When was the last time you felt truly prepared for what's coming next in education?

Not just next week's board meeting or next month's testing cycle.

I'm talking about the seismic shifts happening right now that will fundamentally reshape everything we thought we knew about schools, teaching, and learning.

AI is no longer a distant possibility—it's already in your students' pockets, rewriting their essays, solving their math problems, and quietly rendering obsolete the very skills we've spent decades trying to teach.

I’ve written about this many, many times right here in this newsletter.

In fact, one of my most popular newsletters was titled “Schools Have 36 Months to Figure It Out” in which I argued that schools must pivot to make meaning, not content, the most important aspect of education in this new world we are inheriting

The workforce your students are preparing for doesn't exist yet.

The jobs that will matter most in 2030 haven't been invented.

The competencies that will define success are still being discovered.

And here you are, trying to lead a school into a future you can't fully see.

If that feels overwhelming, you're not alone.

If you're lying awake at night wondering how to prepare students for a world that's changing faster than you can keep up, you're asking the right questions.

If you crave a community of school leaders asking the same questions, you’ve come to the right place!

Here's what I know after years of studying educational innovation and leading transformational schools:

The leaders who will thrive in the next decade aren't the ones with all the answers.

They're the ones brave enough to ask better questions.

They're the ones who understand that future-proofing a school isn't about predicting the future—it's about building the adaptive capacity to navigate whatever comes next.

They're the ones who know that this work is too important and too complex to do alone.

I am convinced that the schools of the future (which really means now) will be places of innovation and creativity, meaning and mattering, community and care, purpose and flourishing

The leaders who begin to walk their schools that direction will be the ones who “future-proof” education

Much in the same way Netflix pivoted and stayed relevant while Blockbuster went under because they could not think ahead, the school leaders who will lead thriving, flourishing, relevant schools will be the ones who start actively reimagining education now

The leaders of these types of schools will be the ones who stand the test, stay the course, and navigate the waters of uncertainty with integrity, care, wisdom, and direction

They are the ones who understand that future proofed education is really harkening back to the true meaning of education: human flourishing

They understand that the next era of education belongs not merely to the mind, but to the fully embodied, fully authentic human being

For the past two months, I’ve been letting you in on a project I’m working on that I could not be more excited about:

This monthly gathering of school leaders is designed to provide insight, inspiration, guidance, strategy, hope, and, most importantly, authentic connection with a group of colleagues who understand the blessing and challenges of leading a school…especially in this brave new era

On January 30th, we're kicking off the 2026 Flourishing School Leaders Cohort with a topic that couldn't be more urgent:

In this 60-minute intensive session, we'll dive into:

The Future-Proof Framework – The core competencies and adaptive systems that prepare students for unprecedented change (spoiler: it's not about more technology)

The Human Advantage – What students need to develop that AI never will, and how to center your school around these irreplaceable capacities

The Innovation Mindset – How to cultivate a culture where experimentation is expected, failure is feedback, and continuous evolution is the norm

The Pedagogy of Meaning - Why meaning is the new curricular advantage

This isn't theoretical. This isn't pie-in-the-sky futurism.

This is practical, actionable guidance for the decisions you're making right now about curriculum, staffing, technology integration, professional development, and the very purpose of your school.

The session itself is valuable.

But the real transformation happens in what comes after:

I'm so committed to getting the right leaders into this cohort that I'm making you an offer I probably shouldn't:

Let me break this down:

✓ 12 monthly live sessions (60 minutes each) starting with "How to Lead a Future-Proof School"
✓ Expert coaching on the topics that matter most to school leaders
✓ Small group collaboration with peers who understand your reality
✓ Live Q&A where YOUR questions get answered
✓ Lifetime access to all session recordings
✓ The Flourishing School Leader's Field Guide (complimentary)
✓ A community that won't let you quit when things get hard

That's less than $35 per month for a year-long leadership transformation…forever!

That means you can engage the topics, conversations, collaboration, strategy, and insights as a team for the full year for just $315 per person! (This offer goes up to $400 per person for a team of 3 after January 25).

This is your professional development, your support system, and your strategic thinking partner all rolled into one.

**Just email me at [email protected] for the special team code

The 2026 cohort is filling up with exactly the kind of leaders you want in your corner:

Brave, courageous, wise, hope-filled leaders who know their learning communities need more than metrics. Who are pursuing purpose and meaning for themselves in order to lead with thoughtful insights in an uncertain world. Leaders who know that real leadership is rooted in relationship.

These are your people.

Wild-eyed and grounded. Passionate and strategic.

Ready to transform education but wise enough to know they can't do it alone

Your spot is waiting.

The community is gathering.

Let's build the future of education together.

Scott Martin

P.S. Still on the fence? Hit reply and talk to me. I read and respond to every email. Sometimes you just need to talk through a decision like this with someone who understands the weight of educational leadership. I'm here.

P.P.S. This offer expires January 25 at midnight. After that, the price returns to $500. If you've been waiting for the right moment to invest in yourself, this is it.