Source: Voice of OC
The Pandemic will leave many VUCA potholes that education institutions will have to build over, around, or through. Schools and students will be on the frontline facing issues of increased poverty, rising healthcare costs, increased unemployment and underemployment, racial tensions, environmental issues, lack of access to high speed internet, mental health, declining enrollment, and other challenges that cannot be anticipated.
More than ever, it means students must graduate from our systems with a “growth mindset;” a mindset based on 21st Century Skills; Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Communication, Creativity, and Compassion. More than ever, students need to develop into citizens who are capable of addressing these unprecedented VUCA challenges, and who are ready for a lifetime of upskilling to thrive as job opportunities ebb and flow.
Facing the bleak prospect of entering a prolonged recession, the Anaheim Union High School District has expanded the definition of the equity gap to include access to meaningful jobs, issues addressed by our “Career Preparedness Systems Framework (CPSF).” The CPSF is now the focus of a California bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk Silva, AB 647, that will provide technical assistance for districts interested in creating meaningful workforce pathways. If signed by the governor, this technical assistance will furnish professional learning opportunities for other districts to have the courage to implement a relevant, career focused, civically engaged, problem solving curriculum that is intended to prepare students for life instead of pursuing the traditional metrics of higher test scores.