In this brief interview, Ray James, Head of School at the Boyce Ansley School in Atlanta, GA and a 2Revolutions coach, shares how his work with 2Revolutions has profoundly influenced his school leadership. He emphasizes leading with empathy and human-centered design, which has contributed to a 90% retention rate at his school, a significant achievement in urban and trauma-impacted environments. Ray also discusses integrating real-world learning and creating a "portrait of a learner" to guide educational goals.

What came first, the chicken or the egg? This old adage has arguably been up for debate since the question was first posed. While it can be argued that the chicken had to be first for the egg to appear, don't all chickens in fact start out in eggs? Similarly, which is more important: having a policy that is permissive and enabling, or having solid systems and best practices in place to realize the vision of the policies?

In 2023–whether you want to admit it or not–race still matters. Unlike gender, religion, socioeconomic status, or any other demographic identifier, the only one that can be truly "seen" (or easily assumed) is your race. It impacts what people say in conversations, how they view situations, where people choose to send their students for school, and even where they choose to worship on Sunday mornings.

I knew that these were the students, and in turn the communities, who would always be left behind by a system that–due to its one-size-fits-all approach to literacy–was never designed for the success of all. So what was the alternative? I continued to grow in my knowledge and understanding of the content, began to study the Future of Learning, and was ultimately given the opportunity to dive headlong into this question when I became a member of the KIPP Wheatley National Equity Audit team.

Each fall, American schools open their doors to kids and adults anticipating the next chapter in their lives. For students, it’s a time of wonder and hope–wondering what the new grade or school will offer and hoping for success and for familiar faces in class.

Mindset is defined as a mental attitude or inclination (Merriam-Webster). Since 2011, I've worked in education in some capacity–whether reading to kids as a volunteer, substitute teaching, running university-wide programming, directly teaching my own students, or leading as an administrator.