society

“We need more solutions that take the guesswork out of career exploration.” [Weise]

On 09/11/2023, in Amazon, career development, online media, parents/guardians, society, student-related, youth, by Daniel Christian

Which Way to the Fitting Room? — from michelleweise.substack.com by Dr. Michelle R. Weise
Trying on the Jobs of the Future

What if there was a way in which we could try on different careers and pathways? What if there was such a thing as a career pathway fitting room so that we could better understand the direction we might want to pursue before we make an investment or take out a loan?

One venture-backed company called Springpod has made this challenge its central focus: Helping more people not choose the wrong career or pathway. In its current formation in the UK (Springpod is now branching out to the state of Rhode Island), over 400,000 British middle and high school learners can try a “course taster,” or 10 to 15 hours of a university course from an array of universities (1/3 of the postsecondary institutions in the UK offer a course spotlight on Springpod). Alternatively, a learner can try a one- to two-hour work-based learning experience with one of the 200 employers featured on the platform.

From DSC:
Speaking of finding out more about careers, I haven’t yet checked this program out, but we would like our youngest daughter to watch some of its episodes:

Real Life 101 — from amazon.com

Ever wondered what you might want to do for the rest of your life? Have you thought about your “dream” job? Do you have any idea what it takes to get there? Are you headed in the right direction? Real Life 101 takes you “on the job” so you can see for yourself why these professionals love what they do.

Three items re: how Americans are feeling & thinking about their K12 & higher ed learning ecosystems

On 09/06/2023, in colleges, community colleges, education, education reform, higher education, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, society, teachers, trends, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

RE: K12

K-12 Education Satisfaction in U.S. Ties Record Low — from news.gallup.com by Megan Brenan; via Matthew Tower

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

36% satisfied with U.S. K-12 education quality, matching record low in 2000
76% of K-12 parents satisfied with own child’s, 41% with U.S., education
Republicans’ satisfaction with K-12 education at new low of 25%

Still, parents of elementary and secondary school students remain quite satisfied with the education their child is getting, and they offer mostly positive reviews of the performance of their children’s teachers. If parental satisfaction wanes, however, parents may choose to move their child to a different school.

***

RE: HIGHER EDUCATION

Our exclusive poll reveals a mixed bag for colleges — from chronicle.com by Rick Seltzer (and article by Eric Kelderman)

Exclusive new polling by The Chronicle suggests Americans still believe that college credentials have value, even as many hold reservations about higher education’s track record of benefiting society and educating students, our Eric Kelderman reports.

People would generally tell a close friend or relative that getting a college degree is worth it, according to a national survey conducted for The Chronicle. Almost eight in 10 respondents said they’d tell a close friend to seek a bachelor’s degree. Even among those who thought their own associate or bachelor’s degree wasn’t worthwhile, 57 percent would tell a friend to go for a bachelor’s.
…
But wait. Respondents were tepid when asked how well colleges were fulfilling key parts of their missions.

Only 30 percent said colleges were doing an excellent or very good job leveling the playing field for success.
Just 40 percent said colleges are excellent or very good at educating students.
A flashing red light: Those with more education felt worse about colleges’ ability to educate students than did those with a high-school degree or less.

The bigger picture: Colleges still have reservoirs of public support to tap, but they can’t expect to win more hearts and minds merely by telling their stories better. Higher ed’s skeptics include many people who’ve passed through campuses, suggesting business as usual won’t cut it — even when it comes to the core work of educating students.

Education for What? — from gallup.com

Despite enrollment and completion rates declining and Americans’ confidence in higher education falling, the economic case for earning a college degree remains solid. College graduates earn about $1 million more over the course of their working years than U.S. adults with no college degree, on average.

However, a college degree has value beyond financial gain.
…
The results show that additional years of education beyond high school make for a healthier, more civic-minded individual who is more likely to interact with neighbors and family members, and to do work that aligns with their natural talents and interests.

Addendum on 9/11/23:

New study assesses recent community college students’ views on value of their education — from stradaeducation.org by Alicia Garceau Halbert
Most say they accomplished what they wanted from their experience, even though only 1 in 3 completed associate degree

Why Christians need to support diversity professionals, not demonize them [Loyd-Paige]

On 09/06/2023, in Access to Justice (A2J), Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), business, colleges, community colleges, corporate / business world, hearts -- matters of the heart, higher education, morals/values, relationships, religion, society, sociology, trends, United States, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Why Christians need to support diversity professionals, not demonize them — from religionnews.com by Michelle Loyd-Paige
Even among Christians, DEI leaders find themselves isolated and unsupported.

