from a Nation at Risk to a Nation at Hope: #NationAtHope

For the last two years, I’ve been a member of the Aspen Institute’s Parent Panel for the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development, and finally—finally!—today our report is released into the world!

The Nation At Hope Report: What You Need to Know

It’s called From a Nation at Risk to a Nation at Hope, and it’s a work that reflects decades of research and thousands of hours of work from dozens of incredible people.

Remember years ago, the “A Nation At Risk” report was released, and it painted a bleak picture of our nation’s education system? You may not remember the report itself, but you may know that in recent years, our nation’s schools have been riddled with assessment-driven curriculum, educators who felt forced to “teach to the test” and students who are not equipped with the skills they need to thrive in the world.

Little girl with multiple choice question

Something needs to change, and today is the day.

The report released today by the Aspen Institute National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development asserts that our nation is at a turning point: We now understand that social, emotional, and cognitive development underpin children’s academic learning.

This breakthrough understanding about how people learn is fueling a growing movement to educate children as whole people, with social and emotional as well as academic needs.

little boy on swings with multiple choice question near him

I’m inviting you to join the movement, my friends. I know that after years and years of writing this blog that so many of you appreciate and value the little things I’ve shared that help our children become whole people, the best versions of themselves possible. We know now that psychology, social science, brain science—all the research!—points to the fact that the social, emotional, and cognitive dimensions of learning are deeply linked.