A Once In A Century Opportunity to Reimagine

American Education

We are living in the Learning Age

New Learning Organizations

Schools will be transformed from teaching organizations into learning organizations.

Schools will no longer be “The” learning place … they will become hubs in a network of learning organizations, places, and spaces.

Afterschool programs will no longer be “After” … they will be fully integrated into the learning network.

I. Learning-Age Competencies

Core Competencies: in language arts, reasoning, information literacy, mathematics, sciences, and social sciences necessary for college and workforce success;

Creative Competencies: including creative expression in the arts, critical thinking, innovative and collaborative problem solving, and resourcefulness;

Communication Competencies: with languages, digital media, social networking, and content creation technologies; and

Cultural Competencies: including cultural understanding, personal and communal responsibility, adaptability and resilience, an ability to engage in productive teamwork, and active citizen participation.

II. An Open Learning Economy

User-driven and user-created learning environments.

Co-created learning content and learning spaces (smart networking).

Deep personalization in participatory learning communities.

New education roles, learning relationships, and multiple career paths emerge – Learning Teams.

KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Map of Future

Forces www.kwfdn.org/map

III. A Learning-Age Workforce Millennials are Leaving Schools

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

Entrants Leavers

Millenials are Leaving Schools

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

Non-retirement leavers Retirees

Generation X Generation Y

Age Distribution of U.S. Teachers

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

20 30 40 50 60 70

1993–94 1999–2000 2003–04 # of Teachers

Age:

Baby Boomers, born between 1945 and 1964, were between 40 and 59 when the most recent national teacher survey was done. These Boomers, who now constitute 53% of the U.S. teaching workforce are be between 45 and 63 during this school year. Source: U.S. Ed. NCES Schools and Staffing Survey for 2003-2004

Baby Boomers

Baby Boomer Educators

53% of teachers – 1.7 million – are Boomers.

Average age of principals is 56.

Average teacher retirement age is 59.

In 19 states more than 50% of the teachers

are already over fifty.

Who Will Work in 21st Century Schools?Digital-Age teachers and youth are eager to

work in collaborative learning spaces.

70% of the 1.7 Million Boomer teachers would stay engaged in education – as coaches and mentors in a collaborative learning culture.

20 million Boomers want to work in encore careers in education or youth service – as lifelong learners.

Learning Teams

IV. Learning – Age Change Process

From Managed Reform

To Communal Responsibility for 21st Century Learning Organizations, Places, and Spaces.

Remake American Education

Over 70% of teachers and principals report that they are interested in using Learning Teams to transform their schools into learning organizations.

The rest of the world is already doing it!

From Perry Mason….to Legal Teams

From Dr. Kildare to Medical Teams

From Flash Gordon… to NASA teams

From Superheroes to Super Teams

From the Stand-Alone Teacher of the 1950s…

…to the Stand-Alone Teacher of the 21st Century

A 21st Century Education Action Agenda

Traditional – Fix What We Have Develop better teachers, better schools, and better

afterschool programs. Integrate technology into schools and afterschool programs.

Transitional – Improve What We Have Teams transform schools and afterschool programs into

learning organizations. Use technology to integrate schools and afterschool

programs into an open learning economy.

Transformational – Create What We Need Teams weave school and afterschool programs into a

network of learning spaces: 24/7 - 360 days a year community learning.

An Emerging 21st Education System

Learning Studios – NASA Learning Teams.

South Carolina “Inside out Schools.”West Virginia “Education in Public.”

If We Join Forces We Can Remake American

Education by

Creating A Network of 21st Century Learning

Organizations

“Remember that a small group of thoughtful committed people can

change the world.” (Margaret Mead: Culture and Commitment 1969)

“We are the ones we have been waiting for.”

(Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States)

2100 M Street, NW

Suite 660

Washington, DC 20037

202-429-2570

Tom Carroll, Presidenttcarroll@nctaf.org

WWW.NCTAF.ORG