For nearly 39 years, I have taught about and advocated for diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism and social justice in Christian contexts. I have been sustained by the knowledge that diversity is a part of God’s good creation and is celebrated in the Bible.

And not just diversity, but love for our neighbors, care for the immigrant, and justice for the marginalized and oppressed. In fact, the Hebrew and Greek words for justice appear in Scripture more than 1,000 times.

It could be argued that Jesus’ ministry on earth exemplified the value of diversity, the importance of inclusion and the obligation of justice and restoration. Our ministry — in schools, churches, business, wherever we find ourselves — should reflect the same.

From DSC:
I was at Calvin (then College) when Michelle was there. I am very grateful for her work over my 10+ years there. I learned many things from her and had my “lenses” refined several times due to her presentations, questions, and the media that she showed. Thank you Michelle for all of your work and up-hill efforts! It’s made a difference! It impacted the culture at Calvin. It impacted me.

The other thing that hepled me in my background was when my family moved to a much more diverse area. And I’ve tried to continue that perspective in my own family. I don’t know half of the languages that are spoken in our neighborhood, but I love the diversity there! I believe our kids (now mostly grown) have benefited from it and are better prepared for what they will encounter in the real world.

Some scripture for us — including, “What does the LORD require of us?”

On 09/03/2023, in Daniel S. Christian, faith, relationships, religion, society, by Daniel Christian

Micah 6:8

⁸He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly^[a] with your God.

Psalm 119:64

⁶⁴The earth is filled with your love, Lord;
teach me your decrees.

DC: I can’t see the LORD’s face — not in this lifetime. But I can try to fix my *thoughts* & *heart* on the LORD. Thus, slowly & over the years, the transformation is made — via what I think about & how I think.

“Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2

— Daniel Christian (he/him/his) (@dchristian5) August 31, 2023

Don’t Be Fooled: How You Can Master Media Literacy in the Digital Age — from youtube.com by Professor Sue Ellen Christian

During this special keynote presentation, Western Michigan University (WMU) professor Sue Ellen Christian speaks about the importance of media literacy for all ages and how we can help educate our friends and families about media literacy principles. Hosted by the Grand Rapids Public Library and GRTV, a program of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center. Special thanks to the Grand Rapids Public Library Foundation for their support of this program.

Excerpts:

Also relevant/see:

Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s newest exhibit teaches community about media literacy — from mlive.com by Gabi Broekema

“Welcome Back to School. Your Teacher Is 2,000 Miles Away.” [Tagami] + other items re: the K12 learning ecosystem

On 08/28/2023, in education, education reform, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, parents/guardians, society, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, trends, United States, youth, by Daniel Christian

Welcome Back to School. Your Teacher Is 2,000 Miles Away. — from wsj.com by Sara Randazzo; behind paywall
Some parents remain skeptical of piped-in teachers, while schools say they don’t have a choice

Plagued by Teacher Shortages, Some States Turn to Fast-Track Credentialing — from theconversation.com by Elaine S. Povich
Critics worry that the faster programs could do a disservice to young students.

From DSC:
It seems to me that this doesn’t address the problems of WHY teachers are leaving.

The Rising Trend in Private Education: Teeny, Tiny Schools — from wsj.com by Megan Tagami; behind paywall
Families reacting to an influx of voucher funds and postpandemic woes are increasingly choosing so-called microschools

From DSC:
If we can’t get violence in schools under control (a very difficult task without trying to impact peoples’ hearts and minds), this trend could pick up steam big-time.

How educational research could play a greater role in K-12 school improvement — from theconversation.com by Detris Honora Adelabu

Here are four things I believe can be done in order to make sure that educational research is actually being applied.

