“I’m not crazy; I’m not alone.”
In our early years at Education Reimagined, we heard this revelation again and again. It was expressed in a near whisper over phone calls by bold, yet exhausted, school founders. It was declared in front of conference rooms by educators, overwhelmed with inspiration and validation to be surrounded by those who shared their vision and audacity. And the sentiment—if not the exact words—shone through the eyes of young people, as they gathered to discover that their schools were no longer seen as “the other” or “the alternative,” but as transformational and cutting-edge.
Finding that aligned community was like a breath of fresh air—a chance to move past justifying their approach to exploring the how: How does your learning environment cultivate learner agency and build community connections? How do you track and celebrate a learner’s progress beyond traditional grades? How do you ensure every learner feels included and supported, as they learn in diverse communities? How do you build strong, trust-based relationships among learners, educators, and families?
In those days, spaces for learner-centered leaders were relatively rare, and the approach itself was often dismissed. Today, the education landscape has shifted. Though the standardized system remains dominant, conversations about engaging, holistic, and community-integrated learning are gaining momentum. Longtime voices for education transformation are receiving more recognition, and leaders now know they aren’t crazy—or alone.
This is cause for celebration. The learner-centered movement is solidifying, making it easier for leaders to connect and learn from one another. Employers seek a workforce of creative, collaborative leaders who know how to fail forward. Families and communities are recognizing the value of education that nurtures not just academic achievement but also personal growth, resilience, and purpose. This growing alignment signals an unprecedented opportunity to reimagine education for a rapidly evolving world.
This also means, more and more, the hard questions we’ve long asked of ourselves are now being asked of us. For example:
- How do we demonstrate the tangible impacts of learner-centered education for children and communities?
- How do we measure its success in equitably serving youth across diverse backgrounds and experiences?
- How do we design structures and systems that enable its equitable and widespread adoption?
- How do we shape policy conditions that allow learner-centered education to thrive and endure?
Finding that aligned community was like a breath of fresh air—a chance to move past justifying their approach to exploring the how.
Demi Edwards
Answering these questions and others will be essential to making learner-centered education a public education reality for every child and family in the country. The path won’t be linear or predictable and we’ll discover things we didn’t even know we were looking for; it will be a learning journey unto itself.
Education Reimagined is eager to continue in this journey with the field, as a vision holder, convener, storyteller, and catalyst. As the learner-centered movement ventures into new domains, so do we—expanding our scope to include policy, research, and systems change.
Over the last eighteen months, in collaboration with many of you, we’ve distilled key insights into new offerings designed to inspire bold thinking and drive action. As we enter 2025, we invite you to revisit—or explore for the first time—how these reports and resources weave together, building the case for a learner-centered education future. So far…
- Together with Karen Pittman and Merity Irby of Knowledge to Power Catalysts, we investigated whether there’s authentic demand for learner-centered education and ecosystems, uncovering who’s calling for it and why.
- Partnering with History Co:Lab and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, we’ve asked: What are some of the bright spots of systems reinvention in communities across the country? What factors have made this progress possible?
- Dr. Khara Schonfeld Karan studied common practices across learner-centered environments and revealed how they impact learner experiences, as well as how those experiences compare against other more conventional approaches.
- Finally, Sarah Bishop-Root analyzed how and where states are already creating space for learner-centered transformation, deepening our understanding of what it takes for this approach to gain traction.
What have we learned? A lot. Yes—there’s significant demand for learner-centered education. Parents, educators, employers, and, most importantly, learners themselves are eager for fresh approaches. Our data showed that where learner-centered practices are present, learners report greater agency, choice, respect, and belonging. We’ve also highlighted bright spots in places like Texas, California, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Indiana, as well as uncovered key state-level policies that enable learner-centered design to take hold.
Even beyond these reports, we’ve been in learning mode. This past year, we:
- Launched a cohort of twelve communities exploring how to make learner-centered ecosystems a reality;
- Released a short film series to highlight the transformative power of learner-centered education;
- Visited dozens of learner-centered sites to learn firsthand from their success, challenges, and ambitions; and
- Gathered young people to embolden them as advocates for education transformation (and for themselves!).
These resources and efforts represent just the beginning of what’s possible. As we continue to address critical questions of equity, systemic change, and sustainability, we recognize that new opportunities and challenges will arise. We are ready to meet them, together with you.
We hope you’ll join us on this journey. Remember: you’re not crazy, and you’re not alone.
