We partner with individuals, classrooms, schools, and organizations to foster new conversations and a new vision for schooling at the local and national levels.
Here we share the stories from students, educators, parents, leaders, and community members across the country. Each story is an expression of an individual's hopes, fears, joys, and aspirations. Each story is unique and powerful on its own. Together they are the collective dreams of a nation.
We hope you will enjoy browsing and sharing your thoughts. You can search for your state, or people you know by using the search bar. Intrigued, Inspired?! Sign up to be a Catalyst!
I hope when my daughter is grown up that she has a job she really enjoys that she feels confident in. I hope that she has meaningful relationships in her life. I hope that she has lots of time beyond work to live a fulfilled life and pursue some of her other passions besides what she's going to do for work. I hope she feels that life is happy and that she's healthy and positive.
Read More"Sometimes schools can be so prescriptive and it’s hard to have that ability to adjust. You have to remember as a teacher that you need to be a great listener--responding to what they feel and what they want, rather than constantly making sure they’re hitting certain benchmarks, but getting more personal feedback from your students."
Read MoreDo you want to say more about what you see your mission as?
Oh sure, yeah: Subverting the public education system in the US that exists today. And trying to create something meaningful and real that empowers young people to become critical thinkers and to change society. ... I see public schooling's intention as creating complacent citizens that will carry out what needs to be done to promote the survival of the capitalist system. I don’t think it’s a healthy organism.
Read MoreBased on the other teachers I know in other schools, they aren’t given the freedom to try things and fail. Some of my better lessons come from a crappy one before. Principals and admin elsewhere think they know best, and try to tell teachers in what order content should be taught, and what experiences are acceptable or not acceptable - they don’t let teachers experiment and see works and what doesn’t.
Read MoreI would like an education system in which we would have space for kids to develop at their own pace without being labeled, where kids could pursue and explore various different things, where they weren’t bound to desks and could be doing all kinds of other things, where they could have a democratic sense of the world around them - with a voice and a stake.
Read More"You want them to be academically successful. But, part of that skill building is ideally helping them become good people. Somebody who is an activist and an advocate for those people on the fringes, somebody who doesn’t shy away from saying the unpopular thing even though it’s the right thing."
Read More"I think it’s important we show that school is something that happens at school and at home, that teachers partner with parents and work together."
Read More"Honestly as long as she’s doing something that she enjoys, it's not about how much money she's making."
Read More"Schools should get students excited about learning. School should be a joyful place, overwhelmingly joyful. I want schools to help elicit joyfulness in learning and development in my child."
Read More"Schools should push every child to be themselves, and give them the resources and support they need to pursue what they want to pursue. But also give them the space for them to figure that out for themselves. This is a difficult thing to do, but I think if schools are places of wonder and excitement, it’s okay if kids are on different levels."
Read MoreRead More“I think back to the one-on-one parent-teacher conferences that I had when I said, ‘Your child is reading below grade level, here are some flashcards you can do with him,’ instead of saying, ‘You know what? Your child is really compassionate. He always wants to help others and problem solve, and reading will come.’”
"A lot of people are angry in the world right now. I think a lot of it is that they are overwhelmed at how hard life is and they want someone with answers to solve their problems. If they had a deeper understanding of the complexities of human affairs and of their own souls, they would be at peace with their own complexities."
Read More"I think [school] is really about developing values and there are so many ways to do that. Curriculum matters less and less the more I think about it. But, that's not feasible in our society; we are beholden to these content driven standards. But, I think that…deriving the ability to think deeply, to communicate and ask questions, to recognize beauty and be inspired by it… that's ideally what schools do and those are the skills that kids remember and hold on to.”
Read More“In terms of happiness, I don’t want to assign intelligence or humor or some other quality because it’s not set for each person as to what makes them happy but I mean happiness in terms of being confident and content with your life as it is”
Read More"To me, happiness is family, and friends, and doing something that’s meaningful in your life. And it’s also partly making enough money that you don’t have to worry about things. You can do the things you want to do. You don’t have to worry about your next meal or how you’ll pay for your kids’ college. You can afford the necessary things and some fun things as well."
Read MoreThere seems to be a fear of failure [in schools]. School should teach kids that being challenged is the process of learning, and that not knowing or failing is okay.
Read More“Personally, as a parent you just want them to be peaceful with their life and happy with it. That brings me peace.”
Read More“This cut-throat mentality is put down into schools instead of creating relationships that they need to build good lives. You're not grooming your child to think of anyone but themselves.”
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