ROUNDTABLING
K-12 Leaders Weigh in on Issues of the Day
K-12 institutions face unprecedented challenges and opportunities. As we navigate the next five years, it is crucial to address the multifaceted issues impacting student engagement, teacher retention, technological integration, sustainability, and the emerging trends reshaping education. In this roundtable discussion, Gary Kerbow, Director of Purchasing at Hurst Euless Bedford Independent School District; Dianna Drew, Executive Director of Technical & Digital Solutions at Grand Prairie School District; and Dr. Vince Janney, Head of School at the Houston Academy in Alabama, share their insights on these pressing topics and propose strategies for creating a more resilient and innovative educational system.
What are the most significant challenges facing K-12 education in the next five years, and how do we address them?
Kerbow: Employee retention of quality, motivated, and engaged teachers will be the greatest challenge for the foreseeable future, with equitable funding a close second. The education industry has been plagued with a lack of new blood entering the instructional workforce, mainly due to remote employment opportunities. Additionally, there are more resources for entrepreneurs to create their own jobs without the constraints of a job that has 24-hour ramifications, especially when considering the after-hour tutoring or assistance students need to catch up with the learning gap created by the COVID pandemic.
Janney: A teacher and administrator shortage will be the most significant challenge. In recent years, the number of qualified applicants has drastically decreased. This challenge needs to be explored to understand and address the reasons for the shortage. Exit interviews often cite mistreatment by parents and the inability of students to focus and work diligently. Without abundant compensation, teachers are opting out because the cost-benefit analysis leads them to seek other opportunities for personal fulfillment and wealth accumulation.
Drew: One of the most significant challenges is the complex issue of funding, exacerbated by proposals like the one in Texas to use public money for private-school tuition. This proposal sparked concerns about potential budget cuts to public schools. We need to find creative and sustainable ways to fund education that support both public school systems and innovative educational initiatives. Another crucial challenge is effectively integrating AI into education while ensuring it serves as a tool for learning, not a replacement for teachers. AI has tremendous potential to personalize learning experiences and enhance educational outcomes, but it must be implemented thoughtfully. Supporting teachers and prioritizing their well-being is essential. Addressing teacher burnout and mental health issues is crucial for retaining talented educators who play a pivotal role in shaping students’ lives.
How is technology reshaping the learning environment and what steps should we take to ensure it enhances student engagement and outcomes?
Kerbow: AI can help perform some learning processes, allowing teachers to focus on student achievement, which can re-motivate them. However, it is essential to discern whether work turned in by a student is truly their own. Teachers need to know their students well to recognize authentic work.
“Teachers need to know their students well to recognize authentic work.”
– Dr. Vince Janney, Head of School at the Houston Academy in Alabama
Janney: Technology continues to reshape the K-12 learning environment. It has gone from a “special” course in a tech lab to being integrated across all classes and levels. Technology has expanded access to education through online/virtual classes and made massive amounts of information available at one’s fingertips. It has expanded opportunities for communication and collaboration, transforming teachers’ roles from the “sage on the stage” to the “guide by the side.” One of the primary benefits of technology is its power to engage students in ways other means cannot. However, it’s crucial to ensure that the knowledge, skills, and capacities pivotal for the next generation to be successful, well-adjusted, caring, and responsible global citizens remain the real outcomes of the educational system. AI and other technologies must be carefully considered to exploit their benefits without undermining the development of healthy habits of mind, body, and spirit in students.
Drew: Technology is profoundly reshaping the learning environment, offering unprecedented opportunities for student engagement and educational outcomes. The responsible integration of AI is critical. AI offers immense potential to personalize learning, provide immediate feedback, and prepare students for future careers where AI skills are essential. Graduates from 2025 onward will increasingly rely on AI in their professions, underscoring the importance of equipping students with these skills from an early age. Moreover, the reliance on technology has transformed how education operates. A disruption in wireless connectivity can now halt all educational activities, including online assessments. This underscores the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect student data and ensure uninterrupted learning environments.
What initiatives can K-12 institutions adopt to promote environmental responsibility and integrate eco-friendly practices into the curriculum?
Kerbow: School districts have rolled out environmental programs to contribute to a more ecologically responsive environment for decades, but none have had the sustaining power to stand up as a model for other districts. These initiatives are often driven by organizations or industries with a profit motive rather than actual, sustainable results. Environmental preservation has shifted from avoiding littering to converting existing trash into something usable and seen as high quality. The challenge is to promote an environmentally responsible initiative with sustainability other than to be a community of doers and not hearers only.
Janney: Schools can take steps toward becoming “green schools” by using solar panels for energy and harvesting rainwater, creating gardens that provide a lens for learning the science of plants while also producing food for the cafeteria, and starting environmental action groups. Training educators in ecological literacy and infusing it into the curriculum at all levels is also crucial. Understanding the principles of ecosystems and using that understanding to create sustainable human communities can be integrated across the curriculum in various ways. Connecting these curricular experiences to special events like assemblies or field trips can enhance their impact.
Drew: Incorporating sustainability initiatives into K-12 institutions fosters environmental responsibility and educates students about protecting our planet. Initiatives can include things like Environmental Education Curriculum, School Gardens and Green Spaces, Energy Conservation Programs, Waste Reduction and Recycling, and Water Conservation.
What K-12 trends will have the most substantial impact on student development, and how can schools prepare for these changes?
Kerbow: As I alluded in the first question, students are more greatly impacted by teachers than anything else, so the key is still finding, developing, and retaining quality, impassioned, effective teachers. We need to figure out a way to compensate teachers so they can sustain a livelihood and not have to worry about how they’re going to make their next rent or car payment. The Ancient Greeks had a model for teaching that was effective and lasting called the pedagogos model. In its original model, a Master Teacher, would take up residence with a single student and impart his knowledge in all areas of academics. This can be achieved with student-teacher models that provide individual learning opportunities focused on students on a one-on-one basis. The next best thing is to create self-directed learning based on the oversight of caring, effective teachers.
“We need to figure out a way to compensate teachers so they can sustain a livelihood and not have to worry about how they’re going to make their next rent or car payment.”
– Gary Kerbow, Director of Purchasing at Hurst Euless Bedford Independent School District
Janney: The K-12 education system needs to discover ways to capitalize on the benefits of cell phone usage and social media while also mitigating the potential harmful effects of these things. Serious, rigorous, longitudinal, scientific research needs to be done on all human populations, but especially on students. We need to have as clear a view as possible of what cell phone usage and social media have on such things as a student’s academic progress, ability to pay attention, mental health, physical health, sleep patterns, etc. Only when we better understand the real impact of cell phones and social media can we develop strategies that allow us to capitalize on some aspects while also mitigating potential pitfalls.
Drew: Personalized learning approaches, facilitated by technology and data analytics, allow educators to tailor instruction to individual student needs, interests, and learning styles. This trend emphasizes student-centered learning and differentiated instruction. Training is key. Integration of AI has the potential to transform education by providing adaptive learning platforms, intelligent tutoring systems, and automated assessments. Project-based learning (PBL) and experiential learning opportunities foster critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity. Social-emotional learning (SEL) programs that teach skills such as self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, relationship-building, and responsible decision-making are increasingly integrated. Schools are focusing on developing students’ awareness of global issues, cultural understanding, and empathy, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the curriculum and school environment.
“Personalized learning approaches, facilitated by technology and data analytics, allow educators to tailor instruction to individual student needs, interests, and learning styles.”
– Dianna Drew, Executive Director of Technical & Digital Solutions at Grand Prairie School District
