The Future of Education… It’s Here

Education is one of the most pressing issues of our time. Nearly three-quarters of Americans say education needs to fundamentally change, according to Populace, focusing more on practical, tangible skills and outcomes. Yet the “school cliff” grows each year — recently, two-thirds of students said they aren’t engaged by the end of high school. There are many statistics and stories that speak to widespread frustration with the status quo. We need to build better education options to help families overcome practical barriers and empower schools, educators, and parents to drive innovation, so they’re excited to discover their best path in life.

Every child has potential but learns in their own way. I’ve come to a deeper understanding of this truth by talking with families who have directly experienced the challenges and failures of the education system. I’ve also seen it as a parent myself.

I’ve worked to get my kids into schools and programs that treat them as individuals. But my kids aren’t the only ones who need that. A 2022 study from Tyton Partners found that more than 50% of parents want K-12 education to take a more student-centric approach. Developmental psychology scientist Todd Rose has said there’s an “exhausted majority” of families who want their kids to learn to think for themselves and find a career “with meaning and purpose.” That’s why nearly 17% of parents chose new education options for their children in 2022 — a huge shift in just 12 months.

My kids are all unique. The eldest loves to read, but my middle child enjoys learning math with gamification through Khan Academy. My youngest is obsessed with learning through physical objects. Their distinct interests and skills mean there’s no single best way to teach them. What works for one usually doesn’t work for the others. When I’ve tried to make my kids learn things the same way, the result is usually a disaster. They get frustrated, and so do I! They learn best at different paces, ways and environments.

But most education systems are built to treat every child the same way. K-12 education is typically built around a “teach-to-test” model, whether it’s public or private school. Between kindergarten and 12th grade, the typical student takes 112 standardized tests. They’re judged against the “average” student, yet as Todd Rose has shown (and as every parent can attest), there’s no such thing as an average student. Every person is unique, with distinct interests and aptitudes.

No wonder most high-school students are checked out. K-12 students saw their largest-ever declines in reading and math scores last year. The system teaches to the test, not to motivate students to want to learn. Their individual gifts and development are far more important than any standardized test. They need more innovation, personalization and experiential, hands-on learning.

Families realize students deserve better. And I’m doing my part to help them discover what better could look like.

I never thought I’d speak at a groundbreaking ceremony for a space solely dedicated to education innovation. As my parents can attest, I wasn’t always the best student! But this fall, I addressed a group of attendees at the launch celebration of Learning Lab Wichita, a place for education entrepreneurs to collaborate on new and better ways to help students succeed, whether in local public school districts, Wichita Collegiate School (my alma mater) or any other school or learning program.

Regardless of the setting, the Lab’s focus is an educational approach that is laser-focused on each student. In this vision, which guides a lot of my work at Stand Together, everyone is empowered to direct their own learning journey, discovering and developing their specific talents. I used to wonder if this vision was achievable. Now I know it is.

One of the innovative projects that the Learning Lab will host is the “Khan Lab School.” It’s the brainchild of Sal Khan, who’s proving that we can tailor education to every student — affordably and at scale.

Take Khan Academy, Sal’s flagship project. It offers free online courses, teacher tools, and a program designed to let students learn at their own pace, but with the concept of mastering levels before moving on to the next. More than 160 million students have used it worldwide. Students who use Khan Academy for at least 30 minutes per week surpass typical projections for academic growth. For example, students who use Khan Academy’s math tool, MAP Accelerator, for at least 30 minutes a week exceed projected growth by 26–38%.

Khan is proving it again with Schoolhouse.world, a newer online platform that offers peer-to-peer tutoring. This approach helps students receive high-quality tutoring at no cost. More than 55,000 students use it, with more than 100,000 tutoring sessions and counting. I was especially inspired by the story of a teen who helped a 52-year-old man finally earn his high-school diploma. Turns out, everyone can benefit from a more personalized approach to education, including you and me.

Khan is even experimenting with artificial intelligence. He thinks generative AI can help make world-class, personalized mastery education accessible, leading to rapid improvement in learning outcomes. I have seen the power of Sal’s first GenAI platform — Khanmigo — and it’s mindblowing what this can already do to transform a kid’s learning experience.

I am so proud to partner with Sal Khan, who I think is the world’s leading entrepreneur in education. But Sal isn’t the only innovator at Learning Lab. VELA supports thousands of innovators experimenting with different ways to unlock each student’s potential. My hometown of Wichita is proud to boast 25 VELA grant recipients. They’ve built a flourishing community known as Wichita Innovative Schools and Educators, empowering more than 900 students through education models fueling learning and comprehension based on each student’s gifts.

These are just a few examples of the start of something not only extraordinary, but necessary. Every kid — and students of any age — needs to find the form of education that works best for them. As the data shows, that’s what parents and families want, myself included. And that’s what all of our children deserve.