INSIGHTS
If you spent your holiday break watching the prediction markets, you likely believe the AI race is over. The crowd on Polymarket is betting everything on raw power. As we entered 2026, the odds for Best AI Model heavily favored the consumer giants. Google sat at 90%. OpenAI held steady at 7%. The market sentiment is loud and clear. The winner will be the company that builds the most potent and unrestricted superintelligence. In this narrative, players like Anthropic are statistically irrelevant. The betting markets give them less than a 1% chance of taking the crown. But I want you to look away from the speculative betting markets. Look instead at the enterprise balance sheets. A completely different reality emerges when you follow the actual money. The Disconnect Between Hype and Revenue According to the latest data from Menlo Ventures on enterprise generative AI , corporate spending tells a story that directly contradicts the hype. The public is obsessed with benchmarks. Serious operators have quietly shifted their focus to reliability. The data is undeniable: OpenAI is losing its grip. Their enterprise usage share dropped from 50% to 34%. Anthropic is surging. Their share has doubled from 12% to 24%. Why is the smart money moving aggressively toward the company the speculative money has written off? The Capability Trap For the last two years, our industry has been stuck in the Capability Trap. We valued models based on their ability to dazzle us. We looked for the model that could write the best poem or solve the hardest physics problem. We prioritized raw IQ above all else. But as AI moves into the district office and the classroom, raw IQ stops being an asset. It becomes a risk vector. Consider the stakes for an EdTech CEO or a state superintendent. A model that is 10% smarter but hallucinates 5% of the time is not a tool. It is a liability. We cannot have a tutor who invents historical facts. We cannot have an admin tool that leaks student PII. We cannot have a guidance platform that offers erratic advice. The Reliability Premium This is the strategic arbitrage for 2026. The market is overvaluing intelligence. The education sector is valuing predictability. We are witnessing a bifurcation of value. Consumer AI will continue to chase the ceiling of capability. Education AI must secure the floor of predictability. Anthropic has positioned itself to capture this Reliability Premium. They prioritized safety rails and constitutional AI over raw benchmark scores. The betting markets call this boring. The education sector calls it indispensable. It is the classic hiring dilemma applied to software. An unpredictable genius is a liability. A consistent performer is an asset. Leaders in our space are not paying for magic. They are paying for control. The Strategic Pivot As you map out your AI integration or district policy for the coming year, I challenge you to audit your investments through this lens. Are you buying the hype? Or are you buying the utility? The competitive advantage in 2026 won't belong to those with the smartest AI. It will belong to those with the most trusted AI.
Conversations about workforce readiness often focus on high school preparedness, including career academies, certifications, internships, and college alternatives. But during a recent interview, Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Gabriella Duran-Blakey emphasized that a dual approach supports a district's overall objectives. Workforce pathways, she argued, do not begin in high school. They begin with literacy. “If we aren’t teaching students how to read—particularly in those early grades—we’re not setting them up for success along their schooling or along their life,” she said. It’s a shared idea among many in the education community, but one that has reshaped how Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest school district, thinks about student success, workforce preparation, and long-term economic opportunity. A Reset Rooted in Focus Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) serves roughly 70,000 students across a geographic area the size of Rhode Island. It is the largest district in a largely rural state, serving urban, suburban, and rural communities that include students who travel long distances from reservations to attend school. Shortly after the district emerged from COVID-era disruptions, it faced another reckoning: a statewide lawsuit finding that New Mexico was failing to adequately serve Native American students, those with disabilities, English language learners, and economically disadvantaged students—all groups that make up a significant portion of APS enrollment. For Duran-Blakey, who became superintendent in July 2023, the moment demanded clarity rather than complexity. “We had to reset,” she explained. “And really get strategic about what we’re doing to increase outcomes for students.” Working closely with the community and school board, APS narrowed its focus to four districtwide goals. Among them: third-grade reading, eighth-grade math, purposeful high school pathways, and the explicit teaching of skills and mindsets such as perseverance and self-regulation. While each goal stands on its own, together they form a coherent pipeline that starts long before students ever choose a career pathway. Literacy as the First Workforce Investment Few metrics carry as much long-term weight as third-grade reading proficiency. By that point, students are expected to shift from learning to read to a reading-to-learn principle. When they don’t, the consequences can echo for years. Before APS adopted its current literacy goal, only about a quarter of students in key subgroups were proficient readers by third grade. That meant roughly 75 percent were not. “That was really concerning to me,” Duran-Blakey said. “Because our students aren’t being set up for success if we don’t get this right early.” Rather than treating literacy as a stand-alone academic issue, APS reframed it as foundational infrastructure necessary for every future pathway, whether college-bound or career-focused. The district committed fully to the science of reading, drawing lessons from Mississippi’s well-documented turnaround. Once ranked near the bottom nationally, Mississippi dramatically improved literacy outcomes through structured phonics-based instruction and statewide alignment. “It gave our teachers hope,” Duran-Blakey said. “It showed us that change was possible.” Today, all 88 APS elementary schools are aligned around foundational reading instruction, ensuring that no matter where a student lives in the district, they receive consistent, evidence-based literacy support. The workforce connection is intentional. Students who struggle to read by third grade are far less likely to succeed in advanced coursework later—and far more likely to disengage entirely before reaching the career opportunities schools hope to provide. Building the Middle-School Bridge If literacy is the on-ramp, math is the bridge. APS has identified eighth-grade math as another critical pressure point—one that directly influences high school success, particularly in science, technology, and technical career pathways. “Math is really important to us,” Duran-Blakey said. “When you look at math proficiency, especially in middle school, you can see a strong connection to high school dropout rates.” It’s a reality that carries added weight in New Mexico, a center for national laboratories, where STEM skills are central to the local economy. Duran-Blakey brings a personal perspective to the conversation. A classical violinist who performs with the Albuquerque Symphony, she sees firsthand the intersection between math, music, and disciplined practice. “Music relies heavily on math—timing, rhythm, structure,” she said. “And I’ve learned how important it is to break skills down intentionally, because not everything comes easily to every student.” This year, APS expanded access to art and music instruction across all elementary schools, ensuring that every student receives both opportunities alongside academics. The move isn’t about enrichment alone but reinforcing problem-solving, persistence, and cognitive skills to support learning across multiple disciplines. Pathways of Purpose in High School APS is striving for choice over chaos, particularly as students arrive in high school. According to Duran-Blakey, in the past, students have too often accumulated disconnected electives that fail to provide the results they are looking for. The district is now replacing that older pattern with intentional pathways that align coursework, credentials, and career exploration. The list includes career academies in high-demand fields such as STEM, industry certifications, and alignment with New Mexico’s bilingual-biliteracy seal . The emphasis is not on steering students away from college, but on widening the definition of success. “For some students, a four-year degree makes sense,” she said. “For others, a two-year degree or certification leads to a stable, successful career without taking on massive debt.” Importantly, APS views workforce-aligned pathways as equity work, not tracking. The goal is to prepare students early enough that multiple options remain viable, rather than forcing them to make narrow decisions late in high school. Teaching the Skills Employers Expect Academic readiness alone isn’t enough. Employers consistently cite perseverance, adaptability, and self-regulation as essential workplace skills—and those don’t develop by accident. APS’s fourth goal addresses that gap directly. “We can’t just assume students learn these skills on their own,” Duran-Blakey said. “We have to teach them intentionally.” The Genius Hour is an initiative in several elementary schools that gives students 45 minutes a day to explore interests ranging from robotics to mariachi music. These activities allow teachers to connect to concepts such as perseverance, self-efficacy, and emotional regulation. The results have been encouraging, though challenges remain, particularly for the district’s roughly 3,000 unhoused students, who score lower on assessments measuring these skills. “That isn’t surprising,” Duran-Blakey said. “But it tells us where we need to be even more intentional.” Leadership Grounded in Community As Duran-Blakey completed her first year as superintendent, she reflected on the weight (and privilege) of leading the district where she grew up. “When I see students outside of school, I take that very personally,” she said. “I want to make sure they have the best education experience we can provide.” To her, it makes a difference when leaders know their community, the people, and the context. In Albuquerque, that familiarity is shaping a long-term strategy that links early literacy, academic readiness, and workforce opportunity into a connected system of potential. In actuality, meaningful workforce pathways start well before a job offer or certification—they begin years earlier with a student who can read, reason, and believe that their future is worth investing in.
For many parents, finding qualified child care feels less like a choice and more like a high-stakes scavenger hunt . Add the affordability component, and the process becomes even more stressful. As Strategos Group’s Managing Partner and Capital Class host, Adam Giery observed in his interview on the subject, “If you’re a parent, you know the challenges of finding quality child care and early education. The pain is real.” What was once a system run on word of mouth has evolved into a highly professionalized, increasingly data-driven industry. Yet, despite increased investment and decades of increased attention, the search for reliable early childhood education remains a highly stressful experience for many parents. In 2016, two mothers (both tech professionals) decided to fix that. Their frustrations became the spark for Winnie , a platform that now helps millions of parents and providers across the U.S. connect to essential early education marketplaces. “Two moms decided enough was enough,” Giery said on his podcast. “They realized the same tools built for commerce and content didn’t exist for our youngest learners. Thus, a business was born.” An Accidental Entrepreneur When Sara Mauskopf co-founded Winnie, she wasn’t trying to be a startup CEO. At the time, she was working at Postmates and navigating new motherhood. “My co-founder Ann and I were just talking about how hard it was to balance work and family,” she recalled. “We didn’t set out to build a child-care marketplace. We just wanted to help parents.” Their first concept wasn’t even about child care, but rather an app for family-friendly activities. “It was free, and people didn’t hate it,” Mauskopf laughed. “But it wasn’t growing on its own.” The breakthrough came when users began using the app for daycare searches. “People would download the app and search for preschools and child-care centers,” she said. “It took a long time before we realized—this is what people actually need.” That moment of recognition transformed everything. “We realized everyone just needed childcare,” Mauskopf explained. “All those other things, such as playgrounds and restaurants, were nice to have. But you need childcare so you can work.” Winnie evolved quickly from there, pivoting to become a full-fledged marketplace dedicated to child care and early education. The Evolution of an Industry When Giery asked Mauskopf how the industry had changed in the past decade, her answer reflected both optimism and realism. “Ten years ago, most centers had almost no technology,” she said. “Now they rely on it to run their business. Maybe not as much as I wish they did, but it’s a start.” What’s changed most, she added, is perception. “When I was growing up, daycare was kind of a dirty word,” she said. “My mom stayed home, and that was the norm. If you put your child in daycare full-time, people judged you.” Today, that stigma has reversed. “Now you might be seen as a bad parent if you don’t expose your child to early education before kindergarten,” Mauskopf said. “It’s seen as a good thing, as it should be, to have your child in a group environment, learning from a teacher and other children.” More widespread buy-in exists that values early education less as custodial care and more as a critical stage of lifelong learning.“Parents want their children to be ready for kindergarten, not just academically, but socially and emotionally,” Mauskopf said. “That’s a big change.” Transparency and Trust Still, the logistics remain daunting. “When I was a kid,” Giery said, “the bar was low. If your neighbor ran a daycare in their basement and your mom thought it was safe, that was enough.” Today’s parents want more: licensing verification, reviews, and transparency—especially around cost. “You can get more price transparency buying a car or a house than you can for child care,” Mauskopf said. That’s where Winnie stands apart. “A big reason people come to Winnie is to assess quality,” she said. “They want to see licenses, read reviews, and understand pricing. Price transparency is one of the last frontiers in this industry.” But progress has been slow. “We’re trying to encourage more providers to share prices,” Mauskopf added. “It’s better for consumers and the industry overall.” The Affordability Component To Mauskopf, affordability and value should not be conflated when discussing early childhood needs. “I believe we should stop asking how to make child care cheaper,” she said, knowing that for some it might seem like a radical concept. “It should be expensive—because it’s incredibly valuable. It allows parents to work. It prepares children for the rest of their lives. Its importance should make it more expensive than college. The problem isn’t that it costs too much—it’s that families can’t afford it.” Her solution? Shared responsibility. “There should be other payers in the system besides parents—government, employers, maybe new models altogether,” she said. “We need to stop undervaluing something this essential.” Giery agreed, noting that providers “operate on razor-thin budgets while managing multiple layers of regulation.” Mauskopf sympathized: “These businesses aren’t rolling in cash,” she said. “Most revenue goes to staff pay, facilities, and day-to-day operations. You have to love doing this work. But it can be sustainable if you treat it like a real business.” Balancing Mission and Margin For many providers, sustainability is the missing ingredient. “I always tell smaller centers and home daycares: you can’t run this out of the goodness of your heart,” Mauskopf said. “If you go out of business, every family you serve loses care.” Her advice is simple but firm: “Set your business up to succeed. Charge what it costs, establish real policies—late fees, payment schedules—and make it sustainable.” The result is a delicate balance between purpose and practicality. “You can run a great business and do good at the same time,” Mauskopf said. “Those things don’t have to be in conflict.” Building a Marketplace on Trust Winnie’s two-sided platform connects parents seeking care with licensed providers looking to fill openings. “We only work with licensed providers,” Mauskopf explained. “That helps establish baseline trust because we’re building on the regulation that already exists.” Beyond licensing, user feedback reinforces accountability. “Even if a center looks great on paper, parents want to hear from other parents,” she said. “That feedback loop is essential.” Giery noted how this model mirrors successful marketplaces in other industries—balancing scale with human experience. “It’s one of the hardest markets out there,” he said. “But you’ve created a structure where trust is built into the foundation.” From Startup to National Presence What began as a side project in San Francisco is now a national platform. “We expanded quickly because we could integrate state licensing data,” Mauskopf said. “It made sense to go nationwide instead of city by city.” Initially, Winnie was free for both parents and providers. “We wanted traction first,” Mauskopf said. “Then providers started reaching out, saying, ‘You’re sending us a lot of families—can we pay you per listing?’” That organic revenue model proved sustainable. “We didn’t even think to charge that way,” she laughed. “Providers came to us. It was validation that the marketplace was working.” The Resilience Behind the Brand Winnie’s journey hasn’t been without turbulence. “Every day I think, I can’t believe we’re still doing this,” Mauskopf admitted. “We’ve been through so many things that almost killed us.” One of those moments came during the Silicon Valley Bank crisis, when Winnie temporarily lost access to its funds. “We thought we might have lost all our money,” she said. “But even then, we realized we could rebuild. The experience made us stronger—and it’s what pushed us to become profitable.” Giery reflected on the lesson in resilience. “Pressure evolves over time,” he said. “What once felt impossible becomes just another part of leadership.” For Mauskopf, that perspective defines endurance. “Challenges don’t scare me anymore,” she said. “We’ve seen too many to let them derail us.” A Healthier Model for Leadership In an era that glorifies hustle, Mauskopf has chosen sustainability. “When we started Winnie, my co-founder and I decided to build it in a way that we could do for a long time,” she said. “I rarely work weekends unless I need to. I want to be present for my kids and still love what I do.” Her approach emphasizes consistency over burnout. “I don’t believe in the ‘go hard then crash’ model,” she said. “I have three kids. Life doesn’t pause.” She also encourages her team to prioritize health. “If I get proper sleep and exercise, I’m superwoman,” she said. “I tell my team, if you need to recharge—take a walk, take a nap. You’ll come back sharper.” That philosophy extends to transparency. “My husband works for Winnie, too,” she said. “It’s truly a family business. I don’t hide any part of my life, and that makes everything more sustainable.” Giery called it “a refreshing kind of leadership,” contrasting it with the old startup mythos of endless work. “That model burns people out,” he said. “What you’re describing is how you actually last.” Beyond Early Childhood Winnie’s scope continues to expand. “This year we added K–12 schools, camps, and after-school programs,” Mauskopf said. “We see child care as the first step in a child’s educational journey.” Her vision is for Winnie to become the comprehensive hub for families. “One day, I want parents to find everything—daycare, tutoring, after-school care—in one place,” she said. “We’re not there yet, but that’s the dream.” The Power of Authentic Purpose What began as a conversation between two working mothers has become a national platform, one that has subtly reshaped how parents and providers connect. Giery captured the spirit of Mauskopf’s journey best as the podcast wrapped: “As parents, we’re all better off for a service like Winnie,” he told Mauskopf. “But more than that, your story reminds us that entrepreneurship often starts with something deeply personal.” Mauskopf’s journey isn’t about disruption for its own sake—it’s about solving a problem she lived firsthand. “We didn’t set out to start a company,” she said. “We just wanted to make life easier for parents. Everything else grew from that.”
