It's a New Year, But My Mission Remains the Same

As we enter 2025, I reflect on the state of education in America with equal parts concern and determination. The political landscape is shifting again, and Donald Trump's return to office introduces uncertainties that demand our vigilance. Yet, amidst the noise and challenges ahead, my focus remains unchanged: improving educational outcomes for all children.

The bipartisan neglect of education's core mission is a troubling reality. Both sides of the aisle have strayed from asking the most straightforward and essential questions: 

• How are the children?
  
  
• What can we do to make it better for them?
  
  
• How do we know it's working?

Instead, one faction calls for limitless school funding without accountability, while the other pursues privatization without oversight. Both approaches fail to address what truly matters.

Our national interest in stronger student outcomes demands the boldest leadership focused on real educational improvement, particularly as we grapple with the pandemic's lingering effects.

Cultivating talented, capable, educated individuals is more urgent than ever for a society desperate for skilled, thoughtful contributors.

Yet, the solutions that work—rigorous curricula, evidence-based teaching practices, and formative and summative assessments—are the least popular in our anti-intellectual, attention-fractured culture.

Some of you may be tired of my repetition.

My insistence on evidence-based teaching grounded in the science of learning, paired with assessments to guide interventions, is not new or flashy. These principles were true 50 years ago, 20 years ago, and remain true today.

They're not driven by trends or funders' preferences—they're the fundamentals. They should also be the most allergic to political scrimmages and socio-cultural war-mongering. The word “should” in that sentence is doing a lot, but it is what it is.

Like you, I'm somewhat curious about how artificial intelligence might transform education. It’s promising and ubiquitous. But I've lived through countless predictions of revolutionary change, from television to personal computers to the internet, each promising to transform education. Excuse me if my exuberance is tempered. While these tools have contributed value, the foundational elements remain the bedrock of effective schooling. We can't get them wrong and expect good things to happen for the nation's children.

The pandemic underscored the consequences of ignoring these fundamentals. Students have lost ground, and the gaps in achievement and opportunity have widened. Addressing these challenges isn't glamorous. It’s rote. Still, the belief gap—the cancerous gap between what we think children can achieve and what they're truly capable of—continues to hold millions of kids hostage to low expectations.

Stay the Course

This year, I'm not shifting gears or chasing trends. I vow to be boring in my pursuits.

My mission remains consistent:

• Fight against the aforementioned belief gap that limits youth potential.
  
  

• Address stubborn gaps in academic outcomes that metastasize inequity.
  
  

• Advocate for effective schools that meet students' diverse learning needs.
  
  

• Demand cooperation and accountability from all sides of education to ensure progress.
  
  

I've grown and changed in my politics over the years. I've revisited my heroes and reexamined my villains. But through all that evolution, the wisdom of Ronald Edmonds remains a guiding light:

"We can, whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need to do that. Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven't so far."

The upcoming presidential term will likely require resistance and vigilance. Many of my contemporaries will find this uncomfortable, even unprofitable, but I've never been motivated by convenience or comfort. The stakes are too high. We're responsible for millions of children, each a story in progress, each carrying a message to the future.

When my time comes, I want to know I've done everything possible to help as many of them as possible reach their potential. I'm fortunate to be part of a network of bright, experienced, and compassionate individuals who sharpen my understanding and advocacy. Together, we can make this year count, regardless of what it brings.

To those who've been with me on this journey—thank you. Your support, curiosity, and willingness to engage mean the world. Let's focus on the fundamentals, work through the noise, and fight for what matters most.

Here's to a year of purpose, determination, and progress for the children who need us most.

Let's make it count.

Originally published on Comrade Chris.