When it works well, the education system is greater than the sum of its parts. But it’s a complex system, and a human one. Like any complex system, education is vulnerable to multiple points of failure. All the parts have to work.

There is no magic answer to improving education. Sorry!

If schools aren’t working well enough, what’s to be done? This chapter explores big ideas that are competing for attention as systemic approaches to change. Ideas come from people: this chapter also highlights some organizations that play an important role in these conversations.

Big, systemic ideas are important, but not magical. This chapter will conclude by spotlighting and linking to sites and organizations that you may find quite useful. Your comments are vital. Please let other readers know if you have an innovative group that others should know about.

What's in this Chapter?

We convinced Jeff to narrate a short video preview of each lesson. We hope you get a kick out of the awkward expressions we captured him in...

10.1 Blow It Up?: Big Ideas For Education Change

It's easy to be bold, in theory. Public education has changed more over time than most people realize, or at least acknowledge. But it's slow, because...

10.2 Go Big: What Money Might Do

What if money were no object in education? If you had unlimited money for your school, what would you do with it? Some inspiration to fuel the imagination: here's how much money well-funded private schools have, and what they do with it...

10.3 Educational Efficiency: How can schools systems handle budget cuts?

Part 2: OK, fun's over. Now that we've imagined what schools might do with unlimited funds, let's look at the harder question. What if they had even less to work with? What are the options?

10.4 Change: What Causes Change in Education?

It was not at all obvious that LCFF could be passed into law. How did that happen, and what can be learned from it?

10.5 Learn More: Organizations and Resources

We’re all fishing for the truth, but there are many competing points of view about how education ought to work. Here's a selection of the best education-related sites out there.He aquí algunos sitios y organizaciones las cuales realmente debería conocer.