For generations, higher education in the U.S. has acted as a primary gateway to opportunity. College degrees created access to careers, lifted families into the middle class, and even shaped the nation’s workforce. Yet for many students today, the path to a diploma has been overshadowed by foreseeable decades of student debt burden. With tuition costs rising, changes to federal loan provisions , and mounting questions about return on investment, higher education now stands at a critical crossroads in addressing significant challenges. Adam Giery, Managing Partner at Strategos Group and host of the Capital Class podcast, sat down with Geordie Hyland, CEO of the American College of Education (ACE), to explore not only the scope of the student debt challenge but also the solutions emerging from it. Their discussion at the ASU+GSV Summit focused on reimaging affordability, access, and quality in higher education as well as examining the role of teacher training and retention. The Hidden Cost of a Degree Giery framed the higher ed challenge succinctly: “Higher education has long stood as an engine of opportunity, opening doors for generations of learners. Yet, for far too many students, the promise of a college degree has come with the hidden cost of debt, and a growing uncertainty of value.” Uncertainty is, unfortunately, now at the center of the national debate. Rising tuition has led students to question whether a degree is worth the financial risk. According to recent data , U.S. student loan debt now exceeds $1.8 trillion, surpassing earlier reports of $1.7 trillion in 2025 —representing a figure that weighs heavily not only on borrowers but also on the economy. Hyland agreed that tuition inflation has undermined public trust in higher education. “There’s a real opportunity for a more common-sense approach that offers affordable degrees, focusing on the practical, and preparing students with job-aligned curriculum so they can hit the ground running,” he said. Teacher Shortages and Opportunity One area where affordability is most visible is in the teaching profession. School districts across the country currently grapple with persistent shortages , and while many individuals are drawn to the idea of teaching, the economic realities associated with it can be discouraging. “There are significant teacher shortages and real challenges with the talent pipeline,” Hyland explained. “But teaching is still a deeply fulfilling career. More people are realizing the opportunities in education, both in terms of impact and career progression.” Giery, himself the son of a teacher, reflected on the issue personally: “I was the son of a teacher who wanted to be a teacher. I definitely know that pipeline.” He noted that teachers often enter the profession with passion but face obstacles they weren’t fully prepared for, ranging from classroom management to meeting a convergence of student needs. Hyland described ACE’s practitioner model as one way to address those gaps: “Our faculty are working professionals. They bring real-world knowledge into the classroom and help design a curriculum that’s both practical and current. Since most of our students are already teaching, they can apply what they learn immediately.” Retention as a Solution Attracting teachers is only half the battle; retaining them is equally critical. Many new educators leave the classroom within five years , creating costly turnover for districts and instability for students. Hyland sees affordable, flexible pathways to career growth as essential to reversing the trend. “We provide opportunities for teacher assistants to complete bachelor’s degrees, for teachers to earn affordable master’s degrees and principal certificates, and for those ready to pursue doctorates. In many states, these additional credentials lead to salary bumps. That not only supports career progression but also helps districts retain their teachers.” The ripple effects are significant. By reducing debt and supporting professional advancement, institutions can strengthen the teacher workforce while giving students access to more experienced and better-prepared educators. Pursuing Debt-Free Education Central to Hyland’s vision is the idea that students should not have to choose between advancing their education and incurring decades of debt. “We were founded to provide a largely debt-free education,” he noted. “86% of our students graduate with no debt. I often meet teachers who say, ‘I wish I had heard about you. I’ve been paying off loans for twenty, thirty years.’” Affordability is not only about fairness, it’s about restoring the credibility of higher education in Hyland’s view. “As more institutions focus on quality teaching and learning and a debt-free experience for students, I think the credibility of higher ed will increase,” he said. Measuring Progress Beyond Revenue Giery asked Hyland to reflect on how ACE measures progress, aside from financial growth. The answer emphasized how affordability, outcomes, and institutional culture intersect. “We look at student outcomes first,” Hyland said. “We have an 85% graduation rate, 86% of students graduate without debt, and our licensure pass rates are at or above competitors across the states where we operate. Employer satisfaction is at 95%. And more than half of our new students come through referrals, which is incredibly validating.” He also emphasized the importance of workplace culture: “Our staff and faculty are essential. ACE is recognized as a top workplace, with employee engagement scores well above the industry average. That stability helps us better support students.” Innovation with Purpose Beyond affordability and outcomes, Hyland sees innovation as vital to the future of higher education. Technology, he argued, must be used to enhance—not replace—the human side of learning. “We’re very focused on innovating in terms of using AI and the latest technology to take on administrative tasks so our staff can focus on relationships with students,” he explained. Giery noted that this requires a balancing act: “As an entrepreneur, what trends interest you most right now in the marketplace?” he asked. Hyland responded, “Technology and leveraging artificial intelligence—but staying true to the authentic delivery of services.” Balance Outside the Institution Beyond structural challenges in higher education, Hyland also reflected on leadership and balance. As Giery stressed, leading an institution often becomes part of one’s own identity, emphasizing the necessity for personal renewal. “It’s important to have hobbies and always stay connected to family,” Hyland reflected, adding how martial arts and even cold plunges help him recharge. Hyland’s personal reflections demonstrate a broader point: tackling issues as a CEO and the complexities of running a growing business require balanced personal goals that help prepare every leader for the long road ahead. Paving a Path Forward The U.S. higher education system faces immense challenges ranging from student debt and affordability to questions of value and workforce shortages. Yet, a path forward—one where access, quality, and affordability are not competing priorities but mutually reinforcing goals—remains part of the answer. Hyland’s perspective offers one distinct answer: “There’s an opportunity for higher education to restore its credibility by focusing on debt-free, high-quality learning that’s aligned with real careers. That’s how we prepare future leaders, not just for jobs, but to contribute to society.” In a time marked by financial strain and a climate of skepticism, a debt-focused approach and vision represent an attractive and sustainable next chapter for students, and perhaps even greater promise for higher education itself.
School safety remains a key focus of K-12 education efforts for the 2025–2026 academic year, particularly in light of today’s current climate. Almost obscured under the massive headline of the recent September 10 tragedy in Utah was a school shooting on the very same day in Evergreen , Colorado. It stressed just how commonplace these incidents have become and the piercing effect of repetitive disbelief that washes over even a mere two weeks after the tragic Minneapolis Catholic school event has yet to be absorbed. States are taking the onus upon themselves to push ahead with strong initiatives that create safer school environments for students and educators. Regardless of whether federal grant funding mechanisms are available, states such as Colorado and Minnesota , among so many others , are advancing efforts to improve physical security, strengthen access control, bolster preparedness, and expand violence prevention and reporting. On an episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host and Strategos partner Addison Davis sat down with Dr. Morris Leis, Superintendent of Coffee County, Georgia, at this year’s AASA Conference . Their conversation provided a firsthand look at how safety models are shaped by strong leadership, trust, and community partnerships, all of which act as cornerstones to the process. Leadership Longevity and Community Trust Davis noted that most superintendents only last a few years in the role. Leis, however, has served as a superintendent for sixteen years, including fourteen years in Coffee County. Davis asked the noticeable question: What’s the secret to that kind of longevity? Leis credited the relationship between the superintendent and the board. “I’ve been blessed to work with good board members—reasonable people who just want to do good work for kids,” he said. He explained that constant communication builds trust: “I have an open door with my board members. They can call, text, or email. I send regular Friday notes to keep them updated. And if something happens, I send a quick FYI email so they’re never blindsided.” Trust, he emphasized, is everything. “You hire good people, tell the truth, and never violate that trust. If board members know you’re honest and trying to do your best, it’s hard for them to be too critical.” That trust has extended beyond governance and into the broader community. Coffee County has passed multiple education sales tax measures and supported millage rate rollbacks—votes of confidence in the district’s stewardship. “We’ve used those resources to build new elementary schools, renovate older facilities, and invest in projects our community values, like agriculture barns, a performing arts center, and an indoor ROTC facility,” Leis said. For Davis, those examples illustrate how investment strengthens school culture. “Those are things communities want to see their children engage in every day,” he noted. “When families see their kids performing on stage or raising animals through 4-H, it builds pride.” Safety as the Top Priority When the conversation turned directly to safety, Davis was clear: “One of the greatest responsibilities we share is keeping schools safe. For you, safety has been a top priority. What does that look like in Coffee County?” Leis described a decision in 2017 that transformed their approach: “We hired our own police chief and established a school police department. Today, with 12 schools, we have 14 full-time officers who work under that chief. They’re on our campuses every day, building relationships with students and staff.” That consistency matters. Davis reflected on his own experience leading large districts: “When you rely only on off-duty officers rotating in and out, you don’t get that system of care. By creating your own department, those officers become part of the school community. Families know them, students trust them, and it makes a real difference.” Leis agreed. “It’s been a game-changer. We have constant communication between administrators, our police chief, and officers. And it’s backed up by layered security measures.” Layered Protection and Prevention Coffee County has invested heavily in technology designed to prevent incidents before they happen. “We use the Evolv weapon detection system in all 12 schools, two units in each,” Leis explained. “We also run systems behind the scenes (monitoring tools, detection platforms) that we don’t disclose publicly. The goal is to create layers of protection, like Swiss cheese, where the holes never line up.” They also utilize digital monitoring tools, such as Gaggle , to flag potential issues in student accounts. “It’s about catching signs early,” Leis said, “so we can intervene before problems escalate.” According to Davis, the approach reflected smart leadership. “Standing up a police department isn’t easy. It takes training, equipment, vehicles, uniforms—you name it. But what you’ve done is create a system that prioritizes prevention and care. That takes courage.” Addressing Deeper Challenges While physical security is critical, Leis acknowledged that the threat landscape extends beyond locked doors and metal detectors. “Schools have been under attack in different ways for decades,” he said. “Popular culture has sometimes mocked or undermined education. Today, we’re seeing more direct threats tied to mental health challenges and individuals intent on causing harm. That’s the unfortunate reality.” Leis’ point highlighted why a comprehensive model is essential—one that balances safety infrastructure with efforts to support student well-being. Prevention is not only about weapons detection, but also about ensuring students feel seen, supported, and connected. The Future Collective Journey The Davis–Leis conversation highlights an important truth: keeping schools safe is not the work of one leader, one department, or even one district. It requires a collective effort—boards, administrators, teachers, parents, and law enforcement all working together in the same direction. Leis summed it up simply: “We’ve worked together with our board, our officers, our community. Everyone understands the goal is to protect our kids. That’s what matters.” As districts across the country continue to grapple with threats both old and new, models like Coffee County’s offer a meaningful example: invest in people, build trust, layer security, and prioritize prevention. School safety is not a problem with a single solution. It is an evolving challenge that demands vigilance, innovation, and care. And as Davis closed the conversation, his words echoed the importance of staying the course. “Safety is our greatest priority. Communities know it, families expect it, and our students deserve it.”