Build better relationships with school leaders
Make policy and practice part of the research process
Rethink how research impact is measured
Rethink and redefine how research is distributed

6 Challenges for Early Educators as Preschool Growth Halts — from edweek.org by Sarah D. Sparks & Gina Tomko; behind paywall

Addendum on 9/2/23:

American classrooms need more educators. Can virtual teachers step in to bridge the gap? — from usatoday.com by Alia Wong

Some food for our hearts and minds

On 08/28/2023, in ethics, faith, morals/values, relationships, religion, society, by Daniel Christian

2 Chronicles 15:2

He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

1 Corinthians 15:3-8

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

John 6:29

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

Psalms 103:1-5

Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

A Guide to Finding Housing For The Previously Incarcerated [Bennett & Curls]

On 08/25/2023, in Daniel S. Christian, policy, political science, reinvent, society, sociology, surviving, workplace, by Daniel Christian

A Guide to Finding Housing For The Previously Incarcerated — from todayshomeowner.com by Alexis Bennett & Alexis Curls

For many individuals stepping back into society after incarceration, finding a stable place to call home can be complicated. The reality is that those who have been previously incarcerated are almost 10 times more likely to face homelessness compared to the general public. With over 725,000 people leaving state and federal prisons each year, the quest for housing becomes not only a personal challenge but a broader societal concern. Stable housing is crucial for successful reintegration, providing a foundation for building a new chapter in life. In this article, we’ll shed light on the challenges and offer empowering resources for those on their journey to find housing after prison.

Table of Contents

Understanding the Housing Landscape
Utilizing Support Services
Creating a Housing Plan
Securing and Maintaining Housing
Continuing Personal Growth and Reintegration
Conclusion

From DSC:
I’m posting this in the hopes that this information may help someone out there. Also, my dad used to donate some of his time in retirement to an agency that helped people find housing. He mentioned numerous times how important it was for someone to have a safe place to stay that they could call their own.

Letter from the Editor: Experienced teachers are leaving Michigan schools. This is why. — from mlive.com by Matthew Miller

They talked instead about issues like pay, stress and the sense that they no longer had the solid backing of school administrators.

Sue Harper, who retired this summer from Kreeger Elementary in Fowlerville, blamed what she called “bulldozer parents.”
…
“I have never been one to quit anything, and teaching is my passion, but this is not teaching,” one teacher wrote. “This is hours of endless paperwork, this is social work, this is counseling, this is parenting, this is babysitting, this is coaching, this is everything but teaching.”

Also relevant/see:

Low pay, culture wars, and ‘bulldozer parents.’ Why Michigan’s best teachers are calling it quits. — from mlive.com by Melissa Frick and Matthew Miller

Now a change management coordinator for Fifth Third Bank, she said, “I don’t take the stress from my job home. I don’t feel guilty, like I always could be doing more for someone.”

Thousands of experienced teachers have retired or left the profession in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic first closed schools and shifted classes to Zoom.

Teachers say they’re burnt out, tired of a lack of support and lack of respect, feeling the impact of the increasingly acrimonious politics surrounding public education.

And finally:

Michigan Teacher Shortage Study: Comprehensive Report — from epicedpolicy.org by Tara Kilbride, Katharine O. Strunk, Salem Rogers, & Meg Turner; published in January of 2023

Let’s Use ChatGPT to ‘Think Different’ About K-12 Schools — from gettingsmart.com by Kara Stern

So, in addition to asking ChatGPT to think like a school communications professional, a principal, or a teacher, what if we asked ChatGPT to think like the populations we’re serving, as a way of improving the education (or UX) we’re delivering?

Why I Keep Teaching — from edutopia.org by Rachel Jorgensen
A veteran educator explains why, despite the many challenges, she continues to try to change students’ lives, in turn enriching her own.

EVERY TIME I SHOW UP FOR WORK, A STUDENT MIGHT CHANGE MY LIFE FOR THE BETTER

MY WORK HAS INVISIBLE RIPPLE EFFECTS

34 Ways to Quiet a Rambunctious Class — from edutopia.org by Daniel Leonard
From “Silent 20” to imaginary marshmallows, these teacher-tested strategies for all grade levels can help you snap an unruly classroom back to attention.

Per EdSurge:

‘THE MOTH’ GOES TO SCHOOL: For more than a decade, the nonprofit behind the popular storytelling podcast The Moth has run workshops in schools to help students share impactful stories from their lives. Now the group started a spin-off podcast, Grown, highlighting those student stories. Here’s what they’re learning, and why they say storytelling needs to be taught in schools.

The Power of Storytelling for Youth https://t.co/5OyBarJtQp #edtech via @EdSurge

— Daniel Christian (he/him/his) (@dchristian5) August 25, 2023

.

