Couldn’t we at least…..

…gather national and state stakeholders for an exploration of possibilities for public education? We gather such groups at the school, local district, and even regional levels. At those levels we have some opportunities to be innovative. At the state and federal level there could be more opportunity to be innovative. Yes, we have interest groups that do not agree; Democrats and Republicans, union representatives and non-union reps, lobbyists, researchers, vendors. As one person said to me, “Such a group would be a political nightmare to manage.”

I happened upon the book Solving Tough Problems: An Open Way of Talking, Listening, and Creating New Realities by Adam Kahane. I read more about his work online and came across an article on The Mount Fleur Scenario Exercise.

“The “Mont Fleur” scenario exercise, undertaken in South Africa during 1991–92, was innovative and important because, in the midst of a deep conflict, it brought people together from across organizations to think creatively about the future of their country.”

Adam Kahane’s consultant company has done similar work in other countries, and on other issues. They support a group of stakeholders to develop scenarios; what ifs. I am sure there are other firms that do similar work, but this was a beginning for my thinking. What if we set aside our assumptions, and our “always been this ways” and our certainty about what “should be”? The school closures and shift to online learning because of COVID 19 have put a spotlight on a few things we thought would take years to change.

Couldn’t we at least try?