As schools reopen for the 2025–26 academic year, literacy reform has reemerged as a national priority. Since the beginning of 2025, more than 40 states have begun aligning curricula with evidence-based practices drawn from the science of reading. Added to the mix is reinforced federal guidance calling for “explicit instruction based on phonological awareness, phonics decoding, vocabulary, fluency, and reading comprehension,” as stated in the Department of Education’s May 2025 announcement. To examine the origins of this renewed focus, Todd Dallas Lamb, host of the On the Clock podcast, Strategos Group Partner, and a former appointee at the Department of Education , sat down with Dr. Charles Hulme of Oxford University , co-editor of the landmark 2005 volume The Science of Reading . Widely considered one of the foundational thinkers behind the movement, Hulme helped reshape literacy instruction around the globe, which now finds itself reentering the spotlight in U.S. schools. Their conversation traced the field’s evolution from early battles over phonics to new efforts linking literacy, language, and mental health. From Oxford to the Reading Wars Lamb painted a backdrop for Hulme to dive into the decades-old debate in reading instruction of phonics versus whole language . In the U.S., the controversy stretched well into the early 2000s. “When we talk about reading, we need to distinguish between decoding print into sound, reading aloud, and reading for comprehension,” Hulme explained. “Reading for comprehension depends on being able to decode. Since English is an alphabetic system, it’s far more effective to teach children explicitly how the system works through phonics than to leave them to figure it out for themselves.” The evidenced scientific clarity eventually made its way into The Science of Reading, the 2005 volume Hulme co-edited with his wife, noted psychologist Maggie Snowling . The book brought together leading experts in psychology, linguistics, and education to synthesize what was then known about how people learn to read. Hulme recalled choosing the title deliberately. “I thought, what is this book about? It’s about the scientific understanding of how people read, how they learn, how the brain processes it, and how genetic and environmental influences shape it. The Science of Reading seemed the ideal title.” A Personal Turn Toward Reading Though he began his career in psychology, Hulme recalls pivoting early to reading development because he wanted his research to have a more direct practical purpose. “I came from not a very wealthy family, and getting into Oxford really changed me,” he reflected. “When I started my Ph.D., I thought, ‘I want to do something with practical importance.’ Reading problems, particularly dyslexia, felt like something a cognitive psychologist should be able to understand.” Hulme’s switch in decision set the course for his career. Today, his work has informed not only scholarship but classroom practice in schools throughout the world. Struggling Readers and the Dyslexia Spectrum In recent years, Hulme and Snowling have increasingly focused on the broader consequences of literacy struggles. Their research has helped reshape an understanding of dyslexia as not simply a reading issue but as a deeper language difficulty. “Children who go on to have reading problems almost always had language difficulties earlier in life,” Hulme explained. “Language is the medium of communication. If a child struggles to understand and express themselves, they have trouble forming friendships, learning in school, and maintaining self-esteem. Add reading difficulties, and you create a downward spiral of poor attainment, frustration, and emotional distress.” Lamb noted how relevant this finding feels today, as U.S. schools grapple with unprecedented concerns about student mental health. According to Hulme, the link between literacy and well-being is direct and consequential. “Without language, there is no literacy because literacy is simply the visual representation of language. If children lack strong language skills, their ability to thrive academically and emotionally is compromised.” One of the most striking shared revelations was Hulme’s description of dyslexia as a spectrum. He compared it not to a single disorder, but to a condition like hypertension. “There are severe cases, mild cases, and everything in between,” he said. “Where we draw the line is somewhat arbitrary, but typically we consider the bottom five to ten percent of readers to be dyslexic.” A shift in framing matters because it suggests that reading difficulties aren’t binary but rather exist along a continuum that requires nuanced responses in schools. Research and Real-World Impact Applying research beyond the academic sphere has always been essential to Hulme. He co-founded OxEd , a spinout company from Oxford University, to bring evidence-based tools directly into classrooms. “OxEd is about translating our research into practical application,” he said. “It’s not about making money [but] about producing programs and assessments that are 100% grounded in science.” Hulme’s mission has led to an enviable scale in applied research. OxEd’s language screen assessment has been used in two-thirds of all English schools, evaluating more than 600,000 children in the UK alone. The resulting data continues to fuel research, creating a cycle of evidence and application. Embracing Science in Education Lamb prompted Hulme to examine whether he sees a shift in how educators engage with research. “Mark Twain once quipped that everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it,” said Lamb. “I sometimes get the feeling that there are educators who talk about research, but do not necessarily dive in. But that seems to be shifting.” Hulme agreed that the tide is turning. “Education has been slow to accept the importance of science,” he said. “But that’s changing. I often compare it to medicine where doctors apply scientific understanding of the body to treat patients. In the same way, education should apply psychological science to understand learning and improve teaching. We’d never accept a doctor prescribing a pill without evidence. Why would we accept untested methods in classrooms?” Hulme sees a greater shift toward evidence-based practice as an encouraging sign in the education community today. Education Across Contexts International comparisons remain an interesting dynamic. Hulme noted that UK schools often face tighter budgets than their U.S. counterparts, but still manage strong outcomes. “On the whole, schools in England do a very good job and achieve great results with sometimes fewer resources than they deserve,” he observed. The reality in the UK, he suggested, stresses a greater importance of using resources wisely and investing in what works, rather than overly relying on a particular tradition or ideology. A Humble Path to Oxford For all his academic stature, Hulme’s story is rooted in modest beginnings. The youngest of four boys, he grew up with a father who worked in a factory and a mother who cleaned houses. The family’s dinner table was filled with heated political debates that, he says, sharpened his verbal skills. One memory still stands out. At age five, Hulme delivered shoes to a local cobbler. “The man looked at me and asked, ‘Charles, what is psychology?’ I said I had no idea. He told me it was the scientific study of the mind. Fifteen years later, I was studying psychology at university. That conversation never left me.” The story served as a reminder that seemingly small interactions and conversations can spark lifelong pursuits for everyone. Why Accents Endure Lamb pivoted to a lighter note, curiously inquiring why regional accents persist in an age of mass media. Hulme offered a scientific explanation. “When babies learn language, they map the sounds they hear onto their own speech production,” he said. “Because language is social, children adopt the speech of the people around them, not the television [or media source]. That’s why accents (regional and even class-based) persist through generations.” The Legacy of a Lifelong Pursuit At the close of the conversation, Lamb reflected on Hulme’s years of impact. “At the top of the podcast, I called you a father of the science of reading,” he said. “How satisfying is that recognition for you?” Hulme paused. “I’m proud of the work I’ve done. I can look back and think, yes, that was a useful thing to have done in life. I’d like to think people are a bit better off as a result.” It was a fitting synopsis for Lamb, a reminder that the science of reading is an ongoing, evolving pursuit based on decades of persistence by scholars like Hulme. Their collective work remains an essential component not only of literacy but also in enhancing the emotional realities and successful life outcomes of so many individuals.
When floodwaters ravaged parts of South Central Texas earlier this summer, the tragedy extended far beyond the Guadalupe River. Lives were lost, communities shaken, and families displaced in what has become one of the region’s most devastating natural disasters. Strategos Partner Todd Dallas Lamb, host of the On the Clock education leadership podcast and a former U.S. Department of Education appointee, had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. John Craft, superintendent of Northside Independent School District (ISD) in San Antonio, Texas, for an on-the-ground perspective of response from the education community. Together, they explored the remarkable nature of a school-wide effort forged in Texas, anchored by determination, collaboration, and a sense of community that permeates all aspects of people's lives. The collective response to the crisis demonstrates an underlying spirit of togetherness that is evident on the athletic field, in classrooms, and in future initiatives that support the long-term objectives of everyone in the community. As Lamb pointed out, the river flood story resonated nationally, especially the heartbreaking knowledge of children being dropped off for summer camp—a tradition that many families can easily relate to with deep compassion. “It seems your schools have greatly stepped up to support displaced families,” said Lamb. Immediately following the storm’s devastation, schools rose—not just as institutions of learning, but as vital centers of compassion, coordination, and support. “We're about 40 miles southeast [of the flooding],” said Dr. John Craft. “Many of the communities and school districts affected are in our regional service area, Region 20 . It's hit pretty close to home. We have families in our district and nearby that have all been impacted.” For Craft and his colleagues across Texas, the question was never whether they would respond—but how quickly and how comprehensively. The School as a Lifeline Craft described the response from Texas educators as swift, unified, and deeply personal. “That’s the great thing about the collegial power of superintendents—not only here in Region 20 and South Central Texas, but across the state,” said Craft. “In times of tragedy—Uvalde was another great example—we pull together.” The response rippled well beyond thoughts and prayers. School counselors, many of whom were technically on summer break, volunteered without hesitation to provide grief and crisis counseling in affected towns such as Kerrville and Comfort. “They have willingly volunteered—‘Tell us where we need to be,’ they said—and they’re working within communities as we speak,” said Craft. “The emotional recovery from this tragedy will take time, but our districts are united in providing help.” Lamb contemplated the broader context, summing up the national reaction: “Across this country, we’re all Texans this week.” He noted how schools returning to their original purpose—as community anchors—reveal their essential role in times of need. “It seems to me that your schools are probably a resource for all manner of folks who have been displaced,” he said. “You’re getting back to the original concept of a school as a resource to the community, aren’t you?” The Texas Spirit of Resilience What fuels this kind of response? According to Craft, it’s a deeply ingrained culture and one born from generations of resilience and shared purpose. “We are,” Craft affirmed, “a special breed of cat.” As a seventh-generation Texan, he connects the educational response to crisis with a much larger ethos. “There’s an ingrained sense of community support—of pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps and completing a mission, however difficult. And this is definitely one of those times.” Yet according to Craft, the culture of community doesn’t emerge overnight. In Texas, it plays out every week during football season, in school stadiums, music halls, and classrooms. Friday Night Lights and Beyond “When I’ve toured schools in Texas,” Lamb said, “you really get a sense of community. Even if your kid doesn’t play, people still go to those games.” In Northside ISD, where 12 high schools field sports teams, community gathering isn’t reserved just for Friday nights. “We play Thursday, Friday, and Saturday,” Craft noted, “and it’s not just the athletes. It’s the bands, the choir that sings the national anthem, the cheerleaders, the dance teams.” Even more than entertainment, these events form the backbone of a broader community structure and one that fosters leadership, collaboration, and personal growth. “I played quarterback, free safety, and linebacker,” said Craft, reflecting on his own high school sports experience. “Athletics taught me about teamwork and overcoming odds. These are lessons I carried into coaching and now into my role as superintendent.” He added, “Those skills—resilience, support, leadership—they're often taught outside the classroom. And they’re irreplaceable.” Production Learning as a Launchpad That same sense of opportunity extends into Northside ISD’s production learning programs. With the installation of large video boards at district stadiums, students in the Communication Arts magnet program are gaining hands-on experience in live event production that ranges from broadcasting to editing. “There are so many careers in sports and entertainment,” said Craft. “These programs give students the chance to learn practical skills while still in high school—skills they might not gain until college or on the job.” Lamb echoed the sentiment. “When my son played soccer, the game was student-led with student announcers, student statisticians, and student producers. What a great array of options you get just from a football game, where you don’t even have to put the pads on.” Building the Future: Early College High School This fall, Northside ISD is launching a new early college high school, demonstrating yet another example of how concrete initiatives back the district’s culture of community. “The intent,” Craft said, “is to provide students the opportunity to earn an associate degree upon graduation.” Through a partnership with Alamo Colleges and Northwest Vista College , students will be able to graduate high school with up to 60 college credit hours, giving them a head start on postsecondary education—and saving families tens of thousands of dollars. Craft is equally excited about the district’s collaboration with St. Mary’s University , which will fund graduate degrees for high school teachers in core subjects, allowing them to teach more dual-credit courses. “My own kids took advantage of AP and dual credit,” Craft said. “It’s a tremendous benefit to families and gives students a leg up as they transition to college.” A Culture of Community—Backed by Action Far too often, the phrase “school community” is used without weight. Yet in Northside ISD and across Texas school districts, that community is a living, breathing force. Whether it’s answering the call during natural disasters, rallying behind Friday night games, mentoring students through media programs, or launching early college initiatives, the message is the same: real support correlates with real work. “The first and foremost teacher of every student is their parent, grandparent, or guardian. Schools can’t succeed without that engagement—and we take that responsibility seriously,” emphasized Craft. In the eyes of Dr. John Craft, leadership isn't about titles. It's about showing up, stepping up, and bringing others with you—especially when the stakes are high. As Lamb concluded, “Our hearts go out to your community, Dr. Craft. From your lips to God’s ears—there will be brighter days ahead for South Central Texas.”
Workforce development is a multifaceted concept that encompasses various intersecting elements to achieve successful outcomes. In a world that is accelerating in technology advancements, including AI, providing training that is nimble and multi-applicable becomes a nuanced and ever-challenging affair. Federal, state, local businesses, and educational efforts play important roles in achieving sustainable training that enables learners of all ages to pursue successful career pathways. As new planning and advancements increase, it’s essential not to overlook the already established institutions of community colleges and the workforce development opportunities they provide. Instead of overextending energy on reinventing the wheel, community colleges represent existing learning centers of unlocked potential with real opportunities for growth and development. Like well-dispersed metaphorical educational training motels sprinkled across the U.S. landscape, their neon welcome signs are calling out for more attention. According to the Center for American Progress (CAP), over 1,000 community colleges exist throughout the United States, serving approximately 44% of the undergraduate population through general education courses. “Flexible offerings, relatively affordable tuition, and a focus on fostering workforce development provide students opportunities to bridge the skills gap in high-demand local industries,” cites the CAP analysis. The true upside of community colleges is that they provide opportunities to many underserved, financially challenged, and even adult learners looking to grow or reshape their career pathways. Whether acting as a springboard into 4-year programs for further study or providing credentials and training for industry-specific job placement, community colleges offer a wide range of opportunities. Governors on Board At the April 2025 State and Territory Addresses , many governors emphasized the importance of postsecondary education, particularly community colleges, in enhancing economic mobility for residents of their states. Affordability and greater workforce development opportunities for a wider range of individuals were evident in their addresses and actions. Idaho Governor Brad Little lauded his state’s LAUNCH program , covering up to 80% of fees and tuition for students pursuing education or training after high school. The results showed an increase of over 15% in community college attendance in the past year, encouraging many more students to consider training that they may not have previously sought out. In Illinois, J.B. Pritzker highlighted initiatives such as the Huskie Pledge and Illinois Promise that directly impact public universities and community colleges. More recently, Pritzker signed legislation in Bill 5464, which requires State public universities and community colleges to develop and implement plans and practices to increase access, retention, completion, and student loan repayment rates for a greater number of underserved students. Colorado Governor Jared Polis highlighted a commitment to the Colorado Promise program to expand higher education and workforce training opportunities. In partnership with Colorado Community College System (CCCS), he recently celebrated the signing of a new bill that expands community college commitments and workforce training advancements. Part of the bill allocates $26.6 million to support low-income students, often those seeking community college education. In South Carolina, Governor Henry McMaster is requesting lottery funds for workforce scholarships through the state's technical college system. These efforts represent a few examples of what many governors across the states are doing to expand workforce development, with community colleges playing a key role in the process. Apprenticeships and Federal Movement Apprenticeships are at the core of workforce development discussions, prompting the recent executive order, "Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future ," to take shape. It has directed the Departments of Labor, Education, and Commerce to review all federal workforce programs, including WIOA and community college partnerships, within 90 days and establish a goal of adding 1 million registered apprenticeships annually to accelerate efforts toward workforce development. Additionally, the Senate recently reopened discussions on extending Pell eligibility to short-term credential programs. If it passes, community colleges in particular would see a significant upside in funding potential, as “hundreds of thousands more students a year” would become eligible who were previously not, according to Inside Higher Ed . While promising signs exist, a cautionary tale also emerges as less restrictive Pell authorization opens the floodgates for private nonprofit short-term credential programs and other for-profit entities to encroach on the community college market, highlights Inside Higher Ed. Additionally, there are discrepancies between the executive order's scope and the House’s overall spending bill, which eliminates funding for certain programs. “The left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing here,” said an advocate for community college expansion. Mixed signals complicate long-term planning for institutions and employers, underscoring the need for greater coordination between policy measures to express a unified advancement of future on-the-ground implementation. Community College Future Positioning Undoubtedly, community colleges are uniquely positioned to deliver job-ready skills at scale, bolstered by flexible schedules, employer-informed programs, and deep community ties . But without consistent investment, policy clarity, and infrastructural support, their potential remains underleveraged. Like many planning objectives, clear and unambiguous rules of participation are necessary at all levels. Executive orders and funding streams offer promise. Yet states and institutions must build trusting relationships with business, labor, and civic partners. Only through this ecosystem can training translate into real opportunity. It’s essential to remind ourselves that community colleges presently play a central role in modern workforce strategies, providing practical training, upskilling incumbent workers, reskilling communities, and driving economic mobility. For policymakers and stakeholders navigating the complexities of workforce development through WIOA, industrial strategy, and apprenticeships, community colleges offer a dependable and scalable path forward. Rather than relying too heavily on newly developed methods and players, community colleges are established entities with processes in place to support increased backing. The challenge lies in aligning vision with sustained investment and partnerships, ensuring these institutions can transform policy into opportunities.
