ReSchool Colorado…
What is it and why is the Donnell-Kay Foundation taking it on?
Donnell-Kay announces a game changing, multi-year effort to create a new state public education system where learning is reimagined and students graduate energized and equipped to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
ReSchool Colorado intends to improve the experience of education in order to better match and keep pace with the needs and expectations of students living in the 21st century.
Needed: Education Designed for Today
Back when public education was first formalized, our lives and economy were more industrialized, based on a model characterized by repetitive routine and infrequent change.
Today, change is the norm and technology’s influence is significant. Digitally, we have access to just about any information, right in our pockets. Kids create music playlists or communicate instantly with the swipe of a finger.
And, it all happens anytime, anywhere.
It’s Time for a Mega-Leap Forward
It is no surprise the educational expectations of students and families have changed—dramatically.
To excel in today’s highly technical world, students require an educational system that adapts quickly to the fluid expectations of society and enables schooling to transcend time and place to better fit the learner.
For our centuries-old system to make this mega-leap forward, we need a game change—a fresh start, rich with new ways of learning.
The Road to Redesign Starts Here
To enable this much-needed fresh start for Colorado’s education system, the Donnell-Kay Foundation initiated ReSchool Colorado.
ReSchool Colorado’s ultimate goal is to design and implement an education system that pushes the boundaries of current thought and practice to provide an exceptional education for students living in this century, not the 20th century.
At full build-out, the system will serve students statewide and eliminate barriers between the key transition points of early childhood, K-12, higher education, and the workforce.
To do this, we will start small and grow over time. But, the system will not replace the existing Colorado educational system. Instead, it will be developed and operate in parallel with the current systems serving students in ECE, K-12, and higher education. Students and educators will choose to enter the new system at various points: some will migrate from their current path; others will start their education or career within it.
In addition, we hope ReSchool Colorado will inspire others, outside of Colorado, to take similar bold steps to envision their own new system and take action.
New, Relevant & Radically Different
This transformation calls for learning and schooling to be reimagined, current policies redesigned, and infrastructure repurposed. Critical attributes of the new system that are beginning to take shape can be seen here. Our goals for the new system are:
- Ignite a love of learning through mastery of academic, personal, and professional competencies measured against international benchmarks.
- Encourage a marketplace of dynamic educational opportunities that provide families and educators with more customized options.
- Exist free from burdensome and layered statutes, rules, policies, and regulations that plague our existing education systems.
- Be designed for today, adaptable to tomorrow, and never ‘finished.’ The system will evolve to meet societal demands and changes. It will nurture what works and discard what does not.
- Minimize barriers to entry and enable diverse people to benefit. To ensure active participation and ownership, the new system will be co-designed with citizens and leaders who will be a part of it.
- Be funded through a mix of private and public resources at no additional cost to taxpayers.
Design Process: Framework & Timeline
The Donnell-Kay Foundation kicked off ReSchool Colorado in 2013, with a Request for Information (RFI) that generated compelling ideas and identified experts suited to help plan the path forward.
Additional input from a variety of sources has resulted in a vision, strategy and timeline beginning to take shape.
Throughout 2014 and 2015, we will invite citizens and experts to inform the design of the new education system, including:
- Policy design: System goals and policies
- Learning Design: Student goals and opportunities
- Communication: Information, inspiration, and engagement
We anticipate completion of the design process by the end of 2015, with policy and implementation strategy starting in 2016.
Sign Up to Stay Informed
Join us in transforming the lives of Colorado students through the creation of a vibrant, new education system. Please join our mailing listto stay abreast of ReSchool Colorado.
If you have questions, please contact Amy Berk Anderson, Director of ReSchool Colorado, at ReSchoolColorado@dkfoundation.org.
To learn more, please visit:
Learning Reimagined
Why Now?
Why DK?
Visit Our Work to learn about all current Donnell-Kay Foundation projects.