The American Dream, Higher Education, and the Work of Economic Mobility
OPINION COMMENTARY:
Elson Nash, an education and social impact leader, Senior Fellow at Blue Meridian Partners, and By All Means Senior Fellow at The EdRedesign Lab at Harvard, reflects on how hidden barriers in higher education shape who has a real shot at opportunity and what it will take to ensure the American Dream delivers across generations through access, support, and system-level change.
The American Dream Is the Freedom to Leave — and the Responsibility to Return
OPINION COMMENTARY:
Rey Saldaña, President and CEO of Communities In Schools and By All Means Senior Fellow at The EdRedesign Lab at Harvard, reflects on how his immigrant father’s sacrifices shaped his understanding of the American Dream — and why true opportunity depends not just on individual grit, but on the systems and supports that help young people succeed and stay connected to their communities.
The American Dream Shouldn’t Depend on Your Zip Code
OPINION COMMENTARY:
Christian Rhodes, Chief National Impact Officer at Harlem Children’s Zone and By All Means Senior Fellow at The EdRedesign Lab at Harvard, reflects on a hard truth: in America, a child’s future is still too often determined by their zip code. Drawing from personal experience and national leadership, he calls for bold, place-based solutions that align systems and expand opportunity for every child.
Who Gets to Dream? What My Parents, a Library, and Two Sons Taught Me About Opportunity in America
OPINION COMMENTARY:
In this powerful reflection, Dreama Gentry, Founder & CEO of Partners for Rural Impact and By All Means Senior Fellow at The EdRedesign Lab at Harvard Graduate School of Education, explores how place shapes possibility — and why expanding opportunity for rural youth is essential to the American Dream. A moving call to ensure every child can dream beyond the limits of geography.
The American Dream Begins with Flourishing Children
OPINION COMMENTARY:
Sondra Samuels, President & CEO of Northside Achievement Zone and By All Means Senior Fellow at The EdRedesign Lab at Harvard, knows firsthand what it means to be underestimated. Drawing from her own story and decades of community leadership, she argues that closing the education gap isn't just a moral imperative — it's the essential work of sustaining American democracy.
Hope for a Brighter Future for Education and Equity
THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION SERIES:
A conversation with John B. King, former Secretary of Education and President and CEO of The Education Trust, on the Biden/Harris administration's first 100 days in the education domain.
A New PK-12 Education Ecosystem Framework for a New Normal
The crisis of COVID-19, the resulting economic downturn, and the racial reckoning the country is now experiencing have made the need for equitable, high-quality education even more urgent. Author Irvin Scott’s model for the Education Ecosystem illuminates news ways of working.