Side Quests

This chapter explores the vision of a “dream school.” The author proposes access to rich and challenging learning experiences. These are nonnegotiable rights for all students, as community learning is what is best for students. Remediation software and wasteful spending are harming our schools. The author extends the conversation to include the emergence of artificial intelligence in education. It must be positioned not as a replacement for teacher expertise but as a partner in differentiation and brainstorming. AI expert Christopher S. Penn emphasizes teaching students to use AI productively instead of using it to cheat and plagiarize, hoping for students to use AI as a “brainstorming buddy.” Voices from the field, including principal Pam Pritzker-Ridley of PS347 and retired superintendent Keith Lewis, share that the role of schools in a community must be created in collaboration with the existing community. They both argue that equity can reshape school environments, particularly for multilingual and Deaf learners. This chapter calls on society to confront the educational landscape and make sure that our children are receiving the education they deserve within the communities they live in.