The last 18 months have revealed many of the flaws and disparities that have long existed within our school system. Our students have educations defined and prioritized by testing over learning, impacting the opportunity for authentic and meaningful experiences in the classroom. And our educators are bogged down with excessive workloads and overstuffed classrooms that don’t allow them to teach to the best of their ability and give students the individualized attention that they deserve.

As we look at our priorities for the future, we find ourselves at a critical crossroads for education; we can either return to the inadequate system that we had before, or we can create the schools that our students, educators, and communities deserve. As we continue to adjust to this new normal, we must go from ‘pandemic to promise’ by reimagining our schools and what’s possible to ensure a brighter future for our students.