What’s Goin' On

  • By Deborah P. Moore
  • 11/01/14

Positive news in the education world brings own set of challenges.

There is nothing I like better than talking with the architects and administrators who are charged with designing, equipping and operating educational facilities. This past month has been a busy one, with our staff attending ASIS (focusing on safety and security), CEFPI (focusing on planning and design), GreenBuild (focusing on sustainability) and EdSpaces (focusing on furniture and equipment). It is events like these where we have the opportunity to hear about trends in the industry and find ideas for articles.

Perhaps the best news I have is that the economy “has” improved in the last year and that money is once again being spent to improve the learning environment. This news was a long time coming!

When it comes to resources and staff, everyone has been forced to downsize. The only thing that continues to grow is enrollment. Two reasons… the first is growth in the school-age population; second is the need for an educated workforce.

The National Center for Education Statistic reports that between fall 2012 and fall 2021, we can expect an increase of seven percent in the number of students attending public schools. Plus, it has been reported that there will be 55 million job openings in the economy through 2020.

More people and the need for more education can only mean one thing… a need for more facilities, better facilities and making the best use of the facilities we have. New facility design IS sustainable design.

From a planning and design standpoint the talk is about safety & security, collaborative learning and flexible space. In the next few years, we will continue to see less focus on formal spaces and more of a focus on flexibility and informal group spaces. New furniture designs and advances in technology have made concepts like the Flipped Classroom and TEAL (Technology Enhanced Active Learning) become a reality. Results for TEAL classrooms show twice the average normalized learning gains for low-, intermediate- and high-scoring students when compared to traditional instruction. Results like those will be hard to ignore.

My only reservation… all of this sounds good, and it works well in new and modernized facilities. The challenge will be to this work for not just for the few who will attend new state-of-the-art facilities, but for all students.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Greenheck Receives Sourcewell Cooperative Contract

    Air movement, control, conditioning, and distribution equipment solutions provider Greenheck recently announced that it has been awarded a Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contract, according to a news release. The HVAC Systems contract will allow Greenheck the opportunity to expand opportunities in government procurement and other public agencies in North America.

  • Minnesota District Completes Major Renovations, Expansions to High School

    White Bear Lake Area Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced that it has completed the renovation and expansion of White Bear Lake Area High School, according to a news release. The school’s final addition, a new 845-seat Performing Arts Center, was finished in November.

  • All Surfaces Hires New Commercial Business Development Specification Manager

    Flooring solutions provider All Surfaces recently announced that it has hired industry veteran Mechelle Bliss as its new Commercial Business Development Specification Manager, according to a news release. In her new role, she’ll be responsible for expanding the organization’s hold in various commercial markets, as well as strengthening relationships with existing clients.

  • UTEP Celebrates Construction Milestone for New Academic Building

    The University of Texas at El Paso in El Paso, Texas, recently held a “topping out” ceremony for its new learning complex, Texas Western Hall, according to university news. The construction milestone marks the placement of the last beam of a structure in progress.