Amid a litany of recent challenges to the higher education environment, online learning may very well resemble a green oasis of future growth and opportunity. Once a peripheral option, online learning is transitioning to a more integral and necessary component of academic offerings. Since its inception in 2000, the online learning market has grown by nearly 900% , with projected revenues reaching $203.81 billion in 2025, according to Statista . As higher ed encounters declining enrollments and financial constraints, online education is becoming an important strategic partner, offering flexibility and alternative pathways to attract a diverse student population with options. Enrollment Challenges and Financial Pressures Colleges and universities face a “ demographic cliff, ” with the number of high school graduates projected to decline due to lower birth rates following the end of 2007 into the 2008 recession. It’s a shift that intensifies competition among institutions for a shrinking pool of traditional students, prompting a reevaluation of recruitment and retention strategies. Financially, many institutions rely on online programs not only to attract students but also to subsidize other operations. A survey by Eduventures revealed that 83% of online programs cost students as much or more than in-person courses, with about a quarter of institutions adding a "distance learning" fee. The pricing strategy often surprises students who anticipate lower costs due to the absence of physical infrastructure. After all, pricing and convenience are the very things that piqued many students’ initial interest in seeking online learning as a viable option in the first place. The Realities of Online Learning Undoubtedly, one of the main attractions of online education is the flexibility of offerings that help students balance coursework with work, lifestyle, family, and other responsibilities. It’s a particularly appealing modality to non-traditional students, including working adults who require adaptable schedules. However, the successful growth of online learning faces several key challenges. Students often report a diminished sense of belonging compared to their in-person peers. Inside Higher Ed's Student Voice survey highlighted that online-only students' sense of community lags behind traditional students. As a result, institutions are gravitating toward enhancing virtual engagement strategies and support services to foster connection and community among online learners. Cost Considerations and Student Expectations Despite the assumption that online courses should be more affordable, the reality is complex. As previously stated and accentuated in the Eduventures survey , online programs often match or exceed the cost of their in-person counterparts. Yet, it’s not all a rob Peter to pay Paul scenario. Factors contributing to this include investments in technology, course development, and student support services specifically tailored for the online environment. Students' perceptions also contribute to the complexity. A New America survey found that 80% of Americans believe online learning should cost less than in-person programs. The discrepancy between expectation and reality underscores the need for transparent communication about the value and costs associated with online education. Online Learning as a Complementary Pathway Sometimes, there is a fear that online education is out to replace traditional models. The either/or principle and comparative battle can become part of the problem. Instead of viewing online education as replacing traditional learning, many institutions are increasing efforts around a complementary pathway. Combining online and in-person instruction, hybrid models are gaining traction and applicability as they offer students the benefits of both modalities. Community colleges, particularly, have seen sustained interest in online classes post-pandemic. In California, more than 40% of community college courses are entirely online , catering to students with diverse needs. It’s a trend that reflects a broader shift toward integrating online options to enhance accessibility and accommodate varying student circumstances. Expanding Opportunities Through Online Education Access emerges as a critical plus to online learning expansion, particularly for students in remote areas without nearby options or those unable to attend traditional classes due to personal or professional commitments. It also opens doors for lifelong learning opportunities, allowing individuals to upskill or reskill in response to changing job markets. For today’s younger students focused on time commitment and ROI, online programs serve as a bridge for those hesitant about committing to a full degree program. Short-term certificates and microcredentials offered online provide opportunities to gain specific skills and explore fields of interest without the time and financial investment of a traditional degree. The Need for Institutional Adaptation As online learning inevitably expands and becomes more integral to higher education, institutions will contend with increased attention and resources toward the evolving needs of differing student offerings. A shift in commitment includes investing in robust digital infrastructure, AI advancements , training faculty for effective online instruction, and developing comprehensive support systems to ensure student success. Adaptation will also accentuate the need for knowledgeable guidance expertise that understands the complexities of higher education’s ecosystem, which is broadening opportunities with private partnerships. Added to the list of adaptive measures, institutions will continue to address the perception and reality of online education quality . Ensuring rigorous academic standards and providing clear information about program outcomes will be an ongoing process to build trust and demonstrate the value of online offerings. Supportive Structure to the Future of Higher Ed In a rapidly expanding tech-driven world, online learning remains vital to higher education's future, offering flexible, accessible, and diverse pathways for students they wish to attract. While challenges persist, particularly regarding cost perceptions and student engagement, concerted integration of online education alongside traditional models presents an opportunity to reimagine and strengthen the evolution of the higher education landscape. As institutions navigate demographic shifts and financial pressures, embracing online learning not as a substitute but as a strategic partner has the potential to enhance institutional resilience and expand opportunities for learners across the spectrum. In an almost ironic sense, it may provide the very needed support that helps maintain traditional learning environments and institutional structures well into the future.
By Emily Garner Sumner, CEO, Spyre Marketing As a marketing professional, I tuned in to the Super Bowl earlier this month because of the commercials, not the touchdowns. (OK, and maybe to catch a few glimpses of T-Swift, too, because, let’s be honest, she’s redefining brand loyalty in real time.) Since my earliest days in the marketing and advertising world these million dollar ads have been the gold standard for creativity and compelling messaging. And while they’re still fun to watch, and talk about the next day, they no longer serve as a guiding light for me. Why? Because in business-to-education (B2E) marketing the real name of the game is targeted marketing and messaging, not mass marketing. What Is Targeted Messaging? (And Why a Catchy Slogan Won’t Cut It) Targeted messaging and targeted marketing go hand-in-hand. With targeted marketing, specific audience segments are identified and then delivered custom content that aligns with their preferences, interests, behavior, and demographics. For targeted marketing to be effective, targeted messaging is a must. Targeted messaging articulates the value of your solution through the lens of each audience’s needs, priorities, and goals. If you’re selling edtech software to a principal, their needs and concerns will be vastly different from those of a classroom teacher or district IT director. That’s why generic “student success” messaging doesn’t cut it. The Payoff: Why Targeted Messaging Isn’t Just Extra Work Admittedly, creating targeted messaging and rolling out targeted marketing campaigns to multiple audiences is a heavier lift than sending the same email to everyone on your list or running the same ad on LinkedIn. Targeted marketing requires that you create unique messaging for multiple audiences that connects with what they’re thinking about, what they’re worrying about, what they’re trying to achieve, and what drives their decisions. When you see an ad or watch a video that seems to speak directly to you, you’re much more likely to take action. When I get an email that talks about how challenging it is for women business owners to find work-life balance you betcha I’m going to open it and immediately download the worksheet that provides me with 10 things I can do today to run my business more efficiently and have more time with my family. That’s targeted messaging. That email addressed a real and relevant challenge I face and offered a compelling solution. Because of that, targeted messaging: Increases Leads: As in the example above, when your messaging shows that you understand someone’s challenges (or hopes and dreams) and reflects their reality, the more likely they are to engage with your content and be interested in what you offer. Shortens the Sales Cycle: When your messaging clearly addresses how your products or services align with a potential buyer’s specific needs and concerns and answers their questions without them having to ask them, prospects will need to spend less time researching and evaluating. And that means they’ll be ready to click “Buy” or reach out to your sales team for a quote faster. Reduces Customer Acquisition Costs: The average customer acquisition cost for B2B companies is $536 . Personalization and targeted messaging can reduce acquisition costs by as much as 50 percent by providing highly relevant information, resources and solutions when and where educators are searching for them. Steps to Get Started with Targeted Messaging Educators don’t have time to connect the dots between your product and their problems. Your messaging has to do it for them. Shifting from a one-message-fits-all to a targeted approach can feel overwhelming, but there are really just three key steps to tackle. Identify Your Target Audiences (Hint: “Educators” Isn’t Specific Enough) Before you create targeted messaging, you first need to identify who your target audiences are. If you’re an established business, you’ll have lots of historic sales data to analyze to identify the characteristics of your top customers that can inform your audience targeting strategy. Look for patterns in your customer data to pinpoint demographics (ex. states, metro status (rural, urban, suburban), Title I funds, English language learner percent, job role, etc.), purchase history, and products that generate the most sales. If you’re newer to the education market and don’t yet have robust sales and marketing data to analyze, you can use public data sources to develop initial audience segments to test. (And even if you do have years of sales data at your fingertips, you can glean valuable information to further refine your segmentation strategy from these sources.) National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) offers a treasure trove of data on the U.S. education market. Here are a few NCES tools to start with: The Digest State Dashboard shows the number of students, teachers, and schools, both public and private, in each state, which can help with market sizing. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card, provides an overview of student achievement in math, reading, science, and writing. Using the State Data Tool you can identify states that may be re-evaluating their curriculum or in search of supplemental resources to boost their reading or math scores. Using the American Community Survey — Education Tabulation (ACS-ED) tool, you can identify specific districts based on demographics ranging from poverty levels and housing costs to race and age. If you know districts that have demographics that match your ideal customer profile, you can use the Public School District Finance Peer Search to find other districts with similar demographics. While there are many variables that can be used to identify your target audience, below is a list of demographics that are often used in the K–12 education market: Title I funding Free and reduced lunch percent State and district initiatives (ex. Science of Reading initiatives, new legislation regarding media or digital literacy, investments in AI, new standards for teaching and assessing durable skills, a move toward competency-based education, etc.) State and district funding English language learner percent Job roles/role in decision making There is a lot to consider when identifying your target audience. Advisors like Strategos can provide deep insights into policy, funding, and market trends and help you develop a roadmap to capitalize on your best market opportunities through audience targeting. Learn more about Strategos Market Intelligence and Strategy services. Craft Your Buyer Personas Once you’ve identified your target audiences, it’s time to craft buyer personas. A buyer persona is a profile that represents your ideal customer. Because marketers are a creative crowd, many buyer personas are given names (ex. Lydia the School Librarian and Paul the Elementary School Principal). When you picture your audience as real people with real problems, your messaging naturally becomes more relevant and engaging. Buyer personas include educators' goals, needs, expectations, behaviors, and motivations. These written customer profiles help your marketing team and agency create relevant and engaging content for your prospects. A typical B2E buyer persona includes: Job responsibilities Role in decision making and purchasing Buying motivations Buying concerns Information sources (ex. LinkedIn, Education Week, associations, etc.) Relevant value propositions and product features/functionality Common questions about your product Possible objections to your product Buyer persona templates are useful tools to help guide the questions to ask and details to include in your buyer personas. Feel free to use the K–12 education buyer persona template Spyre Marketing created for our clients. Depending on your product and service suite, you may have as few as two buyer personas or as many as 10 or more. One thing to consider when creating your personas is the resources your organization has to support targeted messaging. Resources include internal staff bandwidth, budget for advertising channels, and budget for external marketing support. While you may have a dozen potential target audiences, if your resources will only support messaging to three audiences, think critically about which audiences have the potential to generate the most leads and sales. When considering an audience’s potential, be sure to consider how competitive it is to reach that audience. While a superintendent or a district-level curriculum director may be the ultimate decision-maker for your product, these job roles are incredibly time-consuming and competitive to reach. Depending on your budget, you may instead want to focus your marketing outreach and messaging on educators behind the scenes helping to shape decisions such as principals, special education directors and coordinators, and reading and math coaches. Create a Targeted Marketing Calendar One of my favorite sayings is “If you fail to plan, plan to fail." So, to make sure your target messaging generates strong results, take the time to create a marketing calendar. At Spyre, we generally work in three-months sprints with our clients. These sprints are guided by a foundational marketing plan for the year that outlines the primary product focuses, content topic pillars, and advertising channels and budget. A marketing calendar helps marketing teams: Stay consistent with your marketing across channels Have the necessary lead time to execute on campaigns Identify gaps in outreach to specific audience segments as well as gaps in content A comprehensive marketing calendar includes the following: Campaign dates/publishing schedule and key deadlines Target audience, based on your buyer personas Channels (ex. email, organic social media, paid social media, publications, events, etc.) Targeted messaging and CTAs, including the content to be shared, that is specific to the buyer persona Lead team member for each campaign Campaign goals Beyond First Impressions Educators don’t buy on impulse. Research and evaluation can be a long process. Because of that, lead nurturing is a critical component of target messaging to move top-of-funnel leads to the middle and bottom of the funnel. Just like your top-of-funnel marketing outreach, lead nurturing should include target messaging, too. With lead nurturing, target messaging may still be based on audience persona, but you can also consider elements like: The type of content the lead interacted with The lead’s engagement level (ex. how many content pieces they’ve downloaded, how many webinars they’ve registered for, their frequency of website visits, the pages they’ve visited on your website, etc.) Their role in purchasing and decision making By tailoring follow-ups based on these insights, you’ll guide them through the funnel faster and more effectively. Ready to Make Your Messaging Work Smarter? For K–12 education businesses, targeted messaging isn't just a “nice-to-have” marketing tactic—it's a strategic imperative. In a competitive landscape, reaching the right decision-makers with the right message at the right time is crucial for growth and success. While it takes more time and more investment to use target messaging, the payoffs are worth the extra effort. By embracing the power of targeted messaging, businesses can build stronger relationships with schools and districts, demonstrate their value more effectively, and shorten the sales cycle. For assistance identifying your target audiences and market opportunities, crafting your targeted messaging plan, and executing targeted messaging campaigns, Strategos and Spyre Marketing are an unbeatable team. Together, we can help your business maximize the impact of your target messaging. Reach out with questions or to explore partnering with Strategos and Spyre Marketing.