DC: This article is behind a paywall so I couldn’t read it…but I think we need more *fixes/overhauls* and less coping.

More student centered; less legislative/administration centered. https://t.co/MsEe7058XV

— Daniel Christian (he/him/his) (@dchristian5) August 25, 2023

ElevenLabs’ AI Voice Generator Can Now Fake Your Voice in 30 Languages — from gizmodo.com by Kyle Barr
ElevenLabs said its AI voice generator is out of beta, saying it would support video game and audiobook creators with cheap audio.

According to ElevenLabs, the new Multilingual v2 model promises it can produce “emotionally rich” audio in a total of 30 languages. The company offers two AI voice tools, one is a text-to-speech model and the other is the “VoiceLab” that lets paying users clone a voice by inputting fragments of theirs (or others) speech into the model to create a kind of voice cone. With the v2 model, users can get these generated voices to start speaking in Greek, Malay, or Turkish.
…
Since then, ElevenLabs claims its integrated new measures to ensure users can only clone their own voice. Users need to verify their speech with a text captcha prompt which is then compared to the original voice sample.

From DSC:
I don’t care what they say regarding safeguards/proof of identity/etc. This technology has been abused and will be abused in the future. We can count on it. The question now is, how do we deal with it?

Introducing SeamlessM4T, the first all-in-one, multilingual multimodal translation model.

This single model can perform tasks across speech-to-text, speech-to-speech, text-to-text translation & speech recognition for up to 100 languages depending on the task.

Details ??

— Meta AI (@MetaAI) August 22, 2023

Google, Amazon, Nvidia and other tech giants invest in AI startup Hugging Face, sending its valuation to $4.5 billion — from cnbc.com by Kif Leswing

But Hugging Face produces a platform where AI developers can share code, models, data sets, and use the company’s developer tools to get open-source artificial intelligence models running more easily. In particular, Hugging Face often hosts weights, or large files with lists of numbers, which are the heart of most modern AI models.

While Hugging Face has developed some models, like BLOOM, its primary product is its website platform, where users can upload models and their weights. It also develops a series of software tools called libraries that allow users to get models working quickly, to clean up large datasets, or to evaluate their performance. It also hosts some AI models in a web interface so end users can experiment with them.

The global semiconductor talent shortage — from www2.deloitte.com
How to solve semiconductor workforce challenges

Numerous skills are required to grow the semiconductor ecosystem over the next decade. Globally, we will need tens of thousands of skilled tradespeople to build new plants to increase and localize manufacturing capacity: electricians, pipefitters, welders; thousands more graduate electrical engineers to design chips and the tools that make the chips; more engineers of various kinds in the fabs themselves, but also operators and technicians. And if we grow the back end in Europe and the Americas, that equates to even more jobs.

Each of these job groups has distinct training and educational needs; however, the number of students in semiconductor-focused programs (for example, undergraduates in semiconductor design and fabrication) has dwindled. Skills are also evolving within these job groups, in part due to automation and increased digitization. Digital skills, such as cloud, AI, and analytics, are needed in design and manufacturing more than ever.

The chip industry has long partnered with universities and engineering schools. Going forward, they also need to work more with local tech schools, vocational schools, and community colleges; and other organizations, such as the National Science Foundation in the United States.

Our principles for partnering with the music industry on AI technology — from blog.youtube (Google) by Neal Mohan, CEO, YouTube
AI is here, and we will embrace it responsibly together with our music partners.

Principle #1: AI is here, and we will embrace it responsibly together with our music partners.
Principle #2: AI is ushering in a new age of creative expression, but it must include appropriate protections and unlock opportunities for music partners who decide to participate.
Principle #3: We’ve built an industry-leading trust and safety organization and content policies. We will scale those to meet the challenges of AI.

Developers are now using AI for text-to-music apps — from techcrunch.com by Ivan Mehta

Brett Bauman, the developer of PlayListAI (previously LinupSupply), launched a new app called Songburst on the App Store this week. The app doesn’t have a steep learning curve. You just have to type in a prompt like “Calming piano music to listen to while studying” or “Funky beats for a podcast intro” to let the app generate a music clip.

If you can’t think of a prompt the app has prompts in different categories, including video, lo-fi, podcast, gaming, meditation and sample.

