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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

OPINION COMMENTARY:

As our nation marks its 250th anniversary, a troubling trend is emerging: children are losing their connection to history. In this compelling op-ed, Rob Waldron, former CEO of Curriculum Associates and a leader in civic education, explores how innovation, technology, and community action can reignite historical curiosity and strengthen democracy.

How do early career choices shape lifelong leadership and systems change? Wendy Kopp, CEO of Teach For All, shares insights on first jobs, proximity, and collective leadership in a conversation with Gina Lazaro (ALI ’21) focused on education equity and developing the leaders our world needs.

In a world facing the realities of climate change, education is one of society’s most powerful tools for action. SubjectToClimate (StC), founded by David Jaffe and Margaret Wang-Aghania, provides a free, innovative platform that helps K-12 teachers bring climate and sustainability literacy into classrooms, inspiring the next generation of leaders.

The Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions prohibited the consideration of race in college admission decisions. Kamal A. James and Dr. Irvin L. Scott provide guidance for fellow educators working to support academically ambitious Black students as they prepare for the college application process.

High quality education is critical for reducing poverty and creating societal change, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Heather Hiebsch co-founded TeachUNITED to tackle this issue by prioritizing teacher quality and utilizing research-driven strategies to empower and support educators, and engage students.

Despite promises of efficiency leading to more focus on relationships between and among teachers and students, AI is on track to dramatically worsen student isolation – unless schools reconfigure their organizational models and metrics to elevate, rather than diminish, human relationships.

OPINION COMMENTARY:

One of the biggest barriers to closing the achievement gap is access to tutoring and academic support. Stephanie Sylvestre, a technology executive, explains how generative artificial intelligence (AI), with robust safeguards, user involvement and education, can help bridge gaps in student performance, boost comprehension, and improve emotional well-being.

OPINION COMMENTARY:

Despite today’s polarized views about the role religion should play in U.S. public education, Dr. Irvin Scott, Senior Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, argues that partnerships between faith groups and schools can provide critical support for our most vulnerable children.

OPINION COMMENTARY:

Studies suggest that too many young people believe what they are learning is not interesting and has no connection with life beyond the classroom. Courtney Welsh and Scott Hefter suggest new models and programs that would allow youths to structure their own curricula.

SOCIAL EQUITY SERIES:

How does a leading wire and cable manufacturer become a source of transformation for at-risk students? Burt Fealing from Southwire and Ethan Rouen from the Harvard Business School describe the 12 for Life program and how it has partnered with communities and achieved collective success.

SOCIAL EQUITY SERIES:

OneGoal reimagines secondary educational support by visualizing not just what its students plan to achieve but also who they become on their educational journey. OneGoal’s leadership seeks not merely to change the educational support system, but to change how society views the gifts each student develops along the way.

OPINION COMMENTARY:

Emily Weinstein and Carrie James, researchers from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, encourage parents and caregivers to assess when and why kids might be most vulnerable to social media – and how social media may also make teens feel connected and supported. Effective interventions require “tuning into the particular” and challenging assumptions.

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION IN SOCIAL IMPACT SERIES:

The education technology market is booming around the globe, with software tools aimed at organizing and delivering academic content dominating the market beyond hardware. Julia Freeland Fisher, Director of Education Research at the Clayton Christensen Institute, calls for the edtech market to refocus its purpose on providing connection, not just content.

OPINION COMMENTARY:

One driver of the wealth gap in America is that households of people of color are less likely to own stock. Anthony Mohr, a 2021 ALI Fellow, says we should give students real shares to cultivate their interest in investing and creating wealth.

Polarized politics have infected local school boards, which have historically been nonpartisan. With school boards now on the front lines of the culture wars, Andrea Gabor outlines steps to strengthen school boards to function effectively given the mounting pressures facing them.