From Reopen to Reinvent: (Re)Creating School for Every Child

A practical blueprint to rebuilding an education system that is no longer working for its students In From Reopen to Reinvent, distinguished education strategist Michael B. Horn delivers a provocative and eye-opening call to action for the overthrow of an education system that is not working well for any of its students. Grounded in what educators should build in its place to address the challenges that stem from widespread unmet learning needs, the book walks readers through the design of a better path forward. Using time-tested leadership and innovation frameworks like Jobs to Be Done, “Begin with the End,” tools of cooperation, threat-rigidity, and discovery-driven planning, From Reopen to Reinvent offers a prescriptive and holistic approach to the purpose of schooling, the importance of focusing on mastery for each student, and the ideal use of technology. It also provides readers with: A set of processes and ideals that schools should implement to deal with the challenges they presently face A way to transform threats into opportunities using threat-rigidity research A discussion of how the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that schools are not as flexible and equitable as we need them to be Perfect for K-12 educators and parents and school board members involved in the school community, From Reopen to Reinvent is also an essential resource for professionals working in education-related non-profits and state education agencies.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments xv About the Author xix Foreword xxi The Story of Jeremy and Julia xxiii Introduction 1 The School System Isn’t Optimized for Anyone 3 A Better Way Forward 12 Key Takeaways 14 Notes 15 1 From Threat to Opportunity 17 Threat Rigidity 20 Autonomy23 The Toyota Prius 24 Southern New Hampshire University 25 What This Could Look Like in K–12 Schools 30 Key Takeaways 38 Notes 39 2 Begin with the End: What’s the Purpose of Schooling? 43 A Brief History of the Purpose of Schooling 45 The Importance of Beginning with the End 47 An Opportunity to Clarify Purpose 48 A Starting Point for the Purpose Conversation 49 Key Takeaways 54 Notes 54 3 The Scope of Schools: How Do We Accomplish a School’s Purpose? 57 Schools’ Scope 59 A Better Way Forward: The Theory of Interdependence and Modularity 60 Applying the Theory to Schools 63 Six Domains to Consider in Your School’s Scope 66 Personalizing This Approach in My Community 80 Remaining Concerns 82 The Future of Schooling 83 Key Takeaways 84 Notes 85 4 Student Experience: Lose Learning Loss 97 What Do Students Want? 99 Traditional Schools Fall Short 100 Lose Learning Loss 103 Key Takeaways 104 Notes 105 5 Student Experience: Guarantee Mastery 107 A Learning Cycle Built on Success 108 How Toyota Illustrates the Power of Guaranteed Mastery109 Time- Bound versus Guaranteed Learning 111 Don’t Just Change Grading When Implementing Mastery- Based Learning 114 Answers to Four Criticisms of Mastery Learning 121 Having Fun with Friends 128 From Zero Sum to Positive Sum 131 Success and Fun with Friends in Action 133 Results 140 Implementation of Pods and Microschools 143 Key Takeaways 148 Notes 148 6 T in Teachers Is for Team 155 Moving Past Normal 157 The Best Use of Face- to- Face Time 158 No Teacher Should Do All of These Activities 161 Team- Based Co- Teaching 162 Unbundling to Take Things Off Teachers’ Plates 168 Teacher Motivation 173 Will Teachers Embrace the Shift? 176 Key Takeaways 179 Notes 180 7 The Parent Experience 185 Understanding Parents’ Quest for Progress 188 Implementing Change 192 Is Anything Universal? 199 Kano Model 210 Flexibility and Unbundling 214 The Stress of Schooling for Parents 217 Key Takeaways 222 Notes 222 8 The Technology 227 The Bare Minimum 230 How to Ensure Adequate Technology for All Students 233 How to Use Digital Learning Well 236 Key Takeaways 245 Notes 246 9 Culture 249 What Is Culture? 250 How to Create a Strong Culture 251 The Power of Great Culture 254 The Risks of Getting Culture Wrong 255 Reinventing Culture 256 Key Takeaways 258 Notes 259 10 Test Your Assumptions and Learn 261 Will Your Plans to Reinvent Schooling “Work”? 263 A Less Risky Path That Embraces Innovation 264 The Standard Planning Process 266 What Is Discovery- Driven Planning? 267 Key Takeaways 281 Notes 282 11 Implementing Change When People Don’t Always Agree 283 Understanding the Level of Agreement 285 Leadership Tools 288 Management Tools 291 Culture Tools 292 Power Tools 293 Tool of Separation 296 Mechanisms of Movement 298 The Power of Education 301 Key Takeaways 302 Notes 302 12 Conclusion 305 Resolving the Paradox 308 Notes 312 Index 315

About the Author :
MICHAEL B. HORN strives to create a world in which all individuals can build their passions and fulfill their potential through his writing, speaking, and work with a portfolio of education organizations. He is the author of many books, including the award-winning Disrupting Class, Blended, and Choosing College and is the co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute.