Leadership Development Strategist • TEDx Speaker • Designed Global Training for 35K+ • Connecting systems, soft skills, and emotionally intelligent leadership • Bilingual Educator • Bestselling Author

The future of leadership demands more than intelligence - it demands adaptability, empathy, and courage.

I help HR, L&D, and visionary CEOs future-proof their leadership pipelines with 360° Capability Audits that uncover hidden gaps, align development to real performance needs, and benchmark readiness for AI-driven change.

With a background in leadership development, instructional design, and organizational strategy, I partner with companies to redefine how leaders think, connect, and perform in the age of automation.

My work spans four pillars that turn insight into measurable growth:

🔍 360° Capability Audits – Data-informed assessments that reveal blind spots, skill gaps, and alignment gaps across teams.

🧠 Leadership Training & Workshops – Programs that blend emotional intelligence, adaptive strategy, and behavioral science.

📘 Curriculum Design & Development – Custom frameworks that make leadership development scalable, sustainable, and story-driven.

🎤 Speaking & Panels – Talks that challenge leadership norms, ignite change, and make “soft skills” powerfully strategic.

At the core of my work:
👉 I help organizations strengthen the ‘people layer’ - so leadership, collaboration, and culture scale with innovation, not behind it.

Career highlights:
• TEDx Speaker
• Brand Partners: Synthesia, GoStudio.AI, iSpring Solutions, Tavus, and Notion.
• Named one of the Top 50 Global Influential Women to Follow in 2026
• Featured thought leader on CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and The CW.
• Published bestselling author on emotional intelligence and adaptive leadership.
• Former Sales Enablement UX Researcher in big tech, designing learning experiences for 35K+ global professionals.
• Multiple award-winning Thinkers 360: 
1. Top 10 Behavioral Science 
2. Top 50 Transformational Leaders
3. Top 100 Careers Thought Leaders

➡️ If you're building a people-first organization that needs to scale with clarity and heart — let's connect.
📩 DM “AUDIT” or reach out at acasiano@growingyoureq.com

For podcast interviews, features, speaking, or collaborations:
📬 acasiano@growingyoureq.com

**Please send professional requests by email only. No DM pitches will be reviewed.

📩 Get insights + tools to grow agile, emotionally intelligent leadership – Join the Beyond IQ newsletter: https://www.beyondiqnewsletter.com/

Alinnette Casiano

Thank you to David Soberal for the spotlight! And to Tyray Mollett for the Cameo shout out!

LinkedIn Standouts Creator | Customer Success Lead | 15+ Years Driving Impact with Creative Solutions & Exceptional Service. Let’s turn Minutes into Moments & Ideas to Action. Together, we’ll Revolutionize Hospitality 🌐

LinkedIn Standouts: October Spotlight!

As Oct came to an end, let’s recognize 4 professionals who truly stood out by making an impact through insight, consistency, care & leadership.

🎤Alinnette Casiano 🎤
 
At just 8 yrs old in Puerto Rico, Alinnette faced challenges that forced her to raise herself & her 2 sisters. Years later she earned multiple degrees & built a successful life, yet still felt something missing, until she realized her purpose: to connect, teach & transform others through emotional intelligence. Today she’s one of the top leadership coaches on LinkedIn, a TEDx speaker, & will be featured in Titanium Magazine as one of the Top 50 Global Inspirational Women of 2026. She has impacted millions across LinkedIn, takes deep pride in the Latin community, & will be part of a Hispanic Heritage cultural event on Dec 3. Info & tickets below.👇 

🌎 Hispanic Event: https://lnkd.in/eVtyWKiE


💼 Sam Struan 💼

Sam is one of the top résumé writers on LinkedIn & has helped dozens of career coaches become who they are today. His daily short videos give step-by-step tips on resumes & LinkedIn profiles. 4 months ago he was diagnosed w/ a detached labrum & lost major function in his right arm & yet he still showed up to help professionals, worked w/ one arm, communicated delays, & offered discounts. That’s real dedication. He also shared a great line for your About section: “I also welcome the opportunity to network & exchange ideas.”
3 weeks ago he joined a LinkedIn Live w/ 3 top recruiters, demonstrating tools & navigating the job market. Link below.👇 

💼 Job Event: https://lnkd.in/e9pFtQGu


✨ Shannon McCallum  ✨

Shannon is known for recognizing hospitality leaders & major brands in the Vegas market. She’s deeply involved in the local hospitality community & attends multiple events weekly. She was featured in Global Hospitality Magazine as one of the most inspirational people in the industry. Shannon brings together tech, AI & innovation, but always leads w/ human connection. She is one of the most respected leaders in hospitality, that deliver memorable guest experiences. She’s also organizing a new technology conference on Dec 3. Link below.👇 

🏨 Hospitality Event: https://lnkd.in/g-Chszqk


🎪 Dean Fisher 🌎 GLOBAL EVENT SOLUTIONS 

If you’re planning an event in Vegas, whether it’s a meeting or large corporate or conference events, DeanO is the person to call. He posts daily about the events he & his team run, & they’re trained so well they can fit large groups into small spaces while still keeping everything smooth. His posts carry energy, care & love for what he does.
Dean is also known as a hidden leader & hosts a YouTube podcast helping professionals navigate the toughest hospitality challenges as well as finding joy and shine within his leadership alignment across the nation. Link below.👇 

🎙️ YouTube Podcast: https://lnkd.in/ekpb2Gaz

🎥 Tyray Mollett gives a shoutout to the 4 honorees on Cameo: https://lnkd.in/egYDzXxq

The future of leadership isn’t about IQ.
It’s about emotional clarity.

Because the leaders people trust most
aren’t the ones who know everything,
they’re the ones who understand what people need.

They read the room before they read the report.
They regulate before they react.
They connect before they correct.

If you lead people in any capacity, these 10 skills matter more than any title:

✅ Self-awareness
✅ Listening to understand
✅ Reading the room
✅ Turning conflict into connection
✅ Setting boundaries that protect energy
✅ Giving feedback as a gift, not a blow
✅ Celebrating small wins
✅ Modeling calm under pressure
✅ Investing in recovery, not just productivity
✅ Remembering names, and stories

Because leadership isn’t about control.
It’s about connection that drives change.

💭 Which of these are you strengthening right now?

📌 Save this for your next 1:1 or team reflection
🔔 Follow me, Alinnette, for more on emotionally intelligent leadership

Design: Muhammad Husnain

Progress isn’t made in the big leaps.

It’s made in the micro-decisions you make before the day even begins.

The leaders who grow (even through the messiest seasons)do one thing differently:
👉 They choose intention before action.

Before your feet hit the floor, ask yourself:

✔️ Who am I choosing to be today?
Not the stressed version. Not the reactive one.
The intentional one. The resilient one.
Write it down.
Identity shapes direction.

✔️ What’s the ONE outcome that makes today meaningful?
Not 10 priorities. Not a frantic checklist.
One clear aim. Straight lines are built from single points.

✔️ How do I want people to feel after interacting with me?
Your presence is your reputation.
Leave people steadier than you found them.

✔️ What boundary protects my focus and peace?
Every “no” you give creates the straight path you keep wishing for.

✔️ When pressure hits, what story will I choose?
“This is data, not danger.”
“This is learning, not failing.”
“This is a detour, not a dead end.”

Because those first moments of your day?
They’re not small.
They’re alignment.
They’re direction.
They’re the difference between spinning and moving forward.

The path to success will never be linear.
But here’s the truth:
Those ups and downs that are so uncomfortable aren’t detours; they’re data. They sharpen your direction and help you build the right path faster than a “perfect” plan ever could.

So ask yourself:

👉 Will I live today by default?
or
👉 Will I design it on purpose?

💭 What’s the intention that straightens your path today?

DM ‘AUDIT’ to future-proof your 2026 learning & development roadmap • Leadership Development Strategist • TEDx Speaker • Designed Global Training for 35K+

Some people think resilience is a personality trait.

It’s not.
👉 It’s a practice.

Built in the quiet, unglamorous moments no one sees.

The days you show up when it’s uncomfortable.
The mornings you choose discipline over distraction.
The nights you give yourself rest instead of guilt.

The truth?

You don’t become unstoppable all at once.
You become unstoppable one small habit at a time.

Here are the daily choices that build a different kind of strength, the kind that stays with you when life hits hard:

1️⃣ Replace “I can’t” with “I haven’t yet.”
That tiny shift rewires your brain for possibility.

2️⃣ Start before you feel ready.
Readiness is a feeling that follows action - never the other way around.

3️⃣ Make failure your teacher, not your enemy.
Every “no” carries information. Mine it.

4️⃣ Build systems, not just goals.
Goals motivate you. Systems sustain you.

5️⃣ Protect your mornings like your future depends on them.
Because it does. One intentional hour changes everything.

6️⃣ Say no like a leader.
Every yes steals capacity from something that matters more.

7️⃣ Track tiny wins.
Your brain builds confidence from evidence - give it proof daily.

8️⃣ Find your power hour.
Do your most important work when you’re naturally sharpest.

9️⃣ Choose hard today over harder tomorrow.
Avoidance compounds. So does courage.

🔟 Rest like you mean it.
Recovery isn’t weakness - it’s strategic leadership.

The habits that build resilience aren’t dramatic.
They’re small, consistent, and even uncomfortable.
But they change your trajectory.

If you want to feel unstoppable, start with one habit - not all ten.

💬 Which one are you choosing today?

🔁 Repost to remind someone who’s rebuilding their strength brick by brick.
🔔 Follow me for more content like this, Alinnette

Design by: Muhammad Husnain

Being agreeable is often mistaken for being professional.

For years, that was me.
Never rock the boat.
Say yes when my gut screamed no.
Smile through decisions that made my values cringe.

I thought respect came from being liked.
That harmony meant avoiding hard conversations.
That good employees stayed quiet.

Until I learned the most expensive lie of my career:
Being liked and being respected are not the same thing.

After years of working with leaders across industries, one truth keeps showing up:
The ones who create real change aren’t the pleasers.
They’re the truth-tellers.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth about approval-seeking 👇

→ It shrinks your impact.
When you chase everyone’s approval, you stand for nothing.

→ It erodes trust.
People can feel when your “yes” doesn’t mean yes.

→ It delays growth.
Every avoided conversation is a missed opportunity to evolve.

→ It attracts the wrong people.
Those who need you to stay small will never celebrate you getting big.

So if you’re ready to trade approval for authenticity, start here:

✔️ Know your non-negotiables.
Write down your top 3 values. If a request violates them, that’s your answer.

✔️ Master the kind “no.”
“I appreciate you thinking of me, but this doesn’t align with my current priorities.”

✔️ Schedule your boundaries.
Protect deep-work time like it’s a CEO meeting (because it is).

✔️ Choose your circle wisely.
Surround yourself with people who respect your no as much as your yes.

✔️ Embrace the discomfort.
Not everyone will like the real you. The right ones will respect you for it.

Here’s the paradox about boundaries:
They don’t push people away.
They pull the right ones closer.

Because the moment you stop performing for approval,
you start attracting people who value authenticity.

The shift from pleasing to leading isn’t comfortable.
But comfort was never the goal.
Impact was.

💭 What boundary have you been avoiding that would change everything if you set it today?

For years, companies handled leadership development the same way:

Run a workshop.
Share self-paced modules.
Offer a toolkit.
Hope managers “get it.”

That cycle broke.

Teams want leaders who stay calm under pressure.
Managers who speak with honesty.
Directors who hold steady in tense moments.

But most companies cannot see where the real gaps sit.

Here is what I saw this year:

A high-potential manager avoided hard talks because she felt unprepared.
A director with strong experience lost trust because he felt strained with no place to say it.
A department stalled because leaders were unsure what mattered most.

Workshops alone do not fix this.
Leaders need a clear map.

So I’m opening 𝟯 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘀 for a January kickoff.

You walk into Q1 of the new the year with:

• A view of what slips
• A sense of what works
• What your team leaders need
• A roadmap for a strong start to the year

If you’re tired of guessing where leadership slips, DM “AUDIT.”

🔁 Repost to spread the word
🔔 Follow me, Alinnette for more

The hardest part of change isn’t the change. 
It’s staying yourself while everything is shifting.

Clarity doesn’t show up on its own, you create it.

Here’s what I’ve seen in all who made it through a season that shook their foundation:

They start by noticing what’s actually shifting.
Not the stories.
Not the fears.
The real movement beneath the surface.

Then they look for what isn’t changing.
A value.
A strength.
An anchor they can hold when the ground moves.

Next, they plan from calm, not chaos.
One right step.
Not ten.
Not the whole staircase.
Just the next move that keeps them aligned.

They reach out before the weight gets too heavy.
Not to be saved,
but to stay human.
Because isolation is where clarity goes to die.

And when the dust settles, they sustain small practices that keep them steady.
Tiny habits.
Simple routines.
Consistency over the illusion of control.

This is resilience.
Not toughness.
Not perfection.
Not pushing through at any cost.

Resilience is learning how to stay yourself while everything around you shifts.

If you’re in a season of change, ask yourself:

Where am I sensing?
Where am I stabilizing?
Where am I planning?
Where am I supported?
Where am I sustaining?

You don’t control the pace of change.
You control the way you move through it.

Which part of your resilience is asking for attention today?

📌 Save this framework for your next transition
🔁 Share to help someone navigate their change
🔔 Follow me, Alinnette for more on resilient leadership

Design by: Muhammad Husnain

You don’t always get the outcome you hoped for.