If you spent your holiday break watching the prediction markets, you likely believe the AI race is over. The crowd on Polymarket is betting everything on raw power. As we entered 2026, the odds for Best AI Model heavily favored the consumer giants. Google sat at 90%. OpenAI held steady at 7%. The market sentiment is loud and clear. The winner will be the company that builds the most potent and unrestricted superintelligence. In this narrative, players like Anthropic are statistically irrelevant. The betting markets give them less than a 1% chance of taking the crown. But I want you to look away from the speculative betting markets. Look instead at the enterprise balance sheets. A completely different reality emerges when you follow the actual money. The Disconnect Between Hype and Revenue According to the latest data from Menlo Ventures on enterprise generative AI , corporate spending tells a story that directly contradicts the hype. The public is obsessed with benchmarks. Serious operators have quietly shifted their focus to reliability. The data is undeniable: OpenAI is losing its grip. Their enterprise usage share dropped from 50% to 34%. Anthropic is surging. Their share has doubled from 12% to 24%. Why is the smart money moving aggressively toward the company the speculative money has written off? The Capability Trap For the last two years, our industry has been stuck in the Capability Trap. We valued models based on their ability to dazzle us. We looked for the model that could write the best poem or solve the hardest physics problem. We prioritized raw IQ above all else. But as AI moves into the district office and the classroom, raw IQ stops being an asset. It becomes a risk vector. Consider the stakes for an EdTech CEO or a state superintendent. A model that is 10% smarter but hallucinates 5% of the time is not a tool. It is a liability. We cannot have a tutor who invents historical facts. We cannot have an admin tool that leaks student PII. We cannot have a guidance platform that offers erratic advice. The Reliability Premium This is the strategic arbitrage for 2026. The market is overvaluing intelligence. The education sector is valuing predictability. We are witnessing a bifurcation of value. Consumer AI will continue to chase the ceiling of capability. Education AI must secure the floor of predictability. Anthropic has positioned itself to capture this Reliability Premium. They prioritized safety rails and constitutional AI over raw benchmark scores. The betting markets call this boring. The education sector calls it indispensable. It is the classic hiring dilemma applied to software. An unpredictable genius is a liability. A consistent performer is an asset. Leaders in our space are not paying for magic. They are paying for control. The Strategic Pivot As you map out your AI integration or district policy for the coming year, I challenge you to audit your investments through this lens. Are you buying the hype? Or are you buying the utility? The competitive advantage in 2026 won't belong to those with the smartest AI. It will belong to those with the most trusted AI.
Conversations about workforce readiness often focus on high school preparedness, including career academies, certifications, internships, and college alternatives. But during a recent interview, Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Gabriella Duran-Blakey emphasized that a dual approach supports a district's overall objectives. Workforce pathways, she argued, do not begin in high school. They begin with literacy. “If we aren’t teaching students how to read—particularly in those early grades—we’re not setting them up for success along their schooling or along their life,” she said. It’s a shared idea among many in the education community, but one that has reshaped how Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest school district, thinks about student success, workforce preparation, and long-term economic opportunity. A Reset Rooted in Focus Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) serves roughly 70,000 students across a geographic area the size of Rhode Island. It is the largest district in a largely rural state, serving urban, suburban, and rural communities that include students who travel long distances from reservations to attend school. Shortly after the district emerged from COVID-era disruptions, it faced another reckoning: a statewide lawsuit finding that New Mexico was failing to adequately serve Native American students, those with disabilities, English language learners, and economically disadvantaged students—all groups that make up a significant portion of APS enrollment. For Duran-Blakey, who became superintendent in July 2023, the moment demanded clarity rather than complexity. “We had to reset,” she explained. “And really get strategic about what we’re doing to increase outcomes for students.” Working closely with the community and school board, APS narrowed its focus to four districtwide goals. Among them: third-grade reading, eighth-grade math, purposeful high school pathways, and the explicit teaching of skills and mindsets such as perseverance and self-regulation. While each goal stands on its own, together they form a coherent pipeline that starts long before students ever choose a career pathway. Literacy as the First Workforce Investment Few metrics carry as much long-term weight as third-grade reading proficiency. By that point, students are expected to shift from learning to read to a reading-to-learn principle. When they don’t, the consequences can echo for years. Before APS adopted its current literacy goal, only about a quarter of students in key subgroups were proficient readers by third grade. That meant roughly 75 percent were not. “That was really concerning to me,” Duran-Blakey said. “Because our students aren’t being set up for success if we don’t get this right early.” Rather than treating literacy as a stand-alone academic issue, APS reframed it as foundational infrastructure necessary for every future pathway, whether college-bound or career-focused. The district committed fully to the science of reading, drawing lessons from Mississippi’s well-documented turnaround. Once ranked near the bottom nationally, Mississippi dramatically improved literacy outcomes through structured phonics-based instruction and statewide alignment. “It gave our teachers hope,” Duran-Blakey said. “It showed us that change was possible.” Today, all 88 APS elementary schools are aligned around foundational reading instruction, ensuring that no matter where a student lives in the district, they receive consistent, evidence-based literacy support. The workforce connection is intentional. Students who struggle to read by third grade are far less likely to succeed in advanced coursework later—and far more likely to disengage entirely before reaching the career opportunities schools hope to provide. Building the Middle-School Bridge If literacy is the on-ramp, math is the bridge. APS has identified eighth-grade math as another critical pressure point—one that directly influences high school success, particularly in science, technology, and technical career pathways. “Math is really important to us,” Duran-Blakey said. “When you look at math proficiency, especially in middle school, you can see a strong connection to high school dropout rates.” It’s a reality that carries added weight in New Mexico, a center for national laboratories, where STEM skills are central to the local economy. Duran-Blakey brings a personal perspective to the conversation. A classical violinist who performs with the Albuquerque Symphony, she sees firsthand the intersection between math, music, and disciplined practice. “Music relies heavily on math—timing, rhythm, structure,” she said. “And I’ve learned how important it is to break skills down intentionally, because not everything comes easily to every student.” This year, APS expanded access to art and music instruction across all elementary schools, ensuring that every student receives both opportunities alongside academics. The move isn’t about enrichment alone but reinforcing problem-solving, persistence, and cognitive skills to support learning across multiple disciplines. Pathways of Purpose in High School APS is striving for choice over chaos, particularly as students arrive in high school. According to Duran-Blakey, in the past, students have too often accumulated disconnected electives that fail to provide the results they are looking for. The district is now replacing that older pattern with intentional pathways that align coursework, credentials, and career exploration. The list includes career academies in high-demand fields such as STEM, industry certifications, and alignment with New Mexico’s bilingual-biliteracy seal . The emphasis is not on steering students away from college, but on widening the definition of success. “For some students, a four-year degree makes sense,” she said. “For others, a two-year degree or certification leads to a stable, successful career without taking on massive debt.” Importantly, APS views workforce-aligned pathways as equity work, not tracking. The goal is to prepare students early enough that multiple options remain viable, rather than forcing them to make narrow decisions late in high school. Teaching the Skills Employers Expect Academic readiness alone isn’t enough. Employers consistently cite perseverance, adaptability, and self-regulation as essential workplace skills—and those don’t develop by accident. APS’s fourth goal addresses that gap directly. “We can’t just assume students learn these skills on their own,” Duran-Blakey said. “We have to teach them intentionally.” The Genius Hour is an initiative in several elementary schools that gives students 45 minutes a day to explore interests ranging from robotics to mariachi music. These activities allow teachers to connect to concepts such as perseverance, self-efficacy, and emotional regulation. The results have been encouraging, though challenges remain, particularly for the district’s roughly 3,000 unhoused students, who score lower on assessments measuring these skills. “That isn’t surprising,” Duran-Blakey said. “But it tells us where we need to be even more intentional.” Leadership Grounded in Community As Duran-Blakey completed her first year as superintendent, she reflected on the weight (and privilege) of leading the district where she grew up. “When I see students outside of school, I take that very personally,” she said. “I want to make sure they have the best education experience we can provide.” To her, it makes a difference when leaders know their community, the people, and the context. In Albuquerque, that familiarity is shaping a long-term strategy that links early literacy, academic readiness, and workforce opportunity into a connected system of potential. In actuality, meaningful workforce pathways start well before a job offer or certification—they begin years earlier with a student who can read, reason, and believe that their future is worth investing in.
For many parents, finding qualified child care feels less like a choice and more like a high-stakes scavenger hunt . Add the affordability component, and the process becomes even more stressful. As Strategos Group’s Managing Partner and Capital Class host, Adam Giery observed in his interview on the subject, “If you’re a parent, you know the challenges of finding quality child care and early education. The pain is real.” What was once a system run on word of mouth has evolved into a highly professionalized, increasingly data-driven industry. Yet, despite increased investment and decades of increased attention, the search for reliable early childhood education remains a highly stressful experience for many parents. In 2016, two mothers (both tech professionals) decided to fix that. Their frustrations became the spark for Winnie , a platform that now helps millions of parents and providers across the U.S. connect to essential early education marketplaces. “Two moms decided enough was enough,” Giery said on his podcast. “They realized the same tools built for commerce and content didn’t exist for our youngest learners. Thus, a business was born.” An Accidental Entrepreneur When Sara Mauskopf co-founded Winnie, she wasn’t trying to be a startup CEO. At the time, she was working at Postmates and navigating new motherhood. “My co-founder Ann and I were just talking about how hard it was to balance work and family,” she recalled. “We didn’t set out to build a child-care marketplace. We just wanted to help parents.” Their first concept wasn’t even about child care, but rather an app for family-friendly activities. “It was free, and people didn’t hate it,” Mauskopf laughed. “But it wasn’t growing on its own.” The breakthrough came when users began using the app for daycare searches. “People would download the app and search for preschools and child-care centers,” she said. “It took a long time before we realized—this is what people actually need.” That moment of recognition transformed everything. “We realized everyone just needed childcare,” Mauskopf explained. “All those other things, such as playgrounds and restaurants, were nice to have. But you need childcare so you can work.” Winnie evolved quickly from there, pivoting to become a full-fledged marketplace dedicated to child care and early education. The Evolution of an Industry When Giery asked Mauskopf how the industry had changed in the past decade, her answer reflected both optimism and realism. “Ten years ago, most centers had almost no technology,” she said. “Now they rely on it to run their business. Maybe not as much as I wish they did, but it’s a start.” What’s changed most, she added, is perception. “When I was growing up, daycare was kind of a dirty word,” she said. “My mom stayed home, and that was the norm. If you put your child in daycare full-time, people judged you.” Today, that stigma has reversed. “Now you might be seen as a bad parent if you don’t expose your child to early education before kindergarten,” Mauskopf said. “It’s seen as a good thing, as it should be, to have your child in a group environment, learning from a teacher and other children.” More widespread buy-in exists that values early education less as custodial care and more as a critical stage of lifelong learning.“Parents want their children to be ready for kindergarten, not just academically, but socially and emotionally,” Mauskopf said. “That’s a big change.” Transparency and Trust Still, the logistics remain daunting. “When I was a kid,” Giery said, “the bar was low. If your neighbor ran a daycare in their basement and your mom thought it was safe, that was enough.” Today’s parents want more: licensing verification, reviews, and transparency—especially around cost. “You can get more price transparency buying a car or a house than you can for child care,” Mauskopf said. That’s where Winnie stands apart. “A big reason people come to Winnie is to assess quality,” she said. “They want to see licenses, read reviews, and understand pricing. Price transparency is one of the last frontiers in this industry.” But progress has been slow. “We’re trying to encourage more providers to share prices,” Mauskopf added. “It’s better for consumers and the industry overall.” The Affordability Component To Mauskopf, affordability and value should not be conflated when discussing early childhood needs. “I believe we should stop asking how to make child care cheaper,” she said, knowing that for some it might seem like a radical concept. “It should be expensive—because it’s incredibly valuable. It allows parents to work. It prepares children for the rest of their lives. Its importance should make it more expensive than college. The problem isn’t that it costs too much—it’s that families can’t afford it.” Her solution? Shared responsibility. “There should be other payers in the system besides parents—government, employers, maybe new models altogether,” she said. “We need to stop undervaluing something this essential.” Giery agreed, noting that providers “operate on razor-thin budgets while managing multiple layers of regulation.” Mauskopf sympathized: “These businesses aren’t rolling in cash,” she said. “Most revenue goes to staff pay, facilities, and day-to-day operations. You have to love doing this work. But it can be sustainable if you treat it like a real business.” Balancing Mission and Margin For many providers, sustainability is the missing ingredient. “I always tell smaller centers and home daycares: you can’t run this out of the goodness of your heart,” Mauskopf said. “If you go out of business, every family you serve loses care.” Her advice is simple but firm: “Set your business up to succeed. Charge what it costs, establish real policies—late fees, payment schedules—and make it sustainable.” The result is a delicate balance between purpose and practicality. “You can run a great business and do good at the same time,” Mauskopf said. “Those things don’t have to be in conflict.” Building a Marketplace on Trust Winnie’s two-sided platform connects parents seeking care with licensed providers looking to fill openings. “We only work with licensed providers,” Mauskopf explained. “That helps establish baseline trust because we’re building on the regulation that already exists.” Beyond licensing, user feedback reinforces accountability. “Even if a center looks great on paper, parents want to hear from other parents,” she said. “That feedback loop is essential.” Giery noted how this model mirrors successful marketplaces in other industries—balancing scale with human experience. “It’s one of the hardest markets out there,” he said. “But you’ve created a structure where trust is built into the foundation.” From Startup to National Presence What began as a side project in San Francisco is now a national platform. “We expanded quickly because we could integrate state licensing data,” Mauskopf said. “It made sense to go nationwide instead of city by city.” Initially, Winnie was free for both parents and providers. “We wanted traction first,” Mauskopf said. “Then providers started reaching out, saying, ‘You’re sending us a lot of families—can we pay you per listing?’” That organic revenue model proved sustainable. “We didn’t even think to charge that way,” she laughed. “Providers came to us. It was validation that the marketplace was working.” The Resilience Behind the Brand Winnie’s journey hasn’t been without turbulence. “Every day I think, I can’t believe we’re still doing this,” Mauskopf admitted. “We’ve been through so many things that almost killed us.” One of those moments came during the Silicon Valley Bank crisis, when Winnie temporarily lost access to its funds. “We thought we might have lost all our money,” she said. “But even then, we realized we could rebuild. The experience made us stronger—and it’s what pushed us to become profitable.” Giery reflected on the lesson in resilience. “Pressure evolves over time,” he said. “What once felt impossible becomes just another part of leadership.” For Mauskopf, that perspective defines endurance. “Challenges don’t scare me anymore,” she said. “We’ve seen too many to let them derail us.” A Healthier Model for Leadership In an era that glorifies hustle, Mauskopf has chosen sustainability. “When we started Winnie, my co-founder and I decided to build it in a way that we could do for a long time,” she said. “I rarely work weekends unless I need to. I want to be present for my kids and still love what I do.” Her approach emphasizes consistency over burnout. “I don’t believe in the ‘go hard then crash’ model,” she said. “I have three kids. Life doesn’t pause.” She also encourages her team to prioritize health. “If I get proper sleep and exercise, I’m superwoman,” she said. “I tell my team, if you need to recharge—take a walk, take a nap. You’ll come back sharper.” That philosophy extends to transparency. “My husband works for Winnie, too,” she said. “It’s truly a family business. I don’t hide any part of my life, and that makes everything more sustainable.” Giery called it “a refreshing kind of leadership,” contrasting it with the old startup mythos of endless work. “That model burns people out,” he said. “What you’re describing is how you actually last.” Beyond Early Childhood Winnie’s scope continues to expand. “This year we added K–12 schools, camps, and after-school programs,” Mauskopf said. “We see child care as the first step in a child’s educational journey.” Her vision is for Winnie to become the comprehensive hub for families. “One day, I want parents to find everything—daycare, tutoring, after-school care—in one place,” she said. “We’re not there yet, but that’s the dream.” The Power of Authentic Purpose What began as a conversation between two working mothers has become a national platform, one that has subtly reshaped how parents and providers connect. Giery captured the spirit of Mauskopf’s journey best as the podcast wrapped: “As parents, we’re all better off for a service like Winnie,” he told Mauskopf. “But more than that, your story reminds us that entrepreneurship often starts with something deeply personal.” Mauskopf’s journey isn’t about disruption for its own sake—it’s about solving a problem she lived firsthand. “We didn’t set out to start a company,” she said. “We just wanted to make life easier for parents. Everything else grew from that.”
