6 Ways State Policymakers Can Build More Future-Focused Education Systems: A Podcast Series with the Aurora Institute: Episode 6

Series Overview: Join EALA for an in-depth discussion with Virgel Hammonds and Jennifer Kabaker of The Aurora Institute as they explore the 2024 State Policy Priorities. In April 2024, The Aurora Institute released state policy recommendations aimed at transforming education for all learners, especially those underserved by the current system. Each bite-sized segment in our series covers one of the six identified policy shifts.

Episode 6: Redesigning Learning Experiences In this episode, we break down the sixth policy recommendation: Redesign learning experiences. Explore how fostering innovation in school design can create more flexible, student-centered learning environments. Virgel and Jennifer discuss how states can encourage innovative approaches to education that better meet the needs of all learners. To learn more, visit Aurora Institute and read the Policy Priorities.

Access the full podcast transcript at: https://bit.ly/4dZILZ6 

 

Episode Transcript

(00:03):
Hi, this is Aurora from the Educating All Learners Alliance,
and you're listening to Six Ways State Policymakers Can Build More Future-Focused
Education Systems, a cast series with the Aurora Institute.
The Aurora Institute is a national nonprofit organization working on policy
advocacy, field building and capacity building, research and knowledge sharing,

(00:24):
and convening to advance innovative approaches that transform education for youth across America.
In April of 2024, the Aurora Institute released state policy recommendations
to transform education for all learners,
especially those who have been underserved by the current system.
Each five-minute segment in our series will cover one of the six identified policy shifts.

(00:47):
Joining us today is Virgil Hammons, CEO of the Aurora Institute, and Jennifer Kabaker.
Well, let's dive into the final recommendation, which is to redesign learning experiences.
Virgil, you've talked a lot over this series, so help us digest this last recommendation.

(01:07):
What does this mean from a systems level? Certainly. I'm going to ask you a
question back though, Aurora, if I can. Oh, yes. You're an educator.
You've done this work. work, how often did you have the opportunity to engage
and collaborate with policymakers around the great work you do in classrooms?
Absolutely never, for me at least, not with policymakers. Yeah,
it just doesn't happen enough.

(01:28):
And so we see this as a great opportunity for state policymakers to set the stage with learners,
for learners, with educators, to engage deeply in kind of these new learning
experiences that are tied to real world meaningful experiences.
Like imagine if a policymaker was next to you learning from the great work that

(01:49):
you are doing to essentially decouple academic progress from C-time,
age, or grade level traditional metrics of success.
And you work with them to think through new processes that enable learners to
progress based on these really exciting and empowering demonstrations of learning
through a variety of pathways.
And that's what we're talking about. And if we can help inform legislators,

(02:13):
policymakers, and help them to work with them to co-design and develop policies
to support districts and school leaders to provide students with things like
hands-on, high-quality, work-based learning experiences that are co-developed
with community partners,
families, and the workforce around us.
So what could this look like in practice? We're able to, you know, implement this.

(02:35):
What does this look like in practice in the classroom? room.
Well, if we do all of these policy recommendations well and systemically,
as you've been asking us, like, what does this look like at a systems level?
Well, if we're able to put all of these elements into place,
we can start to think differently about the learning experience, right?
Where students now have the opportunity to experience learning that is much

(02:56):
more relevant and tied to their goals and interests, right?
Learning that is meaningful and certainly hands-on.
And here's a really great part that as an educator, I know, all you know,
is that when learners have agency over what they are learning and how they are
demonstrated in learning, just the power that that brings back to the classroom.

(03:16):
But we also recognize that learning doesn't just have to happen within our traditional
four walls of our school building, right? It can take place anytime and anywhere.
And so how do we create those opportunities and co-design that in partnership with our communities?
It's been great talking to you both over the course of this series.
So let's wrap this up with some final thoughts.
What are you hoping is the big takeaway from these policy recommendations?

(03:38):
And I'll let either of you jump in first. What are you hoping are the big takeaways
from these policy recommendations?
I can chat from the local level, and I hinted at it as I engaged you,
Aurora, in the question back.
But really, our hope is that state policymakers will take these recommendations
and use them as levers to transform their educational system into one that is

(04:00):
much more future-focused,
and ultimately is driven by the collaborations that they help inspire with our
local communities, right?
At the state level, the local level, the regional level, creating that culture
of agency at all levels of the system.
So for me, the big takeaway is that we want state policymakers to realize that

(04:20):
they have an important role to play in education transformation and really moving
the needle towards more competency-based, personalized, and student-centered
learning for their students.
Though there can be challenges around navigating compliance with the federal
government, and the federal government does play an important role in oversight,
especially around the distribution of education funds.
Funds, state policymakers are

(04:41):
really positioned to support more meaningful engagement with educators,
to encourage communities to really get engaged with their education systems,
and to build this greater vision around what we want students to know and able
to do once they leave K-12,
but also what happens to them beyond how they enter post-secondary,
how they enter the workforce,
and how they get on a trajectory to success for the rest of their lives.

(05:07):
That wraps up our series, folks. Folks, thank you so much to Virgil Hammons
and Jennifer Kabaker from the Aurora Institute.
Now to learn more, check out their work at aurora-institute.org.
I'm Aurora from ELA, and this was six ways state policymakers can build more
future-focused education systems.