Right now, many school districts are working to design effective plans for students returning this fall. Preparing for an uncertain school year is a complex challenge that impacts students, families, teachers, and communities.
As a mother and a teacher observing these shifts, I know education has been a central part of my life. It shapes how we read, write, solve problems, build businesses, and participate in the economy. School is more than a place for academics—it’s where young people develop skills, values, and the confidence to contribute to society.
Schools Today
In typical years, students attend school according to age and grade level, with instruction often following a familiar cycle: introduce content, practice and memorize, then assess with standardized tests. Many of these practices persist not because educators prefer them, but because policy, funding, and accountability systems shape what classrooms prioritize.
Educators do their best within those constraints. The teaching workforce itself spans multiple generations—some who learned without computers and others who carry powerful technology in their pockets—making large-scale change complex. Small, thoughtful shifts in curriculum and practice are a practical way to begin improving outcomes.
Small Changes Can Produce Big Results
Where schools are effective—especially at the high school level—students build meaningful relationships with peers and teachers, discover interests, and explore pathways that match their passions. Strong programs offer chances to shadow industries, connect with mentors, and participate in real-world problem solving. These opportunities foster critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and social-emotional growth.
An effective school treats each student as a whole person, balancing academic rigor with developmental support rather than emphasizing constant testing and grades. When students develop social and emotional skills alongside academic knowledge, they are more likely to become engaged citizens and productive members of the economy.
Learning should be framed as a lifelong journey—one that continues well beyond graduation.
The Economy
Education has a clear connection to economic productivity. As more workers gain education and skills, an economy can become more productive because those workers can perform tasks that require literacy, problem solving, and critical thinking. In that way, education functions as an investment in human capital, much like investing in better equipment and infrastructure.
This leads to an important question: what kinds of knowledge and skills should schools prioritize now to support students’ economic futures?
Education in 2020 and Beyond
We don’t need to change everything about education, but the current moment invites schools to look beyond traditional walls and experiment with approaches that better prepare students for a rapidly changing world. Below are practical strategies that can improve academic outcomes and career readiness while supporting students’ well-being.
Mental Health First
Before focusing on academics, schools must prioritize social and emotional needs. Maslow’s hierarchy reminds us that basic emotional and psychological safety must be in place before higher-order learning can occur. Schools should immediately provide sustained social-emotional supports for students, teachers, and staff—supports that continue regardless of external circumstances.
Even before recent disruptions, rates of anxiety, depression, and youth suicide were rising. As students return after prolonged absence, they will need more emotional care, understanding, and counseling services than in the past. Schools must acknowledge the unseen impacts of the last months and respond with empathy and resources.
Planning for the Future: Improving Academics and Career Outcomes Now
Create Work and Business Partnerships—Build partnerships between high schools and local businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs. Involve juniors and seniors in designing programs so students’ voices shape real opportunities. Offer job shadowing, internships, and mentorships that expose students to varied careers and workplace expectations.
Model Entrepreneurship—Teach students to think independently, question assumptions, and test ideas. Entrepreneurship education encourages creativity, resilience, and problem-solving. Let students design projects, experience failure as a learning step, and iterate toward solutions. These experiences cultivate confidence and practical skills for an uncertain future.
Encourage Critical Thinking and Problem Solving—These skills can be embedded across subjects. Teachers can design lessons that require analysis, evaluation, and synthesis rather than rote recall. Challenging students to apply knowledge to real-world problems prepares them for college, careers, and civic life.
Recognize Diverse Personalities—Students bring introverted, ambivert, and extroverted tendencies that shape how they learn and participate. Teacher training should include strategies for identifying and supporting different personality types so that every student can thrive in class, group work, and independent study.
Focus on Career Readiness—Help older students make informed choices about college, vocational training, and careers. Emphasize both passion and practical labor-market realities. College remains a valuable path for many fields, but it is not the only route to success. Schools should promote multiple pathways, including apprenticeships, work-study programs, and credential-based options that reduce debt and connect students to stable employment.
Learn with Students—Teachers who learn alongside their students demonstrate vulnerability and curiosity, which strengthens relationships and models lifelong learning. Listening to students’ experiences and perspectives creates a classroom culture of mutual respect and growth.
What would you add to this list? This piece originally ran as a column with permission on Forbes. For educators, parents, and community members, now is the time to advocate for practical changes that balance academic rigor with mental health, career readiness, and real-world learning.
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