Your monthly curation of learner-centered blogs, tools, and insights

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Esteemed Colleague,

There’s no single path to a more promising future in education. That's why we aim to share a variety of learner-centered ideas, tools, and stories from across the country and our partner network to inspire what you and your community might bring to life.

This month, we’re lifting up what’s possible when schools design for trust, flexibility, and purpose. From the powerful evidence of public microschools to the possibility of regional innovation hubs, educators and communities are leading meaningful change. You’ll also hear directly from students on how AI can support deeper human connection and what it looks like to design competency-based professional learning structures.

Enjoy!
The Learner-Centered Collaborative Team

QUICK HITS

📖 5(ish)-minute reads for those in-between moments

FEATURED ARTICLE: Can Regional Innovation Hubs Create a More Promising Future for K-12 Education?  (6-minute read)

"Regional ecosystems offer the ideal scale for experimentation and evolution. They’re big enough to impact systems, small enough to build trust, and flexible enough to adapt to context. In short, regional hubs are where vision meets action."

Lessons From a Principal: What it Takes to Build a School Where Students Drive Their Own Learning (5-minute read)

"Transforming a school into a learner-centered community requires a shift in both mindset and structure—one that empowers teachers as leaders and students as active participants in their own education." ~Allie Wong

A Learner-Centered Approach to Expanding Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment for Native American Students (6-minute read)

"Schools across the country must ask themselves: Who has access to advanced academic opportunities, and who is left out?" ~Keisha Lanier Brown

Microschools Are Not Just a Trend, They’re A Turning Point (6-minute read)

"Public microschools offer a focused, actionable path forward in this era of uncertainty and opportunity. These small, purpose-built learning environments give public schools and their communities the power to design experiences that are deeply personalized, flexible, and malleable without waiting for entire systems to shift. They can serve students, empower educators, and address community needs." ~Deborah Gist, Tom Vander Ark, & Devin Vodicka

SoCal LiNK Leverages the Power of a Triangle to Transform Schools (5-minute read)

"UC San Diego researchers, local educators, and community partners join forces to advance learner-centered education in PreK-12 classrooms across Southern California."

Building Bridges Through Change: Leadership Lessons for Summer and Beyond
(
5-minute read)

"Taking time to honor collective achievements and individual growth creates a sense of closure and gratitude that is essential for emotional readiness to move forward." ~Devin Vodicka

TOOLS & RESOURCES

Bringing learner-centered practices to life

FEATURED RESOURCE: The Public Microschool Playbook (access here)

This resource is a comprehensive, action-oriented guide co-created by Getting Smart Collective, Learner-Centered Collaborative, and Transcend to help system leaders design, launch, and sustain public microschools.

BIG MOVE OF THE MONTH: Design Competency-Based Professional Learning Structures (access here)

To create learning experiences that meet the needs of all learners in the modern world, it’s essential to establish clear expectations for learning and teaching based on a shared vision. This involves creating educator competencies that determine what teachers need to know and do to create desired learning experiences.

TRENDING COURSE: Competency-Based Learning Pathway (access here)

The Competency-Based Learning Pathway includes 3 courses + a bonus foundational course designed to help educators plan with a competency-based approach, use assessment as a tool for learning, and create authentic audiences for assessment.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Connecting with learner-centered educators in-person and online

FEATURED EVENT: ISTELive 25 (register here)

June 29 - July 2 | San Antonio, TX

EVENT: Aurora Symposium 2025 (register here)

October 25 - 28 | New Orleans, LA

DEEP DIVES

Long reads, listens, and views for those topics you can't get enough of

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Learner-Centered Collaborative, 1611 S Melrose Dr., STE A #334, Vista, CA 92081

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