Ardis Ann Middle School fostered collaboration by implementing peer-to-peer walkthroughs, leading to 105 classroom visits in a day. This strengthened professional community, improved teacher-student engagement, and gave leaders insight into educators' priorities.

Over the past several weeks, we have circumnavigated the state, covering 1500 miles as we traced the perimeter, touching down in nine school districts. Each district is realizing ambitions for what is best for their kids. There is so much pride in each community; for their schools, and the promise of public education to support each and every learner. One urban district has over fourteen thousand learners; another has 45% English Language Learners, many of whom are newcomers to the state; another has 114 learners in the entire district. Each of these places is different, and each has a unique approach to student-centered learning.

In American public education today, there is a lot of talk about equity–we hear about diversity, equity and inclusion, about leveling the playing field, about ensuring the same high-quality opportunities for all kids. But when you dig deeper, what is actually being done in this regard? With increasing intolerance in our society as evidenced by a rise in white supremacy and acts of violence against ethnic, racial, and religious minorities, and with a larger portion of kids than at any point in modern American history accessing free and reduced lunch (a proxy for identifying people struggling against poverty), something fundamental needs to shift in how schools address this crisis.

I write as an educator.

I write as a parent of four public school kids.

I write as an American ashamed of a place where courage can’t be found in the halls of power to protect our children.

2Rev is currently experimenting with bringing a set of tools together to see how they collectively might promote greater coherence and alignment across the district, thereby making the concepts within these tools actionable. Each of these tools can turn words into behaviors and practice- for learners, educators and leaders. They provide a statement of purpose and a way to deliver on that concretely. All of these should be generated in partnership with stakeholders so that they are owned by those stakeholders.

Is this a watershed moment for public education in America that can positively shift a paradigm for teachers and learners?  How do we keep our foot in the doorway of public education and leave open the possibility of real shift? Might this be a learning experience from which to do school differently for all learners, putting them more in charge of their learning, moving away from content coverage to content depth, appreciating the opportunity and necessity of training educators for “move on when ready”? Might this be an opportunity to shift from assessments happening to learners to assessments providing opportunities for coaching and support?

Everything we are focused at 2Revolutions looks at the work through the prism of increasing agency and equity. I cannot think of two more important elements that should be driving all of our work in transforming learning in K12 education.  How do we, at 2Rev, work to ensure that happens? How do we, as a capacity building provider, engender ownership in our district and higher ed partners in ways that increase the probability that agency will be a core belief and an enduring outcome, ultimately manifesting itself in the learning experience?