How We Got Here: Stories from the U.S. Education System and the Why Behind the Podcast with Rebecca Reed, host of Off the Assembly Line

It's no secret that the K12 education system has some major challenges. Visit any classroom, speak to any educator, or parent a school-aged child, and you'll bump into something that doesn't seem quite right. Scan the workforce horizon and you'll be puzzled by a growing gap between education and industry. Each of these constraints represent a world of possibility. But in order to move forward, we have to understand how we got here.

In this episode I share two brief, but essential stories that helped shape the eduction system that we know today, and the "why" behind the podcast. The first is the story of Horace Mann, known as the "father of the common school" (or what we know now as the U.S. public education system). The second is the story behind the creation of the first multiple choice test, and how it helped to establish the system for standardized assessment and standards based reform.

To many in the machine age, a uniform system that produced conformity seemed to be exactly what society and the workforce needed. Unfortunately, these systems remain intact in a world that needs creativity, adaptability, personalization, and the ability to deal in complexity. The need for change is daunting, but it's possible. Listen as I share the "why" behind the podcast, and my hope for disruptive innovation.

You can find more show details and resources at offtheassemblyline.co and connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn or at rebeccaareed.com.

If you liked what you heard, rate and review Off the Assembly Line

Learn more about the Teacher Mastermind at http://teachermastermind.com

Follow Off the Assembly Line
twitter @offassemblyline
instagram @offtheassemblyline_podcast
facebook @offtheassemblylinepodcast.

Special thanks to Scott Holmes for our intro music. You can check out more from him at https://scottholmesmusic.com/.

Thanks for listening to Off the Assembly Line. Share it with someone who needs to hear it and then go make a ruckus!