You can give your best.
Show up fully.
Pour in the hours, the heart, the belief.

And still…
life takes a turn you didn’t choose.

I used to think that meant I failed.
That the disappointment said something about me.
That if it didn’t work out, the effort somehow didn’t matter.

But life has a quieter truth:

Even when the result slips through your fingers,
the growth stays with you.

The wisdom.
The resilience.
The clarity about who you are and what you want.
Those things don’t disappear.

Not every hope becomes a destination.
Some hopes become teachers.
Some become turning points.
Some become the strength you didn’t know you were building.

That’s why taking care of yourself isn’t optional.
It’s the foundation.

Because when plans fall apart,
your well-being is what holds you together.
Your wisdom is what carries you forward.
Your hope, even the fragile kind, is what keeps the next chapter possible.

So take care of yourself first.

Not because it guarantees the outcome,
but because it guarantees you will still be whole
no matter how the outcome unfolds.

And here’s what I know for sure:

You don’t walk away from any season empty-handed.
You walk away with lessons that sharpen you.
Strength you earned the hard way.
And hope that learns to rebuild itself.

Life won’t always go as planned.
But you will always have what you gained becoming the person who tried.

💭 What’s one lesson a difficult season gave you that you’re grateful for now?

Every year, I see the same pattern.

Teams enter January with the strain they carried from the year before. 

Team Leaders walk into the first week unclear. 
Directors try to guess what matters most. 
And HR is expected to fix it overnight.

By the following months, the cracks show:
- Slow decisions 
- Mixed signals 
- Missed cues 
- Pressure that spreads 
- Training that doesn't land

Not because leaders lack skill. 
But because they start the year without a clear map.

A leadership audit fixes this early in the year, before the pace climbs.

It shows you:
- Where leaders felt strain last year 
- Where communication broke 
- Which skills need attention 
- What should guide Q1

December isn't the time to do the work. 
It's the time to secure the clarity.

I’m opening 𝟯 audits for a January kickoff at a 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚.

If you want leaders who start 2026 steady instead of strained, 
DM "AUDIT."

🔁 Repost to spread the word
🔔 Follow me, Alinnette for more

How to Spot Leadership Gaps Before Turn Into Team Strain

If you ever doubt whether your kindness matters, read this slowly:

Every time you choose patience over impatience, someone breathes easier.
Every time you soften your tone, someone feels safer.
Every time you pause before reacting, someone learns it’s possible.

People remember how you made the moment feel.
Long after the words are gone.

And here’s the part most people overlook:

Kindness strengthens you just as much as it supports everyone around you.

It expands your emotional capacity.
It sharpens your self-awareness.
It trains your nervous system to lead from clarity instead of reactivity.

It’s not about being nice.
It’s about being intentional with your impact.

Because whether you realize it or not:

Someone is watching how you navigate pressure.
Someone is learning from the way you handle conflict.
Someone is healing because you spoke to them with respect.
Someone is staying because you made them feel seen.

Kindness doesn’t change the world in one moment.
It changes the moments that shape the world.

And if you lead people:
at work, at home, in your community,
your presence becomes their weather system.

Your calm becomes permission.
Your patience becomes guidance.
Your compassion becomes courage.

So today, if you have the choice between reacting fast
or responding with intention...choose the version of you you’d want someone else to learn from.

Choose the one who leaves people a little safer,
a little steadier,
a little more hopeful than before.

Because emotional leadership isn’t built in big speeches.
It’s built in the micro-moments you think no one notices.

💭 Agree, Disagree?

🔁 Repost to share with others
🔔 Follow me, Alinnette for more

The future of learning isn’t more content.
It’s deeper connection.

For years, we taught people what to do.
Now we need to guide them on how to think, choose, and lead in real time.

That’s why I’m obsessed with what We Are Learning is building.

Their Stories aren’t just videos,
they're immersive learning experiences shaped by decisions.

Learners don’t just watch…
 👉 They choose.
 👉 They react.
 👉 They see consequences.
 👉 They build judgment.

All through connected content nodes that create:
• Linear paths for consistency
• Interactive paths for decision-making
• Branching scenarios that feel like real-world leadership moments

This is the future of training:
Not passive consumption.
Active transformation.

Imagine onboarding, leadership development, 
or customer training where people experience the journey, 
not just memorize slides.

Because the leaders we’re developing tomorrow
need more than information.

They need practice. 
Perspective. 
Presence.

And that is exactly what this platform delivers.
👉 If you design learning, lead teams, or guide others how to think, you need to try it today.

Start building your first Story in minutes here: https://lnkd.in/gdyWRMJD

#WeAreLearning

A special thank you to The Prodigy and Love Charmaine for the recognition: https://lnkd.in/gdWbnYC8

Thank you Helen, it was a great pleasure! I look forward to the full feature.

Owner @ Himaja Retreat | Community Builder @ Fuzia Talent | Curator of Humans of Fuzia | Advocate for Impactful Storytelling

✨ Coming Soon on Humans of Fuzia! ✨
We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Alinnette Casiano, Founder of Growing Your EQ, for our Humans of Fuzia series — and her journey is nothing short of inspiring. From being the first in her family to pursue higher education to leading with emotional intelligence and authenticity, Ali’s story reminds us that impact isn’t always loud — sometimes it happens quietly, with heart and purpose. 💫
Stay tuned — her full feature will be published soon on humansoffuzia.com
!

#HumansOfFuzia #WomenInLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #FuziaTalent #WomenEmpowerment

Honored to join Saahil Baxi on his podcast to talk about the work that has shaped my life: emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and helping people feel seen, understood, and empowered.

From the classroom…
to UX research at Amazon…
to mentoring leaders internationally…

Grateful for the chance to share my story, the practices that keep me steady, and the mission that continues to pull me forward.

Thank you Saahil for the thoughtful conversation and the space to dig deeper.

🎧 Full episode in comments.

How Emotional Intelligence Shapes Success https://buff.ly/UVToq3a via Alinnette Casiano of Growing Your EQ on Thinkers360 #Education #GenerativeAI #Leadership 📣 Thought Leader? Amplify your voice here: https://buff.ly/12Kt83x

Open article: How Emotional Intelligence Shapes Success — A Conversation with Alinnette Casiano | Future Millionaires by buff.ly

How Emotional Intelligence Shapes Success — A Conversation with Alinnette Casiano | Future Millionaires

BrightMinds-AI: Smart School Solutions

Co-Founder

The Outlier Project

Member

Ink & Integrity

When a school district reached out to me, they were facing a significant challenge. Their students were disengaged, and the dropout rates were alarmingly high, particularly in their STEM programs. The district knew that they needed to take action, but they weren't sure where to start.

That's where I came in. With over 20 years of experience as an educational technology consultant, I've developed a keen understanding of the challenges that schools face when trying to integrate technology into their curricula. I knew that the key to engaging students and reducing dropout rates was to create a learning environment that was both innovative and inclusive.