For generations, higher education in the U.S. has acted as a primary gateway to opportunity. College degrees created access to careers, lifted families into the middle class, and even shaped the nation’s workforce. Yet for many students today, the path to a diploma has been overshadowed by foreseeable decades of student debt burden. With tuition costs rising, changes to federal loan provisions , and mounting questions about return on investment, higher education now stands at a critical crossroads in addressing significant challenges. Adam Giery, Managing Partner at Strategos Group and host of the Capital Class podcast, sat down with Geordie Hyland, CEO of the American College of Education (ACE), to explore not only the scope of the student debt challenge but also the solutions emerging from it. Their discussion at the ASU+GSV Summit focused on reimaging affordability, access, and quality in higher education as well as examining the role of teacher training and retention. The Hidden Cost of a Degree Giery framed the higher ed challenge succinctly: “Higher education has long stood as an engine of opportunity, opening doors for generations of learners. Yet, for far too many students, the promise of a college degree has come with the hidden cost of debt, and a growing uncertainty of value.” Uncertainty is, unfortunately, now at the center of the national debate. Rising tuition has led students to question whether a degree is worth the financial risk. According to recent data , U.S. student loan debt now exceeds $1.8 trillion, surpassing earlier reports of $1.7 trillion in 2025 —representing a figure that weighs heavily not only on borrowers but also on the economy. Hyland agreed that tuition inflation has undermined public trust in higher education. “There’s a real opportunity for a more common-sense approach that offers affordable degrees, focusing on the practical, and preparing students with job-aligned curriculum so they can hit the ground running,” he said. Teacher Shortages and Opportunity One area where affordability is most visible is in the teaching profession. School districts across the country currently grapple with persistent shortages , and while many individuals are drawn to the idea of teaching, the economic realities associated with it can be discouraging. “There are significant teacher shortages and real challenges with the talent pipeline,” Hyland explained. “But teaching is still a deeply fulfilling career. More people are realizing the opportunities in education, both in terms of impact and career progression.” Giery, himself the son of a teacher, reflected on the issue personally: “I was the son of a teacher who wanted to be a teacher. I definitely know that pipeline.” He noted that teachers often enter the profession with passion but face obstacles they weren’t fully prepared for, ranging from classroom management to meeting a convergence of student needs. Hyland described ACE’s practitioner model as one way to address those gaps: “Our faculty are working professionals. They bring real-world knowledge into the classroom and help design a curriculum that’s both practical and current. Since most of our students are already teaching, they can apply what they learn immediately.” Retention as a Solution Attracting teachers is only half the battle; retaining them is equally critical. Many new educators leave the classroom within five years , creating costly turnover for districts and instability for students. Hyland sees affordable, flexible pathways to career growth as essential to reversing the trend. “We provide opportunities for teacher assistants to complete bachelor’s degrees, for teachers to earn affordable master’s degrees and principal certificates, and for those ready to pursue doctorates. In many states, these additional credentials lead to salary bumps. That not only supports career progression but also helps districts retain their teachers.” The ripple effects are significant. By reducing debt and supporting professional advancement, institutions can strengthen the teacher workforce while giving students access to more experienced and better-prepared educators. Pursuing Debt-Free Education Central to Hyland’s vision is the idea that students should not have to choose between advancing their education and incurring decades of debt. “We were founded to provide a largely debt-free education,” he noted. “86% of our students graduate with no debt. I often meet teachers who say, ‘I wish I had heard about you. I’ve been paying off loans for twenty, thirty years.’” Affordability is not only about fairness, it’s about restoring the credibility of higher education in Hyland’s view. “As more institutions focus on quality teaching and learning and a debt-free experience for students, I think the credibility of higher ed will increase,” he said. Measuring Progress Beyond Revenue Giery asked Hyland to reflect on how ACE measures progress, aside from financial growth. The answer emphasized how affordability, outcomes, and institutional culture intersect. “We look at student outcomes first,” Hyland said. “We have an 85% graduation rate, 86% of students graduate without debt, and our licensure pass rates are at or above competitors across the states where we operate. Employer satisfaction is at 95%. And more than half of our new students come through referrals, which is incredibly validating.” He also emphasized the importance of workplace culture: “Our staff and faculty are essential. ACE is recognized as a top workplace, with employee engagement scores well above the industry average. That stability helps us better support students.” Innovation with Purpose Beyond affordability and outcomes, Hyland sees innovation as vital to the future of higher education. Technology, he argued, must be used to enhance—not replace—the human side of learning. “We’re very focused on innovating in terms of using AI and the latest technology to take on administrative tasks so our staff can focus on relationships with students,” he explained. Giery noted that this requires a balancing act: “As an entrepreneur, what trends interest you most right now in the marketplace?” he asked. Hyland responded, “Technology and leveraging artificial intelligence—but staying true to the authentic delivery of services.” Balance Outside the Institution Beyond structural challenges in higher education, Hyland also reflected on leadership and balance. As Giery stressed, leading an institution often becomes part of one’s own identity, emphasizing the necessity for personal renewal. “It’s important to have hobbies and always stay connected to family,” Hyland reflected, adding how martial arts and even cold plunges help him recharge. Hyland’s personal reflections demonstrate a broader point: tackling issues as a CEO and the complexities of running a growing business require balanced personal goals that help prepare every leader for the long road ahead. Paving a Path Forward The U.S. higher education system faces immense challenges ranging from student debt and affordability to questions of value and workforce shortages. Yet, a path forward—one where access, quality, and affordability are not competing priorities but mutually reinforcing goals—remains part of the answer. Hyland’s perspective offers one distinct answer: “There’s an opportunity for higher education to restore its credibility by focusing on debt-free, high-quality learning that’s aligned with real careers. That’s how we prepare future leaders, not just for jobs, but to contribute to society.” In a time marked by financial strain and a climate of skepticism, a debt-focused approach and vision represent an attractive and sustainable next chapter for students, and perhaps even greater promise for higher education itself.
School safety remains a key focus of K-12 education efforts for the 2025–2026 academic year, particularly in light of today’s current climate. Almost obscured under the massive headline of the recent September 10 tragedy in Utah was a school shooting on the very same day in Evergreen , Colorado. It stressed just how commonplace these incidents have become and the piercing effect of repetitive disbelief that washes over even a mere two weeks after the tragic Minneapolis Catholic school event has yet to be absorbed. States are taking the onus upon themselves to push ahead with strong initiatives that create safer school environments for students and educators. Regardless of whether federal grant funding mechanisms are available, states such as Colorado and Minnesota , among so many others , are advancing efforts to improve physical security, strengthen access control, bolster preparedness, and expand violence prevention and reporting. On an episode of Superintendents Unplugged , host and Strategos partner Addison Davis sat down with Dr. Morris Leis, Superintendent of Coffee County, Georgia, at this year’s AASA Conference . Their conversation provided a firsthand look at how safety models are shaped by strong leadership, trust, and community partnerships, all of which act as cornerstones to the process. Leadership Longevity and Community Trust Davis noted that most superintendents only last a few years in the role. Leis, however, has served as a superintendent for sixteen years, including fourteen years in Coffee County. Davis asked the noticeable question: What’s the secret to that kind of longevity? Leis credited the relationship between the superintendent and the board. “I’ve been blessed to work with good board members—reasonable people who just want to do good work for kids,” he said. He explained that constant communication builds trust: “I have an open door with my board members. They can call, text, or email. I send regular Friday notes to keep them updated. And if something happens, I send a quick FYI email so they’re never blindsided.” Trust, he emphasized, is everything. “You hire good people, tell the truth, and never violate that trust. If board members know you’re honest and trying to do your best, it’s hard for them to be too critical.” That trust has extended beyond governance and into the broader community. Coffee County has passed multiple education sales tax measures and supported millage rate rollbacks—votes of confidence in the district’s stewardship. “We’ve used those resources to build new elementary schools, renovate older facilities, and invest in projects our community values, like agriculture barns, a performing arts center, and an indoor ROTC facility,” Leis said. For Davis, those examples illustrate how investment strengthens school culture. “Those are things communities want to see their children engage in every day,” he noted. “When families see their kids performing on stage or raising animals through 4-H, it builds pride.” Safety as the Top Priority When the conversation turned directly to safety, Davis was clear: “One of the greatest responsibilities we share is keeping schools safe. For you, safety has been a top priority. What does that look like in Coffee County?” Leis described a decision in 2017 that transformed their approach: “We hired our own police chief and established a school police department. Today, with 12 schools, we have 14 full-time officers who work under that chief. They’re on our campuses every day, building relationships with students and staff.” That consistency matters. Davis reflected on his own experience leading large districts: “When you rely only on off-duty officers rotating in and out, you don’t get that system of care. By creating your own department, those officers become part of the school community. Families know them, students trust them, and it makes a real difference.” Leis agreed. “It’s been a game-changer. We have constant communication between administrators, our police chief, and officers. And it’s backed up by layered security measures.” Layered Protection and Prevention Coffee County has invested heavily in technology designed to prevent incidents before they happen. “We use the Evolv weapon detection system in all 12 schools, two units in each,” Leis explained. “We also run systems behind the scenes (monitoring tools, detection platforms) that we don’t disclose publicly. The goal is to create layers of protection, like Swiss cheese, where the holes never line up.” They also utilize digital monitoring tools, such as Gaggle , to flag potential issues in student accounts. “It’s about catching signs early,” Leis said, “so we can intervene before problems escalate.” According to Davis, the approach reflected smart leadership. “Standing up a police department isn’t easy. It takes training, equipment, vehicles, uniforms—you name it. But what you’ve done is create a system that prioritizes prevention and care. That takes courage.” Addressing Deeper Challenges While physical security is critical, Leis acknowledged that the threat landscape extends beyond locked doors and metal detectors. “Schools have been under attack in different ways for decades,” he said. “Popular culture has sometimes mocked or undermined education. Today, we’re seeing more direct threats tied to mental health challenges and individuals intent on causing harm. That’s the unfortunate reality.” Leis’ point highlighted why a comprehensive model is essential—one that balances safety infrastructure with efforts to support student well-being. Prevention is not only about weapons detection, but also about ensuring students feel seen, supported, and connected. The Future Collective Journey The Davis–Leis conversation highlights an important truth: keeping schools safe is not the work of one leader, one department, or even one district. It requires a collective effort—boards, administrators, teachers, parents, and law enforcement all working together in the same direction. Leis summed it up simply: “We’ve worked together with our board, our officers, our community. Everyone understands the goal is to protect our kids. That’s what matters.” As districts across the country continue to grapple with threats both old and new, models like Coffee County’s offer a meaningful example: invest in people, build trust, layer security, and prioritize prevention. School safety is not a problem with a single solution. It is an evolving challenge that demands vigilance, innovation, and care. And as Davis closed the conversation, his words echoed the importance of staying the course. “Safety is our greatest priority. Communities know it, families expect it, and our students deserve it.”
