By: Beanie Geoghegan
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” – William Arthur Ward
Fall has long been a time to reflect on all we have to be thankful for, but beginning three years ago, those of us at Freedom in Education found new reasons to reflect and give thanks during this time of year. This year, we spent some time thinking about and discussing the myriad, sometimes unexpected, opportunities we’ve had to make a positive difference in the K-12 education landscape in just three brief years, and we were beyond grateful.
As we reflect on the launch of our organization, we are reminded of why we chose the eagle as the centerpiece of our logo. Its fierce instinct to protect its young and its courage to persevere through adversity have come to embody so much of our work at Freedom in Education. Yet, as our organization has grown, we have discovered deeper meaning in the eagle’s symbolism, qualities that may have been less apparent at the beginning but resonate profoundly with us today.
For example, vision and perspective are two characteristics that eagles are known for. Their keen vision allows them to see far beyond what others see, and their ability to rise above the landscape gives them a much broader perspective. Freedom in Education began with a vision of excellence for education in America like no other. Thanks to the varied backgrounds of our founders, our ever-growing network of educators in our Teacher Coalition, and the collaborative efforts of other education reform advocates from around the world, we have an expansive perspective on the education landscape.
Remarkable endurance is another common characteristic associated with eagles. Like the bald eagle, which can remain aloft for 6 to 12 hours at a time, Freedom in Education understands that real reforms in K-12 education will take years, if not decades, to fully come to fruition. While we have experienced quick bursts of momentum through some of our initiatives like our Good Book Drive, Art and Writing Contest to honor America’s 250th, and our Patriotic Book Drive, we are playing the long game and plan to remain “aloft” as long as it takes.
Like the eagle that practices patience, waiting for the right moment to act and staying purposeful, not expending energy without clear direction, our organization has spent much of the past three years working “behind the scenes,” waiting for the right time and place to share our solutions. We spent months drafting and perfecting our Franklin Science Standards, Archimedes Math Standards, and our ELA Standards because we want them to meet the needs of states striving for excellence in K-12 education.
We started with academic standards because the current standards were undeniably a key factor in the decline in student learning, and states had no alternative. Our Franklin Science Standards are rigorous, content-rich, and teach the suppositions and limitations of science. They provide clear definitions and methods of scientific reasoning and appropriate scaffolding that cultivates scientific curiosity beginning in kindergarten.
Our Archimedes Math Standards are built on research-based practices from national and international sources. They build fundamentals and number fluency and include key terms, symbols, and an age-appropriate vocabulary and glossary. Importantly, they incorporate scaffolding that promotes math literacy and better retention beginning in kindergarten. The goal was to provide students with a solid foundation to engage with math as a way to make sense of the everyday world or pursue a math and science career.
We believe our Math and Science Standards, accompanying framework, and lesson plans are excellent and worthy of adoption by every state looking to improve education because we weren’t distracted by “the culture wars” or the cynics. We stayed focused on our mission “to enrich the next generation(s) of K-12 students, both in and outside of the classroom, by delivering high-quality standards and curriculum, equipping parents and teachers.” Our Holocaust and Human Rights and English-Language Arts Standards are equally as content-rich and excellent, and we look forward to seeing how they impact students in states that adopt them.
As a result of our focus on what truly improves student learning, in three short years we have been able to impact approximately 3.5 million students, over 7,500 parents, and more than 750 educators in 24 states. Since success breeds motivation, we are more motivated than ever to continue our efforts.
While eagles are known for their focus and precision, they also adapt well to changing wind and weather conditions. Their responsiveness to their surroundings makes them an incredibly efficient species. Freedom in Education has also become skilled in adaptability.
As we drafted our content-rich standards and lesson plans aligned with the Science of Learning, we became acutely aware of the lack of quality professional development in the Science of Learning. We knew our standards and accompanying resources would only be effective if teachers received training to understand and implement them well, which is why we partnered with ResearchED to offer professional development led by experienced classroom teachers in the United States and highly respected education researchers and reformers from around the world.
In addition to our ResearchED conferences, Freedom in Education has been invited by two states into conversations that go well beyond teacher conferences. These opportunities include evaluating curriculum, providing extended professional development for educational leaders, and introducing new approaches to mathematics instruction.
Freedom in Education is partnering with the Arkansas DOE to put the science of learning in math into practice, bringing research, instruction, and teacher support into sharper alignment. Because with the right instruction, every student can succeed in math. We are also accelerating the development of a new Algebra Intervention curriculum and expanding our partnership with JUMP Math. We are confident that other states will want to take advantage of this invaluable resource.
Of course, in America, the eagle is most often associated with freedom. One of the key principles our organization was founded on was the belief that true freedom can be realized only through an excellent education. We will continue to persevere in our goals with precision and focus, and we do so with gratitude and thanksgiving to all who have joined us or supported our efforts. Education in America will rise to new heights in the very near future.