I worked closely with the district to develop a customized STEM curriculum that would resonate with their students. We focused on hands-on learning experiences, project-based assignments, and real-world applications of scientific concepts. But we didn't stop there. We also provided teachers with the training and support they needed to effectively deliver this new curriculum.

The results were remarkable. Student engagement soared, and dropout rates plummeted. The district saw a renewed sense of enthusiasm and curiosity among their students, who were now excited to come to school each day and explore the world of science and technology.

This is just one example of the impact that I strive to make with each and every client. Whether you're looking to improve operational efficiency, enhance teaching practices, or engage students in new and exciting ways, I have the skills and expertise to help you achieve your goals.

When you work with me, you can expect a partnership built on a foundation of integrity, empathy, and a deep commitment to your success. I take the time to listen to your unique needs and challenges, and then I work tirelessly to develop customized solutions that deliver measurable results.

Educational Consultant

Esol Education

When I joined AISA as the Head of the Science Department, I encountered a team that was dedicated and hardworking, but also struggling to keep up with the rapid changes in science education. The curriculum was focused on content and assessments, leaving little room for the kind of hands-on, experiential learning that we know is so critical for student engagement and success.
I knew that we needed to make a change, but I also knew that change can be challenging. I took a collaborative approach, working with my team to identify areas where we could make meaningful improvements.
One of the key changes was the integration of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). This innovative approach emphasizes interdisciplinary learning and experiential exploration. 
The results spoke for themselves; we saw consistently rising achievement levels, as evidenced by the reports we submitted to governing bodies. We also made significant strides in reducing proficiency gaps, a testament to the effectiveness of our revised program.
The most rewarding aspect of my time was the development a cohesive team. Over a six-year period, we built a culture of trust, respect, and shared purpose that enabled us to tackle even the most challenging initiatives.
One of the highlights was the planning and execution of field trips that connected science to the broader community. These experiences not only enriched our students' learning but also helped to build stronger relationships with the community.
When it came time for our accreditation renewal process, all of our hard work paid off. We were able to present a compelling case for the improvements, backed up by meticulous documentation and evidence of student success.
I feel an immense sense of pride in what we accomplished together. By embracing innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to student success, we were able to transform the science department into a model of excellence that continues to inspire and empower students to this day.

Program Manager (Head of Science)

American International School in Abu Dhabi

Science Educator

Magnolia ISD

Magnolia Independent School District (MISD) is a public school district located in Magnolia, Texas, USA. As department chair, 
-Mentored and coached a team of educators 
-Analyzed data to determine learning needs and implement educational training. 
-Researched latest educational technology and streamlined best practices in learning environment.

Science Department Chair

Aldine ISD

Aldine Independent School District (AISD) is a public school district in Harris County, Texas, USA, serving over 67,000 Pre-K through 12th-grade students. 
As science instructor: collaborated with cross-functional teams to employ data-driven instructional practices. Researched trending practices and educational technology.

Science Instructor

Educator ➡️ Freelancer | Content with EI | Learning AI

As an educational technology consultant and science educator with over 20 years of experience, I am passionate about transforming education through innovative solutions.

My mission is to bridge the gap between technology and education, creating inclusive and engaging learning experiences that prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century.

Throughout my career, I have consistently demonstrated my ability to drive meaningful change. As an educational technology consultant, I have partnered with organizations to develop customized solutions that enhance operational efficiency, improve teaching practices, and boost student engagement. From designing inclusive e-learning courses for K-12 educators to implementing cutting-edge STEM curricula, I have a proven track record of success in leveraging technology to support learning outcomes.

As a science educator, I have been dedicated to fostering a love of scientific discovery. By designing culturally responsive, inquiry-based curricula and leveraging innovative teaching strategies, I have empowered students from diverse backgrounds to excel in science. My commitment to continuous learning and professional development, as evidenced by my participation in prestigious programs like the Sally Ride Teachers Academy and the Phil Mickelson Teachers Program, has allowed me to stay at the forefront of science education.

One of my most transformative experiences was my tenure as the Head of the Science Department at the American International School in Abu Dhabi. Over the course of seven years, I led a collaborative effort to integrate the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) framework into our curriculum, emphasizing experiential exploration. The results were remarkable, with consistently rising achievement levels, reduced proficiency gaps, and a cohesive, collaborative team that continues to inspire to this day.

Whether I am working with educators, administrators, or business leaders, I bring a deep commitment to integrity, empathy, and student success to every project. I take the time to listen to the unique needs and challenges of each client, and then work tirelessly to develop customized solutions that deliver measurable results.

If you are looking for a partner who can help you harness the power of technology to transform education, I would be honored to discuss how I can support your goals. Together, we can create a brighter future for education, one innovative solution at a time.

Jessica Maddry, M.EdLT

𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡… 𝐈’𝐝 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭:
Purpose Over Productivity

𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞:
Learning that feels alive... grounded in relevance, agency, and meaning.

𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲:
Pacing guides dictate speed over understanding.
Scripted lessons replace teacher judgment.
Creativity gets cut for coverage.
Relevance rarely enters the room.
The one-liner that lands:

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬:
1️⃣ Meaning fuels motivation more than compliance ever will (Darling-Hammond et al., 2021).
2️⃣ Connecting learning to current events increases retention and critical thinking (Immordino-Yang, 2016).
3️⃣ Autonomy strengthens engagement (Deci & Ryan, 2020).

𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲:
Choose one lesson this week and start with a 30-second “Why Now?” 
One simple anchor from:
A headline.
A local issue.
A global trend.
No mysteries, just...
“Here’s how this connects to what we’re learning.”

𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 “𝐰𝐡𝐲” 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰.

Hi I'm Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI. We help schools redesign systems using research, community voice, and centering purpose.

#BrightMindsAI #TechWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation #Implementation #EdTechEquity #TeacherFirstTech #BeyondTheTool #PurposeDriven #EducationJustice #DemystifyAI #EducationalLeadership #Teachers

Co-Founder @ BrightMinds AI | Building Safe & Purposeful AI Integration in K–12 | Strategic Advisor to Schools & Districts | Ethical EdTech Strategist | PURPOSE Framework Architect

𝐂𝐔𝐓. 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘. 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄. → 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬
𝘈 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘱.

In 2025, chronic absenteeism and student disconnection remain top national concerns. Research continues to show that belonging is the strongest predictor of attendance and engagement.

𝐂𝐔𝐓:
The all-or-nothing mindset shaped by compliance-based attendance that treats punctuality as proof of readiness.

𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘:
Belonging-centered practices that recognize connection as a cognitive prerequisite.
Example:
 • Community-centered openings, such as morning warm-ups or brief check-ins that help students enter the day regulated and seen.

𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄:
A readiness culture rooted in context, not judgment... noticing, asking, and supporting the real conditions students walk in with.
Example:
 • A 30-second readiness moment:
 “Did you eat? Are you okay today? What do you need to start strong?”

𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 𝐒𝐀𝐘𝐒:
1️⃣ Belonging improves attendance more than enforcement (National Academies, 2022).
2️⃣ Connection with adults increases engagement & regulation (Osher et al., 2020).
3️⃣ Removing practical barriers outperforms penalties (Attendance Works, 2023).
4️⃣ Schools with strong belonging show higher persistence (ElevateK12, 2024).

Hi I'm Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI. We help schools redesign systems using research, community voice, and centering purpose.

#TechWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation #Implementation #EdTechEquity #TeacherFirstTech #BeyondTheTool #PurposeDriven #EducationJustice #DemystifyAI #EducationalLeadership #FutureOfEducation

𝐂𝐔𝐓. 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘. 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄. → 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐬
𝘈 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘱.

In 2025, schools face rising concerns around digital safety, AI misuse, and student distraction. But research shows bans make students less prepared, not safer.

𝐂𝐔𝐓:
Reactionary technology bans that remove tools instead of teaching students how to navigate them.

𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘:
Digital and AI literacy introduced early and nurtured with the same intentional, step-by-step care as learning to read.
 Example:
 • Structured, predictable routines that teach responsible use through guided practice.

𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄:
A foundation of tech fluency rooted in safety, agency, and skill.
 Example:
 • Weekly digital literacy micro-lessons that build judgment, not fear.

𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 𝐒𝐀𝐘𝐒:
1️⃣ Teaching digital skills reduces unsafe behavior more effectively than restricting access (UNESCO, 2023).
2️⃣ Early, developmentally appropriate digital literacy increases long-term safety and agency (Cranston, 2024).
3️⃣ Students learn responsible use through practice, not prohibition (APA, 2024).
4️⃣ EdWeek identifies “tech overcorrection” as a major contradiction in 2025 schools.

Hi I'm Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI. We help schools redesign systems using research, community voice, and centering purpose.

#TechWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation #Implementation #EdTechEquity
 #TeacherFirstTech #BeyondTheTool #PurposeDriven #EducationJustice
 #DemystifyAI #EducationalLeadership #FutureOfEducation

𝐀 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐅𝐚𝐫 𝐖𝐞’𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞
Over the last year, my work has taken me into countless conversations with educators, leaders, families, technologists, and communities... and this week, I found myself reflecting on just how much has changed.

When I look back at where this journey started... 
It wasn’t with AI.
It wasn’t with policy.
It wasn’t with strategy.

It started with a question:
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥?

A year ago, we began naming the patterns many felt but couldn’t articulate:
compliance culture, the erosion of curiosity, the widening tech divide, and the quiet truth that many systems were working exactly as designed.

We talked about belonging, equity, and voice.
We talked about safety, data, and the risk of letting efficiency outrun humanity.
We talked about what it means to teach in a world that's changing so abruptly.

And together, something shifted.
We stopped only naming what was broken.
We began designing what could be built.
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭, 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥.

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 for the educators who show up in these threads with honesty.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 for the people asking the hard but necessary questions.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 for the global colleagues who remind us this work is shared.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 for the momentum that comes when people choose purpose over fear.

We may not have consensus on what comes next.
But we have something far more powerful:
A community of people who still believe learning can be joyful, meaningful, creative, and human.
And that’s enough to build from.

Here’s to the next chapter where we... 
𝐂𝐔𝐓 what no longer works,
𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘 what honors people, and 
𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄 what every child deserves.

Hi I’m Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI. We help schools redesign systems using research, community voice, and centering purpose.

#TechWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation #TeacherFirstTech #EducationJustice #PurposeDriven #DemystifyAI #BrightMindsAI #FutureOfEducation #EducationalLeadership #Teachers #Educators

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐰
We are standing inside a system update.
Structures are shifting. Old assumptions are cracking. Agencies disappearing.

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭?
Not “How do we patch what is broken?”
Not “How do we copy the last 50 years?”
Not “How do we survive the next mandate?”
But what do we actually want school to be for the generation growing up right now?

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦-𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦, 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.

Learning does not stop when school ends… and I am watching that firsthand.
My dad, at 86, is exploring quantum computing simply because he can.
My mom, at 83, is still writing books and building worlds with her words.
A home full of lifelong learning taught me early that curiosity is the greatest inheritance we can give students, and it never expires.

🌟 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤-𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐂𝐔𝐓. 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘. 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄.
A blueprint for the schools we actually need next.

This series will explore:
✂️ CUT the practices we must finally release
📄 COPY what is worth carrying into the future
✨ CREATE the bold, purposeful designs that help learning feel alive again

Each day, we will reimagine a part of school we have been copy-pasting for decades, grounded in research, educator insight, and real solutions you can bring into your community.

If the old system is shaking, this is not a crisis. It is an opening.
Let’s build forward, not backward.

Hi, I am Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI, where we translate tech talk into classroom impact because real transformation does not boot up, it shows up.

#BrightMindsAI #TechWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation #PurposeDriven
 #TeacherFirstTech #BeyondTheTool #EdTechEquity #DemystifyAI
 #EducationLeadership #FutureReadySchools #LifelongLearning

𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 — 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝

Over the past week, I’ve been sitting with three pieces of writing that hit hard:
1️⃣ Substack essay showing how our lives still run on decades-old systems.
2️⃣ A viral analysis revealing our poverty line is based on a 1963 formula.
3️⃣ A history professor arguing that AI didn’t break college, it exposed cracks that have been widening since the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Three different domains.
One unmistakable pattern:

𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬.

Education isn’t failing because it’s weak.
It’s failing because it hasn’t been updated.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐈𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫
🕜 Systems designed for 20th-century needs cannot produce 21st-century outcomes (UJ Journal of Management, 2023).
🕒 The gaps we see today are the result of structural stagnation, not sudden disruption.
🕤 Policy cycles move slower than technological reality, and AI has widened that.

𝐀𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐝, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲. 
It surfaced what has been outdated for generations.

𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫: 𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟎𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐛𝐬, 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟎𝐬 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟎𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬.
Meanwhile, today’s students are entering a world shaped by AI, automation, global interdependence, and constant reinvention.

This isn’t about blame.
It’s about recognizing reality:
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞. 
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐬.

So if the systems won’t update themselves, we have a choice:
𝐂𝐔𝐓 what no longer serves.
𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘 what is human-centered and research-backed.
𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄 the future every learner deserves.

Hi I'm Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI, we help schools redesign systems using research, community voice, and centering purpose.

#TechWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation #DemystifyAI #PurposeDriven #BrightMindsAI #TechWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation #EducationReform #AIEducation #EducationFutures #SystemicChange #ResearchBacked #TeacherFirstTech #CloseTheGap #PurposeDriven #FutureReady

𝐈𝐟 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐬 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐞?
A continuation of the “Outdated Operating Systems” series...

