In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with a period of major social and racial upheaval, Reimagine America’s Schools has redirected its 2020 work plan to tackle how these disruptions might change public schools and how the design of the learning environment must also evolve to support these changes.

Our objectives are unchanged; we’re still working to leverage public funds invested in school construction and modernization to support new ways of learning in our public schools. To guide our 2020 -2021 work, we have divided our activities into three phases:
I - Ideation, II - Application, and III - Implementation.

Five Key Drivers

Reimagine America’s Schools has identified key drivers that will reshape public education. Three drivers directly affecting the design of school facilities are equity, technology, and active & inquiry learning (including STEM, STEAM, Maker, project based and personalized learning.)  In addition, we have identified a fourth driver that will help support the urgently needed transformation of public education, namely change itself.  How do we engage civic and education leaders to more effectively and consistently embrace change and reimagine their schools? Finally, a fifth driver is the evolving role for schools during periods of emergency, crisis and disaster.

Equity.  Perhaps the most devastating revelation of the pandemic and simultaneous social upheaval is the full extent to which racism and educational inequities have tragically cheated millions of Americans from opportunity and even health. A fact that has been present but has never been so visibly evident, and we as a nation must take tangible, purposeful steps to address this injury inflicted upon fellow citizens. Civic and education leaders have a central role in addressing racial and economic inequity in education and communities.  

RAS Focus:  The concept of community school has been around for a while. First introduced in the 1920’s, then revisited and enhanced during Richard Riley’s time as Secretary of the Department of Education in the 1990’s. We believe it’s time for a new look at this community-based initiative, so RAS will be launching Community School 3.0 to reimagine how this initiative can help address the disparity and inequalities found in underserved neighborhoods — with school as the foundational institution. The results of Community School 3.0 will offer mayors, foundation executives and education leaders tangible strategies to significantly expand and extend support to underserved neighborhoods, families and students.

Technology.  Educational technology has been a growing driver for change in education for decades. However, with the shift to remote learning during the pandemic, technology is gaining force as a driver of change. It is also clear that the absence of access to technology has further diminished opportunity for large groups of students.

RAS Focus:  Technology touches every aspect of the educational experience, including the physical space where educators and students work. Yet, there has been very little opportunity for educators, technologists and designers to explore how more collaborative work can result in a seamless integration of virtual and physical space, between remote learning and in-person learning. Working with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), Reimagine America’s Schools will lead a series of exploratory investigations on this under-leveraged subject.

Active & Inquiry Learning.  In recent years, new methods have been introduced which engage learners in more active, hands-on learning experiences. With the introduction of STEM, STEAM, Maker, project based and personalized learning strategies, the landscape of education is changing and students are seeing better outcomes in their educational achievement.  While educational programs are changing, there is a significant disconnect with the design of the learning environment and too many schools are still built based on models from the past century. 

RAS Focus:  Creating a learning environment that supports and enhances active & inquiry learning was the major focus for Reimagine America’s Schools prior to the pandemic, and continues to be a driver as we look at education after the pandemic. For example, working with the Pittsburgh-based Grable Foundation and Remake Learning, RAS convened design workshops with 16 grantees in Western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia to help them conceive design solutions for their active & inquiry learning programs. An essential element which made this program especially important is the ability to demonstrate how these transformational programs can be implemented on extremely limited budgets.  

In the coming months, RAS will curate national programs that expand on the Remake Learning results and explore other ways that school districts can benefit from an active & inquiry learning curriculum in their schools.

Strategies for Change.  Often, progressive educators and civic leaders are undermined by the very institutions they are attempting to change. Change is hard, but we must resist the temptation to go back to pre-pandemic strategies. RAS will study ways that school districts, cities and states have successfully navigated change and create a series of case studies to provide concrete guidelines and practical strategies that can be adapted to be used in cities across the nation.

Crisis Preparedness and Sustainability.  During periods of crisis and emergencies, the school often becomes the de facto center for community support. For example, during the pandemic, schools have continued to provide food to students and families, and during periods of catastrophic weather, many schools become the neighborhood shelter.  Schools were not designed for this purpose, but have quickly been enlisted as a resource for support and protection. As our communities face greater challenges from crisis, emergencies and dramatic changes in the climate, underserved neighborhoods are especially hard hit and face daily challenges. How might we create infrastructure in the design of the school facility that is better adapted for alternative uses during periods of crisis?

Moonshot Project 

If you were to invent Public Schools today, what would it look like?  That is the question that Reimagine America’s Schools and our partner Citizen Schools will explore. The systems and structures of American Public education were designed for a different generation, different culture and different economy; there was a time that this institution served our nation well. But our nation’s economy and culture have evolved in significant ways, and demand a re-examination of the role schools play in the education and support of our young people, and the design of the spaces in which they learn. 

As an engagement that addresses all of the issues, we boldly seek to create a new model for our public education. Working together, Citizen Schools, Reimagine America’s Schools, and a partner district will convene a series of design workshops to develop a series of written and visual materials to inspire radical change. We will ask members of our selected community — from young people to policy leaders — to participate as collaborative problem solvers and designers and help scaffold their engagement. Finally, the CS/RAS teams will create visual images, designs and other graphic materials, and both institutions will partner in the development of written materials for publication.

Thoughtful, integrated design that has students’ development at its heart can build competencies that will create a pipeline to their success. This tangible proof of concept will show school leaders and the districts in which they serve that successful active & inquiry learning is possible when we design for the outcomes we want to see. 

National Convenings

In addition to a series of forums and interviews to collect the best thinking on the topics outlined herein, RAS will organize two major online national events. Working with Remake Learning, RAS will convene a summit this Fall on the Blueprint for Learning initiative to help educators see how they can introduce active & inquiry learning programs in their district on a limited budget.

And, in November, RAS will convene a national capstone summit presenting the outcomes, recommendations and strategies featuring the programs outlined above. Our goal is to provide civic, philanthropic and education leaders creative, forward-leaning ideas and strategies that will contribute to the national effort to build a new vision for American Public education.

Summary

Our work extends beyond vision, beyond theory and beyond strategy. We’re creating the blueprint for a future where education, equity and community co-exist, with school at the intersecting point. We’re planning learning environments that support next-generation technology and new learning modalities. Change is hard, but we can’t go back. It’s time to Reimagine America’s Schools.