Education

Students will be self-reliant when we clear paths to meaningful education

It’s up to all of us—students, parents, educators, and advocates—to design the tools and environment our students need to succeed.

Every student should, no matter his or her background, have the chance to build a successful life. And fulfilling this promise depends on our society’s single greatest lever of opportunity: a high-quality education. These are the beliefs that launched College Track almost 20 years ago.

Today, education is the cornerstone of our work.

When we harness technology to challenge and excite our students and to empower our teachers, school leaders, and families, we accelerate toward our education goals. When we design curriculum and evaluations to ensure students develop the knowledge and skills to succeed, we prepare our students for continued education and for success in life.

When we listen to students, teachers, and community stakeholders, designing systems with them rather than for them, we build the future that our communities require. When we can build education systems designed to serve every student, we will fully realize our potential as a nation.

Together we can restore the promise of education as America’s great equalizer and of public schools as gateways of opportunity.


Handshake: A Career Network for Young Talent

Jonathan Stull, CEO of ed tech company Handshake, sketched the crisis facing new college graduates, some 40 percent of whom are underemployed.

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Ellevation: Helping English Language Learners Thrive
An Emerson Collective's 2017 Demo Day, Co-Founder Teddy Rice explained Ellevation's vision and impact.

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Transforming Education in Haiti

In community, Anseye Pou Haiti hopes to create a new narrative of a Haiti—for Haitians and by Haitians.

See the Photo Essay

Meet College Track

College Track mentors students—many the first in their families to graduate high school—and stays with them.

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Listen Up

Featured Stories

See how students, educators, parents, policymakers, and communities are tackling some of our nation’s biggest challenges in the world of education.

Access & Equity

A zip code should not determine a future. All students—regardless of their income, race, language status or disability – deserve to be at the center of every education decision made in schools, in communities, in states and in Washington, DC.

Community Voice

Excellent education emerges when teachers, parents, communities, and—perhaps most importantly—students work together to inform policy and practice. Bringing these voices to the table builds trust and encourages collaboration.

Teachers

We believe that every student ought to be taught by excellent teachers. Likewise, teachers should be celebrated, competitively compensated, and treated with the same reverence we afford to doctors and business leaders.

New Models

Innovative school models will define the classroom of the future. We need to reimagine how we inspire young people to understand history's challenges, solve today's real-world problems, and take advantage of tomorrow's opportunities.

Policy

All students deserve to be educated in schools that meet and reward their aspirations. Schools ought to be held accountable for how well students are learning. Together, we can empower every student to meet high and consistent academic standards.

Technology

Beyond equipping schools with computers and internet access, integrating technology-based tools into curriculum is critical. Technology enables students to learn at their own pace, helps teachers and administrators collaborate, and lets families support student growth.