Yesterday, we named a hard truth:
Education isn’t broken — it’s outdated.
And once you see that, something else becomes obvious:
Schools aren’t the only system running on expired code.

Over the last 48 hours, I dug into more research…
and the pattern is impossible to ignore.

𝐂𝐔𝐓
The assumption that our foundations are “current.”
They aren’t... and that’s not failure.
 It’s a timeline of misalignment.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧’𝐭.
1️⃣ Early childhood frameworks = holistic development, co-regulation, and environment.
2️⃣ SEL frameworks = modern science on identity, agency, and emotional development.
3️⃣ UDL, MTSS, and trauma-informed models offer proactive, inclusive blueprints.
4️⃣ Culturally responsive pedagogy brings belonging, identity, and perspective back into instructional design.
5️⃣ Career pathways and digital citizenship frameworks reflect the realities of a digital, global world.

𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘
The research-backed practices pointing us forward.
Learning sciences are clear:
 • Curiosity increases retention
 • Belonging strengthens motivation
 • Autonomy boosts engagement
 • Cognitive load must be managed
 • Relationships are instructional infrastructure
This is the modern foundation! 

𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄
A coherent system where policy, practice, and developmental science finally match. A system where:
 • We measure thinking, meaning-making, collaboration, and digital wisdom
 • Time is structured around mastery 
 • Early childhood becomes the foundation, not the afterthought
 • K–12 aligns with a world shaped by AI, automation, and global awareness

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤
CUT what’s outdated.
COPY what is research-aligned and human-centered.
CREATE the future every learner deserves.

𝐀 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝟏𝟗𝟔𝟓 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟎𝐬 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟎𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠… 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝.

Hi I'm Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI. We help schools redesign systems using research, community voice, and centering purpose.

#TechWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation #EducationLeadership #EdPolicy #SystemsChange #LearningSciences #AIinEducation #DigitalCitizenship #WholeChild #BrightMindsAI #PurposeDriven #FutureOfEducation

𝐂𝐔𝐓. 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘. 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄. → 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬
A continuation of the Outdated Operating Systems series…

Currently, we’ve named three truths:
1️⃣ Education isn’t broken — it’s outdated.
2️⃣ Our foundational policies run on expired code.
3️⃣ Our cultural norms are misaligned with human learning.

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫, 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐨𝐧𝐞:
We are still measuring the wrong things.
And when you measure the wrong things, you design for the wrong outcomes.
Today is about updating the metrics that define success.

𝐂𝐔𝐓
The metrics that distort what learning actually is:
• Test scores = intelligence
• Seat time = understanding
• Completion = comprehension
• “Quiet compliance” = good behavior
• College-for-all = universal success
• Attendance = belonging
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥. 
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲.

𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘
What modern research tells us actually predicts long-term success:
• 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 improves attendance and academic persistence
• 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 drives deeper learning and long-term retention
• 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 stabilizes readiness and engagement
• 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 increases motivation and problem-solving
• 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 improves outcomes in complex tasks

𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄
A metrics system aligned to 2025 learners and a 2025 world:
• Mastery > minutes
• Thinking > task completion
• Transfer > test performance
• Well-being > work packets
• Curiosity > compliance
• Digital discernment > digital consumption
• Human judgment > algorithmic rankings

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞, 
𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞. 
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞, 
𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓
We cannot update learning
while measuring it with tools from a world that no longer exists.

CUT metrics that flatten students.
COPY metrics that reflect human development.
CREATE metrics that honor growth, complexity, and possibility.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲?

Hi, I’m Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI, where we help schools redesign systems using research, community voice, and centering purpose.

#TechWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation #FutureReadySchools #HumanCenteredDesign #EducationInnovation #SystemChange #MidjourneyAI #CognitiveScience #AssessmentReform #EdPolicy #K12Leadership #DistrictLeadership #SuperintendentNetwork #EdTechStrategy #EthicalAI #BrightMindsAI #EducationJustice

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝
This time of year looks different depending on where you are.

Some mark the turning of the year itself.
Some communities light candles.
Some gather for reflection.
Some pause with family.

Across cultures, the question is the same:
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝?
𝐀𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬, 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞...

#LearningAroundTheWorld #EducationWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation
#GlobalLearning #FutureOfLearning #GlobalEducation #PurposeDriven #EducationForTomorrow #LearningDesign

𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡… 𝐈’𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭:
Development Over Discipline

𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞:
Calmer classrooms and better emotional regulation.

𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲:
Silence and stillness define order.
Transitions prioritize adult convenience.
Movement and social moments are restricted.

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬:
Movement improves attention and executive function (Diamond, 2020).
Social interaction supports regulation (Perry & Winfrey, 2021).
Restrictive environments elevate stress and reduce engagement (Shonkoff, 2016).

𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲:
Add a Movement Minute:
A slow walk, arm stretch, or shoulder roll.
One minute reduces stress and boosts attention.
A structured reset lowers stress and increases instructional time.

Hi I'm Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI. We help schools redesign systems using research, community voice, and centering purpose.

#BrightMindsAI #TechWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation #Implementation #EdTechEquity #TeacherFirstTech #BeyondTheTool #PurposeDriven #EducationJustice #DemystifyAI #EducationalLeadership #Teachers

𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡… 𝐈’𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭:
Literacy Over Limitation

𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞:
Safer, more responsible digital behavior.

𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲:
Tech removed when issues arise.
Phone and AI bans used to manage distraction.
Skills expected without instruction.

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬:
1️⃣ Avoidance increases vulnerability to misinformation and unsafe behavior (Pangrazio, 2021).
2️⃣ Digital literacy grows through guided use, not avoidance (Livingstone et al., 2022).
3️⃣ Structured practice reduces online risk (UNICEF Global Insights, 2023).

𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲:
Plan a Simple Weekly Digital Skill:
How to pause. How to verify. How to set digital boundaries.
Small lessons build lifelong habits. Plus, no new curriculum required.

Hi I'm Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI. We help schools redesign systems using research, community voice, and centering purpose.

#BrightMindsAI #TechWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation #Implementation #EdTechEquity #TeacherFirstTech #BeyondTheTool #PurposeDriven #EducationJustice #DemystifyAI #EducationalLeadership #Teachers

Honored to share this special edition of the EduVerse Newsletter, where I had the privilege of contributing alongside extraordinary educators and global leaders.

This issue, focused on sustainability and the future we’re preparing our learners to build, could not be more timely. In a world shaped by climate challenges, social inequities, and rapid technological change, the work of reimagining education isn’t optional.

I’m deeply grateful to the EduVerse team for the invitation to be part of this important conversation once again. The collective wisdom in this edition reflects a shared commitment to shaping learning environments rooted in purpose, equity, and possibility.

If you’re thinking about what it means to educate for tomorrow, this is a powerful place to start.