As schools reopen for the 2025–26 academic year, literacy reform has reemerged as a national priority. Since the beginning of 2025, more than 40 states have begun aligning curricula with evidence-based practices drawn from the science of reading. Added to the mix is reinforced federal guidance calling for “explicit instruction based on phonological awareness, phonics decoding, vocabulary, fluency, and reading comprehension,” as stated in the Department of Education’s May 2025 announcement. To examine the origins of this renewed focus, Todd Dallas Lamb, host of the On the Clock podcast, Strategos Group Partner, and a former appointee at the Department of Education , sat down with Dr. Charles Hulme of Oxford University , co-editor of the landmark 2005 volume The Science of Reading . Widely considered one of the foundational thinkers behind the movement, Hulme helped reshape literacy instruction around the globe, which now finds itself reentering the spotlight in U.S. schools. Their conversation traced the field’s evolution from early battles over phonics to new efforts linking literacy, language, and mental health. From Oxford to the Reading Wars Lamb painted a backdrop for Hulme to dive into the decades-old debate in reading instruction of phonics versus whole language . In the U.S., the controversy stretched well into the early 2000s. “When we talk about reading, we need to distinguish between decoding print into sound, reading aloud, and reading for comprehension,” Hulme explained. “Reading for comprehension depends on being able to decode. Since English is an alphabetic system, it’s far more effective to teach children explicitly how the system works through phonics than to leave them to figure it out for themselves.” The evidenced scientific clarity eventually made its way into The Science of Reading, the 2005 volume Hulme co-edited with his wife, noted psychologist Maggie Snowling . The book brought together leading experts in psychology, linguistics, and education to synthesize what was then known about how people learn to read. Hulme recalled choosing the title deliberately. “I thought, what is this book about? It’s about the scientific understanding of how people read, how they learn, how the brain processes it, and how genetic and environmental influences shape it. The Science of Reading seemed the ideal title.” A Personal Turn Toward Reading Though he began his career in psychology, Hulme recalls pivoting early to reading development because he wanted his research to have a more direct practical purpose. “I came from not a very wealthy family, and getting into Oxford really changed me,” he reflected. “When I started my Ph.D., I thought, ‘I want to do something with practical importance.’ Reading problems, particularly dyslexia, felt like something a cognitive psychologist should be able to understand.” Hulme’s switch in decision set the course for his career. Today, his work has informed not only scholarship but classroom practice in schools throughout the world. Struggling Readers and the Dyslexia Spectrum In recent years, Hulme and Snowling have increasingly focused on the broader consequences of literacy struggles. Their research has helped reshape an understanding of dyslexia as not simply a reading issue but as a deeper language difficulty. “Children who go on to have reading problems almost always had language difficulties earlier in life,” Hulme explained. “Language is the medium of communication. If a child struggles to understand and express themselves, they have trouble forming friendships, learning in school, and maintaining self-esteem. Add reading difficulties, and you create a downward spiral of poor attainment, frustration, and emotional distress.” Lamb noted how relevant this finding feels today, as U.S. schools grapple with unprecedented concerns about student mental health. According to Hulme, the link between literacy and well-being is direct and consequential. “Without language, there is no literacy because literacy is simply the visual representation of language. If children lack strong language skills, their ability to thrive academically and emotionally is compromised.” One of the most striking shared revelations was Hulme’s description of dyslexia as a spectrum. He compared it not to a single disorder, but to a condition like hypertension. “There are severe cases, mild cases, and everything in between,” he said. “Where we draw the line is somewhat arbitrary, but typically we consider the bottom five to ten percent of readers to be dyslexic.” A shift in framing matters because it suggests that reading difficulties aren’t binary but rather exist along a continuum that requires nuanced responses in schools. Research and Real-World Impact Applying research beyond the academic sphere has always been essential to Hulme. He co-founded OxEd , a spinout company from Oxford University, to bring evidence-based tools directly into classrooms. “OxEd is about translating our research into practical application,” he said. “It’s not about making money [but] about producing programs and assessments that are 100% grounded in science.” Hulme’s mission has led to an enviable scale in applied research. OxEd’s language screen assessment has been used in two-thirds of all English schools, evaluating more than 600,000 children in the UK alone. The resulting data continues to fuel research, creating a cycle of evidence and application. Embracing Science in Education Lamb prompted Hulme to examine whether he sees a shift in how educators engage with research. “Mark Twain once quipped that everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it,” said Lamb. “I sometimes get the feeling that there are educators who talk about research, but do not necessarily dive in. But that seems to be shifting.” Hulme agreed that the tide is turning. “Education has been slow to accept the importance of science,” he said. “But that’s changing. I often compare it to medicine where doctors apply scientific understanding of the body to treat patients. In the same way, education should apply psychological science to understand learning and improve teaching. We’d never accept a doctor prescribing a pill without evidence. Why would we accept untested methods in classrooms?” Hulme sees a greater shift toward evidence-based practice as an encouraging sign in the education community today. Education Across Contexts International comparisons remain an interesting dynamic. Hulme noted that UK schools often face tighter budgets than their U.S. counterparts, but still manage strong outcomes. “On the whole, schools in England do a very good job and achieve great results with sometimes fewer resources than they deserve,” he observed. The reality in the UK, he suggested, stresses a greater importance of using resources wisely and investing in what works, rather than overly relying on a particular tradition or ideology. A Humble Path to Oxford For all his academic stature, Hulme’s story is rooted in modest beginnings. The youngest of four boys, he grew up with a father who worked in a factory and a mother who cleaned houses. The family’s dinner table was filled with heated political debates that, he says, sharpened his verbal skills. One memory still stands out. At age five, Hulme delivered shoes to a local cobbler. “The man looked at me and asked, ‘Charles, what is psychology?’ I said I had no idea. He told me it was the scientific study of the mind. Fifteen years later, I was studying psychology at university. That conversation never left me.” The story served as a reminder that seemingly small interactions and conversations can spark lifelong pursuits for everyone. Why Accents Endure Lamb pivoted to a lighter note, curiously inquiring why regional accents persist in an age of mass media. Hulme offered a scientific explanation. “When babies learn language, they map the sounds they hear onto their own speech production,” he said. “Because language is social, children adopt the speech of the people around them, not the television [or media source]. That’s why accents (regional and even class-based) persist through generations.” The Legacy of a Lifelong Pursuit At the close of the conversation, Lamb reflected on Hulme’s years of impact. “At the top of the podcast, I called you a father of the science of reading,” he said. “How satisfying is that recognition for you?” Hulme paused. “I’m proud of the work I’ve done. I can look back and think, yes, that was a useful thing to have done in life. I’d like to think people are a bit better off as a result.” It was a fitting synopsis for Lamb, a reminder that the science of reading is an ongoing, evolving pursuit based on decades of persistence by scholars like Hulme. Their collective work remains an essential component not only of literacy but also in enhancing the emotional realities and successful life outcomes of so many individuals.
When floodwaters ravaged parts of South Central Texas earlier this summer, the tragedy extended far beyond the Guadalupe River. Lives were lost, communities shaken, and families displaced in what has become one of the region’s most devastating natural disasters. Strategos Partner Todd Dallas Lamb, host of the On the Clock education leadership podcast and a former U.S. Department of Education appointee, had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. John Craft, superintendent of Northside Independent School District (ISD) in San Antonio, Texas, for an on-the-ground perspective of response from the education community. Together, they explored the remarkable nature of a school-wide effort forged in Texas, anchored by determination, collaboration, and a sense of community that permeates all aspects of people's lives. The collective response to the crisis demonstrates an underlying spirit of togetherness that is evident on the athletic field, in classrooms, and in future initiatives that support the long-term objectives of everyone in the community. As Lamb pointed out, the river flood story resonated nationally, especially the heartbreaking knowledge of children being dropped off for summer camp—a tradition that many families can easily relate to with deep compassion. “It seems your schools have greatly stepped up to support displaced families,” said Lamb. Immediately following the storm’s devastation, schools rose—not just as institutions of learning, but as vital centers of compassion, coordination, and support. “We're about 40 miles southeast [of the flooding],” said Dr. John Craft. “Many of the communities and school districts affected are in our regional service area, Region 20 . It's hit pretty close to home. We have families in our district and nearby that have all been impacted.” For Craft and his colleagues across Texas, the question was never whether they would respond—but how quickly and how comprehensively. The School as a Lifeline Craft described the response from Texas educators as swift, unified, and deeply personal. “That’s the great thing about the collegial power of superintendents—not only here in Region 20 and South Central Texas, but across the state,” said Craft. “In times of tragedy—Uvalde was another great example—we pull together.” The response rippled well beyond thoughts and prayers. School counselors, many of whom were technically on summer break, volunteered without hesitation to provide grief and crisis counseling in affected towns such as Kerrville and Comfort. “They have willingly volunteered—‘Tell us where we need to be,’ they said—and they’re working within communities as we speak,” said Craft. “The emotional recovery from this tragedy will take time, but our districts are united in providing help.” Lamb contemplated the broader context, summing up the national reaction: “Across this country, we’re all Texans this week.” He noted how schools returning to their original purpose—as community anchors—reveal their essential role in times of need. “It seems to me that your schools are probably a resource for all manner of folks who have been displaced,” he said. “You’re getting back to the original concept of a school as a resource to the community, aren’t you?” The Texas Spirit of Resilience What fuels this kind of response? According to Craft, it’s a deeply ingrained culture and one born from generations of resilience and shared purpose. “We are,” Craft affirmed, “a special breed of cat.” As a seventh-generation Texan, he connects the educational response to crisis with a much larger ethos. “There’s an ingrained sense of community support—of pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps and completing a mission, however difficult. And this is definitely one of those times.” Yet according to Craft, the culture of community doesn’t emerge overnight. In Texas, it plays out every week during football season, in school stadiums, music halls, and classrooms. Friday Night Lights and Beyond “When I’ve toured schools in Texas,” Lamb said, “you really get a sense of community. Even if your kid doesn’t play, people still go to those games.” In Northside ISD, where 12 high schools field sports teams, community gathering isn’t reserved just for Friday nights. “We play Thursday, Friday, and Saturday,” Craft noted, “and it’s not just the athletes. It’s the bands, the choir that sings the national anthem, the cheerleaders, the dance teams.” Even more than entertainment, these events form the backbone of a broader community structure and one that fosters leadership, collaboration, and personal growth. “I played quarterback, free safety, and linebacker,” said Craft, reflecting on his own high school sports experience. “Athletics taught me about teamwork and overcoming odds. These are lessons I carried into coaching and now into my role as superintendent.” He added, “Those skills—resilience, support, leadership—they're often taught outside the classroom. And they’re irreplaceable.” Production Learning as a Launchpad That same sense of opportunity extends into Northside ISD’s production learning programs. With the installation of large video boards at district stadiums, students in the Communication Arts magnet program are gaining hands-on experience in live event production that ranges from broadcasting to editing. “There are so many careers in sports and entertainment,” said Craft. “These programs give students the chance to learn practical skills while still in high school—skills they might not gain until college or on the job.” Lamb echoed the sentiment. “When my son played soccer, the game was student-led with student announcers, student statisticians, and student producers. What a great array of options you get just from a football game, where you don’t even have to put the pads on.” Building the Future: Early College High School This fall, Northside ISD is launching a new early college high school, demonstrating yet another example of how concrete initiatives back the district’s culture of community. “The intent,” Craft said, “is to provide students the opportunity to earn an associate degree upon graduation.” Through a partnership with Alamo Colleges and Northwest Vista College , students will be able to graduate high school with up to 60 college credit hours, giving them a head start on postsecondary education—and saving families tens of thousands of dollars. Craft is equally excited about the district’s collaboration with St. Mary’s University , which will fund graduate degrees for high school teachers in core subjects, allowing them to teach more dual-credit courses. “My own kids took advantage of AP and dual credit,” Craft said. “It’s a tremendous benefit to families and gives students a leg up as they transition to college.” A Culture of Community—Backed by Action Far too often, the phrase “school community” is used without weight. Yet in Northside ISD and across Texas school districts, that community is a living, breathing force. Whether it’s answering the call during natural disasters, rallying behind Friday night games, mentoring students through media programs, or launching early college initiatives, the message is the same: real support correlates with real work. “The first and foremost teacher of every student is their parent, grandparent, or guardian. Schools can’t succeed without that engagement—and we take that responsibility seriously,” emphasized Craft. In the eyes of Dr. John Craft, leadership isn't about titles. It's about showing up, stepping up, and bringing others with you—especially when the stakes are high. As Lamb concluded, “Our hearts go out to your community, Dr. Craft. From your lips to God’s ears—there will be brighter days ahead for South Central Texas.”
Workforce development is a multifaceted concept that encompasses various intersecting elements to achieve successful outcomes. In a world that is accelerating in technology advancements, including AI, providing training that is nimble and multi-applicable becomes a nuanced and ever-challenging affair. Federal, state, local businesses, and educational efforts play important roles in achieving sustainable training that enables learners of all ages to pursue successful career pathways. As new planning and advancements increase, it’s essential not to overlook the already established institutions of community colleges and the workforce development opportunities they provide. Instead of overextending energy on reinventing the wheel, community colleges represent existing learning centers of unlocked potential with real opportunities for growth and development. Like well-dispersed metaphorical educational training motels sprinkled across the U.S. landscape, their neon welcome signs are calling out for more attention. According to the Center for American Progress (CAP), over 1,000 community colleges exist throughout the United States, serving approximately 44% of the undergraduate population through general education courses. “Flexible offerings, relatively affordable tuition, and a focus on fostering workforce development provide students opportunities to bridge the skills gap in high-demand local industries,” cites the CAP analysis. The true upside of community colleges is that they provide opportunities to many underserved, financially challenged, and even adult learners looking to grow or reshape their career pathways. Whether acting as a springboard into 4-year programs for further study or providing credentials and training for industry-specific job placement, community colleges offer a wide range of opportunities. Governors on Board At the April 2025 State and Territory Addresses , many governors emphasized the importance of postsecondary education, particularly community colleges, in enhancing economic mobility for residents of their states. Affordability and greater workforce development opportunities for a wider range of individuals were evident in their addresses and actions. Idaho Governor Brad Little lauded his state’s LAUNCH program , covering up to 80% of fees and tuition for students pursuing education or training after high school. The results showed an increase of over 15% in community college attendance in the past year, encouraging many more students to consider training that they may not have previously sought out. In Illinois, J.B. Pritzker highlighted initiatives such as the Huskie Pledge and Illinois Promise that directly impact public universities and community colleges. More recently, Pritzker signed legislation in Bill 5464, which requires State public universities and community colleges to develop and implement plans and practices to increase access, retention, completion, and student loan repayment rates for a greater number of underserved students. Colorado Governor Jared Polis highlighted a commitment to the Colorado Promise program to expand higher education and workforce training opportunities. In partnership with Colorado Community College System (CCCS), he recently celebrated the signing of a new bill that expands community college commitments and workforce training advancements. Part of the bill allocates $26.6 million to support low-income students, often those seeking community college education. In South Carolina, Governor Henry McMaster is requesting lottery funds for workforce scholarships through the state's technical college system. These efforts represent a few examples of what many governors across the states are doing to expand workforce development, with community colleges playing a key role in the process. Apprenticeships and Federal Movement Apprenticeships are at the core of workforce development discussions, prompting the recent executive order, "Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future ," to take shape. It has directed the Departments of Labor, Education, and Commerce to review all federal workforce programs, including WIOA and community college partnerships, within 90 days and establish a goal of adding 1 million registered apprenticeships annually to accelerate efforts toward workforce development. Additionally, the Senate recently reopened discussions on extending Pell eligibility to short-term credential programs. If it passes, community colleges in particular would see a significant upside in funding potential, as “hundreds of thousands more students a year” would become eligible who were previously not, according to Inside Higher Ed . While promising signs exist, a cautionary tale also emerges as less restrictive Pell authorization opens the floodgates for private nonprofit short-term credential programs and other for-profit entities to encroach on the community college market, highlights Inside Higher Ed. Additionally, there are discrepancies between the executive order's scope and the House’s overall spending bill, which eliminates funding for certain programs. “The left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing here,” said an advocate for community college expansion. Mixed signals complicate long-term planning for institutions and employers, underscoring the need for greater coordination between policy measures to express a unified advancement of future on-the-ground implementation. Community College Future Positioning Undoubtedly, community colleges are uniquely positioned to deliver job-ready skills at scale, bolstered by flexible schedules, employer-informed programs, and deep community ties . But without consistent investment, policy clarity, and infrastructural support, their potential remains underleveraged. Like many planning objectives, clear and unambiguous rules of participation are necessary at all levels. Executive orders and funding streams offer promise. Yet states and institutions must build trusting relationships with business, labor, and civic partners. Only through this ecosystem can training translate into real opportunity. It’s essential to remind ourselves that community colleges presently play a central role in modern workforce strategies, providing practical training, upskilling incumbent workers, reskilling communities, and driving economic mobility. For policymakers and stakeholders navigating the complexities of workforce development through WIOA, industrial strategy, and apprenticeships, community colleges offer a dependable and scalable path forward. Rather than relying too heavily on newly developed methods and players, community colleges are established entities with processes in place to support increased backing. The challenge lies in aligning vision with sustained investment and partnerships, ensuring these institutions can transform policy into opportunities.