A Generative AI Primer — from er.educause.edu by Brian Basgen
Understanding the current state of technology requires understanding its origins. This reading list provides sources relevant to the form of generative AI that led to natural language processing (NLP) models such as ChatGPT.

Three big questions about AI and the future of work and learning — from workshift.opencampusmedia.org by Alex Swartsel
AI is set to transform education and work today and well into the future. We need to start asking tough questions right now, writes Alex Swartsel of JFF.

How will AI reshape jobs, and how can we prepare all workers and learners with the skills they’ll need?
How can education and workforce leaders equitably adopt AI platforms to accelerate their impact?
How might we catalyze sustainable policy, practice, and investments in solutions that drive economic opportunity?

“As AI reshapes both the economy and society, we must collectively call for better data, increased accountability, and more flexible support for workers,” Swartsel writes.

The Current State of AI for Educators (August, 2023) — from drphilippahardman.substack.com by Dr. Philippa Hardman
A podcast interview with the University of Toronto on where we’re at & where we’re going.

Unsurprising move by the ABA. Just a reminder, the legal market is already embracing innovation whether the ABA, or lawyers, participate or not. https://t.co/MJNgqNNXVB

— Timothy B. Corcoran (@tcorcoran) August 25, 2023

***
From DSC:
Having come from various other areas of higher education back in 2017, I was *amazed* to see *how far behind* legal education was from the rest of higher ed. And this is directly tied to what the American Bar Association allows (or doesn’t allow). The ABA has done a terrible job of helping Americans deal with today’s pace of change.

From DSC: If this is true, how will we meet this type of demand?!?

RESKILLING NEEDED FOR 40% OF WORKFORCE BECAUSE OF AI, REPORT FROM IBM SAYS — from staffingindustry.com; via GSV

Generative AI will require skills upgrades for workers, according to a report from IBM based on a survey of executives from around the world. One finding: Business leaders say 40% of their workforces will need to reskill as AI and automation are implemented over the next three years. That could translate to 1.4 billion people in the global workforce who require upskilling, according to the company.

A great example of the morphing going on in the PreK-12 learning ecosystem [Christian]

On 08/21/2023, in change, education, education reform, homeschooling/homeschoolers, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning spaces, parents/guardians, society, student-related, United States, youth, by Daniel Christian

For many home-schoolers, parents are no longer doing the teaching — from washingtonpost.com by Laura Meckler; via Matthew Tower

Her program is part of a company called Prenda, which last year served about 2,000 students across several states. It connects home-school families with microschool leaders who host students, often in their homes. It’s like Airbnb for education, says Prenda’s CEO, because its website allows customers – in this case, parents – to enter their criteria, search and make a match.

An explosion of new options, including Prenda, has transformed home schooling in America. Demand is surging: Hundreds of thousands of children have begun home schooling in the last three years, an unprecedented spike that generated a huge new market. In New Hampshire, for instance, the number of home-schoolers doubled during the pandemic, and even today it remains 40 percent above pre-covid totals.

From DSC:
This is another great example of the morphing going on in the PreK-12 learning ecosystem.

In solitary confinement, your neighbors are your teachers. [West]

On 08/21/2023, in adult learning, career development, corporate / business world, learning ecosystem, society, sociology, workplace, by Daniel Christian

In solitary confinement, your neighbors are your teachers. — from opencampusmedia.org by Charlotte West

Kwaneta Harris, who is incarcerated in Texas, writes about helping the young women who live next to her in solitary confinement learn how to read. This essay was co-published with Slate.

San Quentin is helping men prepare for jobs outside — from college-inside.beehiiv.com by Charlotte West

I visited Employer Day at San Quentin, where 30 incarcerated men sit down with Bay Area employers and apply what they learned during a four-month job readiness program.

Job interviews can be daunting, especially if you’ve never done one before. But even more so if you’ve been incarcerated. I visited Employer Day at San Quentin in March to learn more.

“The Mass Exodus of Teachers” [Proctor] + other K12 related items

On 08/18/2023, in career development, education, education reform, K-12 related, leadership, parents/guardians, society, strategy, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, surviving, teachers, trends, United States, by Daniel Christian

The Mass Exodus of Teachers — from educationoneducation.substack.com by Jeannine Proctor
Understanding Why Educators Are Fleeing the Classroom and How to Bring Them Back

Stemming the tide will require nuance, empathy, and listening to what teachers say they need. While pay raises are indispensable, they alone won’t be enough. Districts must take an integrated approach that also addresses unmanageable workloads, lack of resources, and toxic school cultures.