(And BIG thank you to every contributor whose insights push our field forward.)

🔥 HOT OFF THE PRESS! EDUVERSE NEWSLETTER ISSUE 24, OUR SPECIAL EDITION ON SUSTAINABILITY, IS HERE!

📬 Grab your free copy of the issue here: https://lnkd.in/gmfi37p4

What kind of future are we preparing our learners to build? Today, as climate challenges, social inequalities, and rapid transformations shape our world, that question feels more urgent than ever. And so, with hope and conviction, we introduce this special edition of the EduVerse Newsletter: Growing Tomorrow - Teaching for a Sustainable Future.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Marcela Villan, Special Guest Editor of this issue and the members of EduVerse Editorial Board. We are honored to feature insights from distinguished educators and global experts, including Dr. Le Dinh Bao Quoc, Ed.D., Angélica María Rojas Isaza, Bernard Combes, Prof. Dr. Benameur NEHAR, Yuri Barbour, Jessica Maddry, M.EdLT, Rosita Beidaghi, Luis Javier Pentón Herrera, Ph.D., Grazzia M Mendoza Ch. M.Ed., Dr. IRVING MARTINEZ, Ph.D., Dr. Mohammad Haseen Ahmed, Alexa Rose Pettinari, Ashok Pandey, Annie Altamirano, Dr. Hayo Reinders, Anika Brain, Prof. Marina Falasca, Luís Filipe Fonseca, Marcela Cecilia Danowski, Dr. Namrata Sharma, and Sumeyye Kubra Dagli. Their contributions remind us that sustainability is not a lesson plan but a daily commitment to shaping learners who can transform the world.

This edition also features 2 exclusive interviews with Marcela Villan and Patricia Bergström, who challenges us to reimagine sustainability as a shared educational mindset rather than a standalone topic. And Luis Javier Pentón Herrera, Ph.D., and Grazzia M Mendoza Ch. M.Ed., who offer practical insights into teacher emotions, learner well-being, and the role of SEL in helping school communities flourish.

🚀 Explore the issue now and subscribe to receive the latest newsletters directly in your inbox!
#proed #eduverse #education #newsletter #issue24 #educationalnewsletter #teaching #sustainability #SustainableFuture #SustainableEducation

𝐂𝐔𝐓. 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘. 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄. → 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞
A continuation of the Outdated Operating Systems series…

So far, we’ve named the truth across five layers:
1️⃣ Education isn’t broken — it’s outdated.
2️⃣ Our policies run on expired code.
3️⃣ Our culture doesn’t match human learning.
4️⃣ Our metrics distort what we value.
5️⃣ Our instructional models still mirror the mid-1900s.
𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫; 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰.

And the research is clear.
✔️ Few integrate belonging, cognitive load, and culturally responsive practice.
✔️ Even fewer prepare educators for the realities of AI-shaped classrooms.
✔️ Teacher preparation rarely reflects modern developmental science.
✔️ Most programs still emphasize delivery, not design.

Today is about updating the expertise layer... the human side of the system.

𝐂𝐔𝐓
Preparation models and professional development that assume:
• Teaching = delivering content
• “Classroom management” = compliance
• One-size-fits-all pedagogies
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬. 
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.

𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘
What modern learning science tells us educators need to be supported in:
• Designing for belonging
• Understanding cognitive load + neurodevelopment
• Facilitating inquiry and mastery pathways
• Co-regulation as academic readiness
• Using AI as a tool for thinking 
• Designing learning, not delivering content

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞.

𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄
A teacher preparation + PD ecosystem built for this century:
• Studio-based training grounded in real classrooms
• Competency-based development, not seat hours
• Ongoing coaching that reflects teacher identity, context, and purpose
• Practical, safe, ethical integration of AI
• Systems that treat teachers as experts, not implementers

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓
We’ve upgraded standards, tools, and research.
Now it’s time to upgrade how we prepare the people who bring learning to life.

𝐂𝐔𝐓 preparation that belongs to another era.
𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘 what aligns to the science of learning.
𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄 pathways worthy of the profession.

Hi I’m Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI where we help schools redesign systems using research, community voice, and centering purpose.

𝐂𝐔𝐓. 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘. 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄. → 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐓𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
𝘈 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘱.

In 2025, the mental health strain on students is rising, yet many schools still rely on punitive discipline systems proven to escalate harm rather than support regulation.

𝐂𝐔𝐓:
Zero-tolerance discipline policies that escalate minor behaviors into major consequences.

𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘:
Context-driven responses that see behavior as communication, not defiance.
Example:
 • Quick, non-punitive chats that help students regulate before consequences are considered.

𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄:
Micro-restorative practices that pause the nervous system and build trust.
Example:
 • A two-question pause:
 “What happened?”
 “What do you need?”

𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 𝐒𝐀𝐘𝐒:
1️⃣ Restorative practices reduce repeat behavior (Gregory & Fergus, 2017).
2️⃣ Zero tolerance increases inequities and stress (APA Task Force, 2020).
3️⃣ Co-regulation supports emotional stability and learning (Porges, 2021).
4️⃣ EdWeek names punitive discipline as a systemic crisis for 2025.

Hi I'm Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI. We help schools redesign systems using research, community voice, and centering purpose.

#TechWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation #Implementation #EdTechEquity
 #TeacherFirstTech #BeyondTheTool #PurposeDriven #EducationJustice
 #DemystifyAI #EducationalLeadership #FutureOfEducation

𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬.

It started with a simple but uncomfortable idea:
Education isn’t broken. It’s outdated.

Across the series, we examined policies, culture, metrics, instructional models, definitions of expertise, support systems, and student experience. 

Individually, these conversations aren’t new. 
Together, they point to something harder to ignore:
We didn’t fail education.
We froze it in time.

This article pulls the full thread together... grounded in research, shaped by what educators already know to be true, and focused on what comes next.
Not another tool.
Not another mandate.
But intentional redesign.

If you’re a leader feeling the tension between what you know should work and what the system currently allows, this is for you.

#ReimagineEducation #EducationLeadership #SystemChange #LearningSciences #HumanCenteredDesign #FutureOfEducation #DistrictLeadership #SuperintendentNetwork #TeacherFirst #BrightMindsAI #PurposeDrivenEducation

👇 Article below.

Recently, I shared a series called Outdated Operating Systems. It began with a simple claim: Education isn’t broken. It’s outdated. Not failing. Not h

Open article: What the “Outdated Operating Systems” Series Revealed, and What Comes Next by Jessica Maddry, M.EdLT • 4 min read

What the “Outdated Operating Systems” Series Revealed, and What Comes Next

𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡… 𝐈’𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭:
Mindset Over Metrics

𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞:
Better attendance through stronger connection.

𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲:
Attendance is tied to punctuality.
Readiness measured by quiet compliance.
Absences judged through narrow criteria.

