Educators must be equipped with the resources and support needed to foster the next generation of learners. State legislators must craft policies that create a clear path for these ideas to become a reality.
The bottom line is that children should not have to settle for the status quo in education, and they depend on the adults in the room to advocate for them.
Let’s remember to tap into that childlike wonder to imagine more for our children, because their future selves will thank us for not giving up on them.
Dori McCarroll
Dori McCarroll is the Community Engagement Associate at EdChoice. She comes to EdChoice with a background in public relations and social media management. Prior to this role, Dori served as a regional communications intern for the Greater Indianapolis chapter of the American Red Cross.