Some best practices include utilizing multi-classroom teaching models, providing duty-free “coverage” periods, and hiring support staff to shoulder non-instructional burdens. Investing in mentoring and leadership opportunities can stem the turnover of principals and administrators too. Public recognition and appreciation can also go a long way.

Most importantly, we must work to restore teacher well-being, purpose, and passion.

From DSC:
The primary things that would help this very troubling situation:

provide higher salaries
deal with unreasonable workload expectations
address a lack of teacher well-being.

California’s dramatic jump in chronically absent students part of a nationwide surge — from edsource.org by Betty Marquez Rosales, Millika Seshadri, and Daniel J. Willis

Dee’s analysis found that since the pandemic the number of students who were chronically absent nearly doubled to about 13.6 million, with 1.8 million of them in California.

Compared with before the pandemic, Dee found that about 6.5 million additional students became chronically absent in 2021-22, including more than 1 million in California.

Daily Briefing: Dual enrollment for every 9th grader? — from chronicle.com by Rick Seltzer

The idea of default is also an important idea. If we do it by invitation, what we have noticed is that those who know about it know to say yes to the invitation. If it is a default schedule, and then you have to opt out, then our ability to address equity and enrollment for our low-income students and students of color, it makes us much more successful.

These would-be teachers graduated into the pandemic. Will they stick with teaching? — from hechingerreport.org by Nirvi Shah
We tracked down nearly 90 members of the University of Maryland College of Education’s 2020 class. Their experiences suggest the field isn’t doing enough to adapt to a new, more difficult era for educators

The number of people studying for careers in education has been declining for years. At the same time, schools have struggled to hold on to new teachers: Studies indicate that about 44 percent of teachers leave the profession within their first five years.

Then the pandemic came along, hammering teachers and the profession as a whole.

“The first three years of teaching are really, really hard even in a perfect school system,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. So for teachers who entered the teaching profession at any point during the pandemic, “this has been a helluva ride.”

As Back-to-School Costs Soar, More Parents & Teachers Turn to Charities for Help — from the74million.org by Sierra Lyons
But as the need increases, inflation makes it harder for nonprofits to meet this year’s demand.

A study from World Remit shows that the cost of school supplies in the United States has increased by over 25% compared with 2022.

Though inflation is the lowest it has been since March 2021, high prices are still stressing shoppers and increasing their reliance on local and national back-to-school drives. The nonprofit organizations that sponsor those drives, in turn, are struggling to meet the growing demand.

Excerpt from Tom Barrett’s Dialogic #329: The Transformative Power of Compassionate Leadership

Your Next Steps: ?Commit to action and turn words into works

Reflect on your current leadership style and identify opportunities to incorporate more compassionate practices. Consider the Appreciative Inquiry model to guide this process.
Develop an empathy-driven approach to problem-solving and team dynamics, focusing on fostering a culture of understanding, collaboration, and mutual respect.
Revisit your feedback mechanisms and explore how they can be made more compassionate. Consider how critique can be delivered with kindness to empower, rather than tear down.

What Defines a Next-Gen High School? — from michaelbhorn.substack.com by Michael B. Horn

Against that backdrop, Ken Montgomery, co-founder of Design Tech High, known as D-Tech, and Keeanna Warren, who just became the CEO of the Purdue Polytechnic High School network, joined me to talk about their school designs, in particular the importance of:

helping students connect to something bigger than the school itself;
offering competency-based learning pathways with a transformed assessment system;
allowing students to find their creative purpose aligned to the common good;
and building a more permeable school that is connected to the community and offers a deep sense of belonging.

They also talked about the role of AI (artificial intelligence) and the anxiety that their students feel around its emergence, as well as the barriers that arise to building school models that break the traditional molds—from policy to human capital.

Learning Ecosystems

Why Christians need to support diversity professionals, not demonize them [Loyd-Paige]

Some scripture for us — including, “What does the LORD require of us?”

Some food for our hearts and minds

A Guide to Finding Housing For The Previously Incarcerated [Bennett & Curls]

If this is true, how will we meet this type of demand?!? [Christian]

In solitary confinement, your neighbors are your teachers. [West]

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