Building Policy Platforms for Resilience
Brief for State Policymakers
July 8, 2009
Denver—In conjunction with the launch of the 2020 Forecast: Creating the Future of Learning, KnowledgeWorks Foundation and Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) have published "Building Policy Platforms for Resilience," a brief that examines the policy implications for two of the six drivers of change contained in the forecast: A New Civic Discourse and Platforms for Resilience.
A New Civic Discourse refers to new community models, communication methods, and spheres of influence that arise in a global society in which community is no longer defined geographically. The forecast makes the case that individuals will affiliate around common needs instead of common geography and will claim rights to learning that have previously been the purview of the education elite. Education will become a contested resource among those who seek a claim and demand to participate.
Platforms for Resilience refers to the growing need for new responses to the institutional disruptions and system shocks occurring throughout society. The forecast suggests that such disruptions require leaders to respond differently than in the past. Leaders must learn how to meet these challenges with even more flexibility, greater collaboration, and increased transparency.
The brief, written by Laura Lefkowits, McREL's vice president of policy and planning services, and Dr. Carolyn Woempner, a senior researcher in policy and planning services at McREL, encourages proactive policy responses to enable organizations not only to adapt to future conditions but also to play a role in crafting the future, especially in times of great uncertainty.
To get your copy of the 2020 Forecast and learn more about the future of learning, visit www.futureofed.org.
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McREL is a nationally recognized, private, nonprofit organization located in Denver, Colo., dedicated to improving education for all students through applied research, product development and service. In 2008, McREL provided research-based guidance to educators and policymakers in four countries and 47 states across the U.S.
