July 23, 2026

Dear Educator,

Last week, the Learner-Centered Collaborative team came together for our biannual retreat. As a fully remote team, these moments matter. They give us the opportunity to strengthen relationships, deepen our commitment to our partners and our mission, and continue building the collective expertise needed to redesign the future of public education.

With Gratitude,

P.S. For more on how we think about redesigning the future of public education, check out Spotlight on the Community's recent episode featuring me and Devin!

Celebrating Our Innovative Team

This week, I want to turn the spotlight inward—to the team that spends so much of their time lifting up educators, leaders, and learners across the country.

I continue to be inspired by the way our team works together. They lead with curiosity, take the time to deeply understand the needs of our partners, and approach every challenge with a learning mindset. They test ideas, reflect on what they’re learning, and continuously iterate to make our work stronger. They don’t just talk about learner-centered principles—they model them every day.

I’m incredibly grateful to work alongside such a thoughtful, talented, and mission-driven group of people. Their commitment to learning and continuous improvement is what allows us to keep evolving our work.

I’m excited to share some of the new tools, resources, and change management frameworks we’ve been developing to better support public systems as they lead lasting, meaningful change so all learners know who they are, thrive in community, and actively engage in the world as their best selves. 

Our team is ready to support your community's learner-centered journey. Whether you're just getting started or already in the messy middle, our holistic ecosystem framework meets you where you are. Learn more about how we partner with schools and districts here.

In December 2025, a group of young people, school leaders, technologists, researchers, and nonprofit leaders came together to explore what new learning models for ages 13–22 could look like at the Liftoff Design Sprint. The Liftoff Models Reflection tool is designed for you to explore the 10 innovative models that came out of that design sprint, get inspired, and reflect on how you can apply these ideas in your context. Download the tool and explore the models today!

Resources to advance your learner-centered practice

📖 What School Redesign Makes Possible When a District Says No to the Status Quo. "Inside Escondido Union School District’s multi-year effort to redesign school by turning a community-built vision into learner-centered experiences across every campus." Dive into this in-depth story

📖 It’s People Who Transform Systems. "When organizations are networked to learn with one another, not just alongside one another, learners across the region benefit, and we become part of a stronger, more connected ecosystem of mutual support." Learn more about the power of research-practice partnerships.

🎯 Learner-Centered Launchpad. "Explore why learner-centered education is needed now and how to begin the shift by rethinking your role as an educator and how you design the learning environment and community in your classroom." Start learning today.