Micah Ali, Chair of the CUBE Steering Committee and President of the Compton Unified School District in California, said taking advantage of unique yet challenging opportunities is critical to achieving the goal of educational equity. claims to be.

Like many of you, the question of how to ultimately achieve fairness has always been on my mind. It’s like a constant drum beat, a reminder that despite our gains, we still have a lot of work to do. I believe there is a unique opportunity to help

Breaking the status quo is not easy. Today, many school districts are dedicated to keeping students behind, reducing learning losses, and meeting state and federal testing requirements. These are valiant pursuits, but be careful not to pursue them blindfolded. We have a critical responsibility to prepare for the opportunities presented by tomorrow’s economy and the unique yet challenging opportunities that COVID has presented. It means rethinking learning models and rethinking how to reach students most effectively.

The Compton Unified School District took a proactive approach long before the pandemic. We are open to new educational models such as dual enrollment, where students earn college credits while in high school, and early college, dual enrollment schools where students graduate with an associate’s degree. We have started the introduction. These programs give students a head start in college, saving time and money.

The impact is immeasurable. Our Compton Early College High School was recently ranked as follows: usa news As the #32 best school in California rankings. Today, we continue to build on these successes and are now establishing Pathways in Technology High School. There, students graduate with relevant real-world experience, an industry-recognized associate’s degree, and a high school diploma.

By incorporating the latest innovations and growth areas into our classrooms, we not only ensure that our students perform on par with their peers and graduate with the skill sets for tomorrow’s jobs. We have to focus on growth sectors like technology, biosciences, robotics and other his STEAM sector.

Blockchain technology is one such area. Blockchain is a shared, immutable ledger for recording transactions, tracking assets, and building trust. These jobs are largely done remotely, opening up new opportunities in communities across America. They also pay very well. Despite the recent volatility, blockchain technology is taking hold and many states are formulating regulations for the industry. By embracing these growth sectors, we advance our goal of achieving equality for all. In fact, providing students with these opportunities not only increases educational equity, but portends social and economic equity.

Micah Ali is Chair of the 2021-22 CUBE Steering Committee and President of the Compton Unified School District, California.

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