Amid a litany of recent challenges to the higher education environment, online learning may very well resemble a green oasis of future growth and opportunity. Once a peripheral option, online learning is transitioning to a more integral and necessary component of academic offerings. Since its inception in 2000, the online learning market has grown by nearly 900% , with projected revenues reaching $203.81 billion in 2025, according to Statista . As higher ed encounters declining enrollments and financial constraints, online education is becoming an important strategic partner, offering flexibility and alternative pathways to attract a diverse student population with options. Enrollment Challenges and Financial Pressures Colleges and universities face a “ demographic cliff, ” with the number of high school graduates projected to decline due to lower birth rates following the end of 2007 into the 2008 recession. It’s a shift that intensifies competition among institutions for a shrinking pool of traditional students, prompting a reevaluation of recruitment and retention strategies. Financially, many institutions rely on online programs not only to attract students but also to subsidize other operations. A survey by Eduventures revealed that 83% of online programs cost students as much or more than in-person courses, with about a quarter of institutions adding a "distance learning" fee. The pricing strategy often surprises students who anticipate lower costs due to the absence of physical infrastructure. After all, pricing and convenience are the very things that piqued many students’ initial interest in seeking online learning as a viable option in the first place. The Realities of Online Learning Undoubtedly, one of the main attractions of online education is the flexibility of offerings that help students balance coursework with work, lifestyle, family, and other responsibilities. It’s a particularly appealing modality to non-traditional students, including working adults who require adaptable schedules. However, the successful growth of online learning faces several key challenges. Students often report a diminished sense of belonging compared to their in-person peers. Inside Higher Ed's Student Voice survey highlighted that online-only students' sense of community lags behind traditional students. As a result, institutions are gravitating toward enhancing virtual engagement strategies and support services to foster connection and community among online learners. Cost Considerations and Student Expectations Despite the assumption that online courses should be more affordable, the reality is complex. As previously stated and accentuated in the Eduventures survey , online programs often match or exceed the cost of their in-person counterparts. Yet, it’s not all a rob Peter to pay Paul scenario. Factors contributing to this include investments in technology, course development, and student support services specifically tailored for the online environment. Students' perceptions also contribute to the complexity. A New America survey found that 80% of Americans believe online learning should cost less than in-person programs. The discrepancy between expectation and reality underscores the need for transparent communication about the value and costs associated with online education. Online Learning as a Complementary Pathway Sometimes, there is a fear that online education is out to replace traditional models. The either/or principle and comparative battle can become part of the problem. Instead of viewing online education as replacing traditional learning, many institutions are increasing efforts around a complementary pathway. Combining online and in-person instruction, hybrid models are gaining traction and applicability as they offer students the benefits of both modalities. Community colleges, particularly, have seen sustained interest in online classes post-pandemic. In California, more than 40% of community college courses are entirely online , catering to students with diverse needs. It’s a trend that reflects a broader shift toward integrating online options to enhance accessibility and accommodate varying student circumstances. Expanding Opportunities Through Online Education Access emerges as a critical plus to online learning expansion, particularly for students in remote areas without nearby options or those unable to attend traditional classes due to personal or professional commitments. It also opens doors for lifelong learning opportunities, allowing individuals to upskill or reskill in response to changing job markets. For today’s younger students focused on time commitment and ROI, online programs serve as a bridge for those hesitant about committing to a full degree program. Short-term certificates and microcredentials offered online provide opportunities to gain specific skills and explore fields of interest without the time and financial investment of a traditional degree. The Need for Institutional Adaptation As online learning inevitably expands and becomes more integral to higher education, institutions will contend with increased attention and resources toward the evolving needs of differing student offerings. A shift in commitment includes investing in robust digital infrastructure, AI advancements , training faculty for effective online instruction, and developing comprehensive support systems to ensure student success. Adaptation will also accentuate the need for knowledgeable guidance expertise that understands the complexities of higher education’s ecosystem, which is broadening opportunities with private partnerships. Added to the list of adaptive measures, institutions will continue to address the perception and reality of online education quality . Ensuring rigorous academic standards and providing clear information about program outcomes will be an ongoing process to build trust and demonstrate the value of online offerings. Supportive Structure to the Future of Higher Ed In a rapidly expanding tech-driven world, online learning remains vital to higher education's future, offering flexible, accessible, and diverse pathways for students they wish to attract. While challenges persist, particularly regarding cost perceptions and student engagement, concerted integration of online education alongside traditional models presents an opportunity to reimagine and strengthen the evolution of the higher education landscape. As institutions navigate demographic shifts and financial pressures, embracing online learning not as a substitute but as a strategic partner has the potential to enhance institutional resilience and expand opportunities for learners across the spectrum. In an almost ironic sense, it may provide the very needed support that helps maintain traditional learning environments and institutional structures well into the future.
By Emily Garner Sumner, CEO, Spyre Marketing As a marketing professional, I tuned in to the Super Bowl earlier this month because of the commercials, not the touchdowns. (OK, and maybe to catch a few glimpses of T-Swift, too, because, let’s be honest, she’s redefining brand loyalty in real time.) Since my earliest days in the marketing and advertising world these million dollar ads have been the gold standard for creativity and compelling messaging. And while they’re still fun to watch, and talk about the next day, they no longer serve as a guiding light for me. Why? Because in business-to-education (B2E) marketing the real name of the game is targeted marketing and messaging, not mass marketing. What Is Targeted Messaging? (And Why a Catchy Slogan Won’t Cut It) Targeted messaging and targeted marketing go hand-in-hand. With targeted marketing, specific audience segments are identified and then delivered custom content that aligns with their preferences, interests, behavior, and demographics. For targeted marketing to be effective, targeted messaging is a must. Targeted messaging articulates the value of your solution through the lens of each audience’s needs, priorities, and goals. If you’re selling edtech software to a principal, their needs and concerns will be vastly different from those of a classroom teacher or district IT director. That’s why generic “student success” messaging doesn’t cut it. The Payoff: Why Targeted Messaging Isn’t Just Extra Work Admittedly, creating targeted messaging and rolling out targeted marketing campaigns to multiple audiences is a heavier lift than sending the same email to everyone on your list or running the same ad on LinkedIn. Targeted marketing requires that you create unique messaging for multiple audiences that connects with what they’re thinking about, what they’re worrying about, what they’re trying to achieve, and what drives their decisions. When you see an ad or watch a video that seems to speak directly to you, you’re much more likely to take action. When I get an email that talks about how challenging it is for women business owners to find work-life balance you betcha I’m going to open it and immediately download the worksheet that provides me with 10 things I can do today to run my business more efficiently and have more time with my family. That’s targeted messaging. That email addressed a real and relevant challenge I face and offered a compelling solution. Because of that, targeted messaging: Increases Leads: As in the example above, when your messaging shows that you understand someone’s challenges (or hopes and dreams) and reflects their reality, the more likely they are to engage with your content and be interested in what you offer. Shortens the Sales Cycle: When your messaging clearly addresses how your products or services align with a potential buyer’s specific needs and concerns and answers their questions without them having to ask them, prospects will need to spend less time researching and evaluating. And that means they’ll be ready to click “Buy” or reach out to your sales team for a quote faster. Reduces Customer Acquisition Costs: The average customer acquisition cost for B2B companies is $536 . Personalization and targeted messaging can reduce acquisition costs by as much as 50 percent by providing highly relevant information, resources and solutions when and where educators are searching for them. Steps to Get Started with Targeted Messaging Educators don’t have time to connect the dots between your product and their problems. Your messaging has to do it for them. Shifting from a one-message-fits-all to a targeted approach can feel overwhelming, but there are really just three key steps to tackle. Identify Your Target Audiences (Hint: “Educators” Isn’t Specific Enough) Before you create targeted messaging, you first need to identify who your target audiences are. If you’re an established business, you’ll have lots of historic sales data to analyze to identify the characteristics of your top customers that can inform your audience targeting strategy. Look for patterns in your customer data to pinpoint demographics (ex. states, metro status (rural, urban, suburban), Title I funds, English language learner percent, job role, etc.), purchase history, and products that generate the most sales. If you’re newer to the education market and don’t yet have robust sales and marketing data to analyze, you can use public data sources to develop initial audience segments to test. (And even if you do have years of sales data at your fingertips, you can glean valuable information to further refine your segmentation strategy from these sources.) National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) offers a treasure trove of data on the U.S. education market. Here are a few NCES tools to start with: The Digest State Dashboard shows the number of students, teachers, and schools, both public and private, in each state, which can help with market sizing. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card, provides an overview of student achievement in math, reading, science, and writing. Using the State Data Tool you can identify states that may be re-evaluating their curriculum or in search of supplemental resources to boost their reading or math scores. Using the American Community Survey — Education Tabulation (ACS-ED) tool, you can identify specific districts based on demographics ranging from poverty levels and housing costs to race and age. If you know districts that have demographics that match your ideal customer profile, you can use the Public School District Finance Peer Search to find other districts with similar demographics. While there are many variables that can be used to identify your target audience, below is a list of demographics that are often used in the K–12 education market: Title I funding Free and reduced lunch percent State and district initiatives (ex. Science of Reading initiatives, new legislation regarding media or digital literacy, investments in AI, new standards for teaching and assessing durable skills, a move toward competency-based education, etc.) State and district funding English language learner percent Job roles/role in decision making There is a lot to consider when identifying your target audience. Advisors like Strategos can provide deep insights into policy, funding, and market trends and help you develop a roadmap to capitalize on your best market opportunities through audience targeting. Learn more about Strategos Market Intelligence and Strategy services. Craft Your Buyer Personas Once you’ve identified your target audiences, it’s time to craft buyer personas. A buyer persona is a profile that represents your ideal customer. Because marketers are a creative crowd, many buyer personas are given names (ex. Lydia the School Librarian and Paul the Elementary School Principal). When you picture your audience as real people with real problems, your messaging naturally becomes more relevant and engaging. Buyer personas include educators' goals, needs, expectations, behaviors, and motivations. These written customer profiles help your marketing team and agency create relevant and engaging content for your prospects. A typical B2E buyer persona includes: Job responsibilities Role in decision making and purchasing Buying motivations Buying concerns Information sources (ex. LinkedIn, Education Week, associations, etc.) Relevant value propositions and product features/functionality Common questions about your product Possible objections to your product Buyer persona templates are useful tools to help guide the questions to ask and details to include in your buyer personas. Feel free to use the K–12 education buyer persona template Spyre Marketing created for our clients. Depending on your product and service suite, you may have as few as two buyer personas or as many as 10 or more. One thing to consider when creating your personas is the resources your organization has to support targeted messaging. Resources include internal staff bandwidth, budget for advertising channels, and budget for external marketing support. While you may have a dozen potential target audiences, if your resources will only support messaging to three audiences, think critically about which audiences have the potential to generate the most leads and sales. When considering an audience’s potential, be sure to consider how competitive it is to reach that audience. While a superintendent or a district-level curriculum director may be the ultimate decision-maker for your product, these job roles are incredibly time-consuming and competitive to reach. Depending on your budget, you may instead want to focus your marketing outreach and messaging on educators behind the scenes helping to shape decisions such as principals, special education directors and coordinators, and reading and math coaches. Create a Targeted Marketing Calendar One of my favorite sayings is “If you fail to plan, plan to fail." So, to make sure your target messaging generates strong results, take the time to create a marketing calendar. At Spyre, we generally work in three-months sprints with our clients. These sprints are guided by a foundational marketing plan for the year that outlines the primary product focuses, content topic pillars, and advertising channels and budget. A marketing calendar helps marketing teams: Stay consistent with your marketing across channels Have the necessary lead time to execute on campaigns Identify gaps in outreach to specific audience segments as well as gaps in content A comprehensive marketing calendar includes the following: Campaign dates/publishing schedule and key deadlines Target audience, based on your buyer personas Channels (ex. email, organic social media, paid social media, publications, events, etc.) Targeted messaging and CTAs, including the content to be shared, that is specific to the buyer persona Lead team member for each campaign Campaign goals Beyond First Impressions Educators don’t buy on impulse. Research and evaluation can be a long process. Because of that, lead nurturing is a critical component of target messaging to move top-of-funnel leads to the middle and bottom of the funnel. Just like your top-of-funnel marketing outreach, lead nurturing should include target messaging, too. With lead nurturing, target messaging may still be based on audience persona, but you can also consider elements like: The type of content the lead interacted with The lead’s engagement level (ex. how many content pieces they’ve downloaded, how many webinars they’ve registered for, their frequency of website visits, the pages they’ve visited on your website, etc.) Their role in purchasing and decision making By tailoring follow-ups based on these insights, you’ll guide them through the funnel faster and more effectively. Ready to Make Your Messaging Work Smarter? For K–12 education businesses, targeted messaging isn't just a “nice-to-have” marketing tactic—it's a strategic imperative. In a competitive landscape, reaching the right decision-makers with the right message at the right time is crucial for growth and success. While it takes more time and more investment to use target messaging, the payoffs are worth the extra effort. By embracing the power of targeted messaging, businesses can build stronger relationships with schools and districts, demonstrate their value more effectively, and shorten the sales cycle. For assistance identifying your target audiences and market opportunities, crafting your targeted messaging plan, and executing targeted messaging campaigns, Strategos and Spyre Marketing are an unbeatable team. Together, we can help your business maximize the impact of your target messaging. Reach out with questions or to explore partnering with Strategos and Spyre Marketing.
