Why Aren't More School Districts Pursuing Radical Innovation?

The Oakland REACH CEO Lakisha Young, Cajon Valley Unified School District Superintendent David Miyashiro, Edgecombe County Public Schools Superintendent Valerie Bridges, Center on Reinventing Public Education Executive Director Robin Lake, Walton Family Foundation Program Officer for Education Program Michele Leardo, and Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) Managing Director Brianna Dusseault on why more school districts aren't pursuing radical innovation at the 2023 ASU+GSV Summit.

The need for innovation in education could not be greater at this moment. Schools are struggling to accelerate learning and address ever-widening gaps, provide mental health support without sacrificing academic rigor, reduce chronic absenteeism and cope with enrollment declines, and reimagine high schools to provide meaningful opportunities for college and career readiness.

Solving these challenges will require districts to overcome what one superintendent described as “an addiction to the status quo.” Indeed, CRPE’s recent studies of district pandemic recovery and transformation efforts show that system leaders have ambitious aspirations, but rigidities, staffing shortages, and other challenges are undermining their efforts.

Join a group of innovative school district leaders, funders, and entrepreneurs for a solution-oriented discussion about what it will take to help district leaders become addicted to innovation rather than the status quo. We will discuss emerging district innovations and have a forthright discussion about what barriers districts face and how to overcome them.