Dear Pioneers,

I am excited to wish Education Reimagined a happy birthday! It was just over two years ago (September 29th) that the vision was released and a community of learner-centered pioneers began to blossom. We are inspired by how much the community has grown since the original 28 education leaders signed and released the vision. We are now more sure than ever that together we can make learner-centered education a reality for the country.

A birthday is always a good time to reflect on what you are grateful for, acknowledge what has been accomplished so far, and recalibrate what your future ambitions hold.

We are so grateful for the opportunity to give our lives to such a worthwhile vision and be in partnership with the most courageous and enlivening people we know—all of you. We are grateful for the inspiring leadership of the young leaders in SparkHouse, the bold vision and fearless leadership of those in Pioneer Lab, and the foresight and continued leadership of our Advisory Board and national players.

We have put a great deal of focus and intention into growing each of these communities. And, we will continue to do so because our collective effort is the only thing that will make the national shift to learner-centered education inevitable and irreversible. There is no quick fix or silver bullet.

Collectively, members of the community are building communities of practice and supporting educators; advancing learner-centered models; and creating new systems that support those models. They are also changing the conditions in which learner-centered environments exist— shifting the public narrative and creating demand (like Sam Chaltain and Todd Rose); removing policy barriers to innovation (like KnowledgeWorks, Education Evolving, and iNACOL); and ensuring the learner-centered ecosystem has the needed financial support (like Nellie Mae, Jaquelin Hume Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and Bush Foundation).

On this birthday, we are more present than ever to the unprecedented opportunity learner-centered pioneers have to collectively ensure this is not another flash in the pan but that it is a shift that endures and transforms the lives of kids everywhere.

Warm wishes,

Kelly

P.S. Don’t miss the three sessions, including the closing keynote, we’ll be hosting at iNACOL Symposium 2017.