Reading some essays about the Nation at Risk Report that was published 40 years ago. Astounding how little has been effective since its publication. So far, the recommendations still resonate, but very little was implemented. The biggest miss is that it doesn’t go beyond what’s quantifiable. While we look at the academic outcomes and the ROI of certain programs, there’s little that’s focused on character and culture, which feels like a huge miss. Without a unifying and inspiring vision for character and culture, it seems we’ll be at an academic loss for a long time. Why? You need a target, something to aspire to. Just getting to grade level doesn’t say anything– except, “Yep, kid. You’re where you should be. Nice job.”

For me, it comes down to a quote by Seth: “The best complaint is to do something better.” That’s what we’ll someday aim to do– just need the right org.