Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Alert: 2017 Ahead

  • By Deborah P. Moore
  • 01/01/17

Many are wondering what is in store for education as our new president takes office. While the debate may be about how to improve education, the real focus will be on who gets the funding.

At risk: early childhood educational support. In December, state legislators participating in the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) Capitol Forum discussed the question: Are early childcare and development programs an expense or an investment? While there is national concern about educational outcomes, many still question the cost and value of these programs. Brain science research shows that early experiences affect the development of brain architecture, which provides the foundation for all future learning, behavior and health.

Be careful what you wish for: school choice, vouchers and tax credits. Our new president supports privately run, publicly funded charter schools. School choice can help students trapped in a bad school. The concern is discerning and funding “good” charter schools. From a personal perspective, I have visited some great charter schools… along with some that are really frightening. Key to any good school, public or charter, are expectations (academic and conduct) that are clearly defined and measurable; a commitment by students, faculty and parents; and environments and curriculum that prepare students for life in the real world. Unfortunately, I have seen some of the privately run charters that were much better at marketing and profit margins than they were at educating students. Overcrowded classrooms, nonexistent technology and “teaching to the test” were the norm. While the test scores may have looked good, students were not being prepared for what comes next.

A need for higher education. Along with the focus on jobs, there needs to be a focus on workforce development. If the research done by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce holds true, by 2020, 65 percent of all jobs in the economy will require postsecondary education and training beyond high school. Health care, community services and STEM will grow the fastest among occupational clusters. But with the new administration in place, so will infrastructure. The Associated General Contractors of America reports that many firms have gone from concern about not having enough work to not having enough qualified workers. Without a workforce development plan, labor shortages could undermine broader economic growth.

There is no question that this is the start of an interesting year!

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.