Transforming Schools

Let us engage in a thought experiment, shall we?

Let’s say that we woke up tomorrow and found that every student in every school in every neighborhood in America aced every test and graduated with straight A’s.

Would this be schooling in the best interests of students, communities, and the world?

My Answer Is No

Even if we woke up tomorrow and found that every student graduated from every school with straight A’s

I do not believe that we would have helped the children in our care answer the deepest, most pressing, most vital questions of their lives

Nor would we have given them an education worthy of their time in our schools

In other words, even if we hit the target and students achieved “more” in the current, traditional system of schooling of

• desks and rows

• quizzes and worksheets

• tests and grades

I believe we may find such a version of achievement does more harm than good.

As the research on test anxiety shows, the students making straight “A”s are often the most stressed out, anxious, and overwhelmed

This is my point:

If the North Star of schooling is accomplishment and achievement (most closely connected with grades and test scores) then we may be doing more harm when we hit the target then when we miss.

What is needed is not school “reform”—doing the same thing, but only more so—but school “transformation” 

Trans-formation = to change from

The word “trans-formation” literally means “to change the form of / to form anew”

To “reform” schools is to help them do what they already do…only “more so” or “better” (helping students get better test scores, for example)

To work for the transformation of schools is to work to change them from one way of being to something else entirely

To reimagine their very form, their essence, their purpose

To change them from what is to what could be

To literally “form anew”

Transformation is what happens when the acorn becomes the oak tree

There is a literal “form” change that elevates it from one way of being to a higher, better, fuller, more intentional way of being

Or…to say it another way…to transform from the acorn to the oak tree is to see the acorn become what it was meant to be!

And what would a transformed school look like?

Transformed schools are places of discovery…both intellectually and personally

They help students discover their passions, purpose, and meaning

They are places of wonder and play

They are places of innovation and creativity

They are places that honor students’ time and invite them to lead the learning

They are hubs of innovation and design

They are ecosystems of care that let every student know how valued and valuable they are

They create paths for students to put their talents, intellect, and drive to work designing solutions to pressing issues

They are places where educators are honored for the nobility of their craft

They are oriented towards the North Star of human formation with the goal of health and flourishing for every student.

They take seriously the reality that education is always formative

We must transform schools to be places that bring forth the flourishing of every student

That is the very work we are trying to do at Odyssey Leadership Academy: a school designed to reimagine the entire ecosystem of education!

We started OLA to be a model for what healthy, imaginative, transformative schooling could be.

At OLA, the formation of healthy human beings in their most formative years is our top priority.

At OLA, we cultivate an ecosystem of care wherein each and every student is known, valued, and cherished precisely for the person they are.

We give students the opportunity to tell better stories for their own lives and for the communities in which they find themselves.

We strive to be a place that shapes the imaginations and affections of our students not to prepare them for the real world, but to help them shape a better world for us all.

We are convinced that a vision of education rooted in health begins not with information, but with the in/formation of persons committed to the well-being and flourishing of themselves and their communities.

To this end, the Odyssey model

• Uses a narrative transcript instead of GPA

• Offers project based, learner centered courses that give students voice and agency

• Starts every day with mentor time to provide a place of belonging for each student

• Creates partnerships within our city so students get to learn from real world experts in real time

• Offers Mastery programs designed around students’ passions and interests

• Hosts Celebrations of Learning student showcases that highlight student creativity and invite the entire community to attend

• Asks students what courses they want to take

• Invites students to become engineers, artists, authors, chemists, poets, botanists, bakers, historians, musicians, researchers, designers, advocates, explorers, and scholars in their own right

Odyssey Leadership Academy is one school working to transform schooling…but there are many others!

• High Tech High in San Diego

• Longview Micro School and the Number Lab in Austin

• Mount Vernon Institute for Innovation in Atlanta

To name a few!

→ Key Takeaway: If we want to see healthier students, healthier schools, and healthier communities, we must begin by going upstream to transform, to form anew, schools oriented towards the North Star of human and communal flourishing

→ Today’s Action Step: Think of one key place in your area of influence you can begin to “trans/form” learning in your school.

Consider:

• Welcoming students at the door to your classroom

• Creating more opportunities for student voice

• Sending parents random “encouragement emails” throughout the school year

• Hosting “Celebrations of Learning” student showcases and invite the larger community to attend

• Advocating for a narrative transcript instead of GPA

What other ideas do you have to transform your school community?

My life’s work is to help see schools transformed into places of human and communal flourishing. When you are ready, here are 4 ways I can help you:

→ Check out the work we are doing at Odyssey Leadership Academy: If you would like to see a model of schooling that has completely shaken the Etch-a-Sketch to transform what schools could be, we would love to have you check us out! We offer site visits and collaborative cohorts for teachers, administrators, and those wanting to tell a better story for education! Give us a shout!

→Check out my website: If you're looking for direct, one-on-one advice on transforming your school or classroom, my website is where I take all the wisdom, experience, struggle, knowledge, and expertise I have learned over my 30 years as a thought leader in reimagining education and bring it all to YOU! From one-on-one dream sessions, to consulting with your team, to sharing at your site, I am passionate about helping you make a difference in your learning community.

→ The Flourishing Schools Podcast: For a more in-depth, deep dive into thinking imaginatively about schooling, check out my “Flourishing Schools” podcast, where I jam with thought leaders, experts, community leaders, educators, students, and parents on all things related to the intersection of schools and student well-being

→ The Odyssey Center for Transformative Schooling: If you are looking for more upstream, systemic resources, the OCTS is just the thing! From leader cohorts to educator collaboratives, onsite training to inspirational retreats, this is the hub for inspiring hope and resourcing transformation! The OCTS partners with insightful, innovative educators just like you from around the world to help bring about upstream, systemic change.