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬:
Belonging drives attendance more than rules (National Academies, 2022).
Adult-student connection boosts engagement (Osher et al., 2020).
Removing barriers outperforms penalties (Attendance Works, 2023).

𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲:
Begin with a 30-second Readiness Check:
Did you eat? Are you okay today?
What do you need to start the day strong?
A tiny routine that strengthens belonging and attendance.

Hi I'm Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI. We help schools redesign systems using research, community voice, and centering purpose.

#BrightMindsAI #TechWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation #Implementation #EdTechEquity #TeacherFirstTech #BeyondTheTool #PurposeDriven #EducationJustice #DemystifyAI #EducationalLeadership #Teachers

𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡… 𝐈’𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐓𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭:
Context Over Consequences

𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞:
Fair discipline that builds trust, protects wellbeing, and reduces escalation.

𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲:
Minor behaviors escalate into majors through point-based discipline.
Three “small” incidents can result in suspension.
“Consistency” often replaces context, need, or developmental understanding.
Students rarely receive space for regulation, repair, or conversation.

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬:
1️⃣ Students who perceive unfair discipline have significantly higher risk of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness (CDC, 2024).
2️⃣ Escalation models (ex: 3 minors = major) increase stress activation, worsening behavior not reducing it (Center for the Developing Child, 2021).
3️⃣ Zero-tolerance and exclusionary discipline correlate with higher mental-health challenges, lower belonging, and greater disparities (NEPC, 2025).
4️⃣ Restorative and context-rich approaches improve emotional wellbeing, reduce violence, and strengthen relationships (Frontiers in Education, 2025).

𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲:
Say one regulating phrase:
“Let’s take a moment. You’re safe. We can figure this out.”
This resets the nervous system, for both the student and the adult, and prevents knee-jerk escalation.

𝐀 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.

Hi I'm Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI. We help schools redesign systems using research, community voice, and centering purpose.

#BrightMindsAI #TechWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation #Implementation #EdTechEquity #TeacherFirstTech #BeyondTheTool #PurposeDriven #EducationJustice #DemystifyAI #EducationalLeadership #Teachers

𝐂𝐔𝐓. 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘. 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄. → 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
A continuation of the Outdated Operating Systems series...

We’ve already named two truths:
1️⃣ Education isn’t broken — it’s outdated.
2️⃣ The foundations beneath our system are running on expired code.

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝:
Even if we fix policy and redesign classrooms, our cultural operating system is still decades behind. And culture is the part no mandate can fix, but everyone feels.

𝐂𝐔𝐓
The cultural defaults that no longer serve:
• Behavior = character instead of context
• Standardization = legitimacy
• Teacher = content delivery + test proctor
• Busyness = effectiveness
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬.

𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘
What modern research tells us clearly:
• Psychological safety fuels deeper thinking
• Belonging boosts engagement and attendance
• Agency transforms compliance into curiosity
• Co-regulation improves readiness
• Identity-affirming spaces strengthen learning

𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞.  
𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐲𝐞𝐭.

𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄
A culture that matches what we know in 2025:
• Students seen as humans, not data points
• Teachers valued as knowledge workers
• Emotional development = cognitive development
• Identity + belonging treated as instructional infrastructure
• AI used to expand human capacity, not replace judgment
• Leadership rooted in trust, not control

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠. 
𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓
We’ve updated our tools.
We’ve updated our science.
We’ve updated our frameworks.
𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

CUT what no longer reflects how humans learn.
COPY what strengthens connection, regulation, and meaning-making.
CREATE a culture that allows every learner and every educator to thrive.

Hi I’m Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI where we help schools redesign systems using research, community voice, and centering purpose.

#TechWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation #TeacherFirstTech #EducationJustice #FutureOfEducation #DemystifyAI #BrightMindsAI #PurposeDriven #SystemChange #LearningSciences #EducatorVoice #HumanCenteredDesign

𝐂𝐔𝐓. 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘. 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄. → 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬
A continuation of the Outdated Operating Systems series…

We’ve already named four layers:
 1️⃣ Education isn’t broken — it’s outdated.
 2️⃣ Our policies run on expired code.
 3️⃣ Our culture doesn’t match what we know about human learning.
 4️⃣ Our metrics distort what we value.

Now comes the next layer:
𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐝-𝟏𝟗𝟎𝟎𝐬.

𝐂𝐔𝐓
• Uniform pacing
• Endless “adaptive practice” 
• Worksheets with prettier graphics
• Curriculum dictated by the calendar
• Quiet clicking rebranded as “innovation”

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐫𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝...𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭.

𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘
Where instructional design has modernized and what research supports:
• Inquiry-based learning
• Collaborative problem-solving
• Interdisciplinary project design
• Agency-driven learning pathways
• Mastery + competency progression

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬; 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡.

𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄
A 2025-ready instructional model that:
• Makes space for curiosity, exploration, and productive struggle
• Connects learning to real issues, real communities, real futures
• Treats belonging and identity as academic infrastructure
• Centers teachers as designers and instructional experts
• Gives students agency in process, not just product

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓
We’ve upgraded the tools, not the teaching.
And shiny devices can’t modernize a model built for another century.

𝐂𝐔𝐓 models that constrain thinking.
𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘 models grounded in research and humanity.
𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄 models worthy of the generation we’re teaching.

Hi I’m Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI, where we help schools redesign systems using research, community voice, and centering purpose.

#TechWithPurpose #ReimagineEducation #TeacherFirstTech #EducationInnovation #FutureReadySchools #DistrictLeadership #AssessmentReform #EdPolicy #LearningSciences #BrightMindsAI #InstructionalDesign #MidjourneyAI #HumanCenteredDesign

🌍 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝: 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬

When education systems pause to reflect, the most important insights often come from looking outward.

Around the world, conversations about learning are no longer centered on whether artificial intelligence belongs in education. Instead, global education systems are asking deeper questions about capacity, equity, and governance.

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧. 
AI improves learning only when systems invest in people, not just platforms. Teacher AI literacy, clear governance, and local decision-making matter more than the sophistication of any single tool. In fact, studies across multiple countries have found that educator confidence and institutional trust are stronger predictors of meaningful AI use than access or technical accuracy alone.

This matters because learning does not exist in isolation.
Students move across borders.
Ideas travel faster than policies.

Systems that rely on centralized rules without local design often see confusion, inconsistency, and quiet noncompliance. 

Systems that pair clear ethical guardrails with educator voice and contextual decision-making see stronger adoption and fewer unintended consequences.

Looking beyond our borders reminds us of something essential:
The future of learning is not about keeping up.
It is about designing wisely.
That design work is where solutions live.

#LearningAroundTheWorld #GlobalEducation #EducationResearch #FutureOfLearning #PurposeDriven #EducationalLeaership 

Hi, I’m Jessica, cofounder of BrightMinds AI. We work with schools around the world to translate research into practice and help leaders design technology decisions with purpose, not pressure.

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