For Cambridge Public Schools

Make it easier for the community to contribute

We are extraordinarily lucky to be surrounded by several of the world's best universities. One of the most consistent themes I've heard from everyone I've talked to -professors, parents, university students, community members - is that they want to contribute by teaching what they're good at. These go from math and writing to skateboarding and photography. The universities make it pretty easy! For example, I found it straightforward helping set up a local competition.

Unfortunately, when it comes to our public schools half a mile away, everyone has run into red tape and confusing guidance. Connecting people to schools is an opaque process.  When people try to start small clubs at our schools, they get many reasons why it's not possible. We need to make it easier, not harder. We have some amazing resources (such as Find It Cambridge and Cambridge School Volunteers) - let's build on these together and tap into the greater community's vast talent. 

Individual learning plan for all

Education happens differently for everyone. Even within the same subject, different people have questions about different things. While AI isn't a universal cure, it can help both educators and students by more quickly pinpointing where a student is having challenges. It can also challenge them if problems are too easy. CPS is lagging on adopting new technology - one of the reasons why more and more parents are sending their kids to private school if they can afford it - but I know how this stuff works and can help catch our schools up to where private schools have already raced ahead.  

Updating curricula for the new world

László Polgár believes that genius is made, not born. That means that you get good at what you do early - and you can only do things early if you have a way to actually do it. We should give our kids options to take all sorts of classes (in trades, humanities, and engineering) starting in middle school. We can do it by pairing with community colleges alongside our local talent network. Together we can work to vastly broaden the resources our kids have. 

Restructure meaningless teacher requirements and recruit from the best

One of the most consistent findings in education research is that that having a master's degree is completely uncorrelated with performance. It is an artificial way to restrict supply and force teachers to go through additional obstacles. That is bad for teachers, bad for students, and bad for recruiting teachers from currently underrepresented groups. 

One solution would be to grandfather in the compensation structure for people who have already or are currently going through the system, and then do away with it for newcomers. This will make it much easier for us to take the next step: recruit new educators and paraprofessionals nationally (instead of passively waiting for them to find us).