We must think deeply about what it means to be an educational institution

It’s hard to answer the question of what it means to be a university until we answer the question of what it means to be a K12 institution. Maybe the more useful place to start is what it means to be a kid.

When I was growing up, K12 was where you learned the “basics” so that you could “figure the rest of it out” in college. Even the special classes in high school weren’t really that specialized (although I’m sure there has been SOME progress in this regard….right…? 😟)

It’s hard to know what it’s like to “be human” when your day-to-day is obedience, compliance, and “high achievement” (whatever that means). Much of what K12 is right now goes against the core of what it means to be a kid.

Maybe it’s time for a more integrative approach earlier on in a person’s education. I’m not talking about asking them what they want to be when they grow up (a very tired question), or to pick a major in 1st grade.

I’m talking about something much more intentional. A nurturing process. One that can’t be outlined in a simple LinkedIn post and might take years or even decades to get right. One that will take many people and ideas to solve.

But, a process that is worth thinking deeply about, because it’s what will define the future of, well, everything.