Klingbrief

For students studying human geography, comparative government, macroeconomics, or modern world history, and for school leaders anticipating and planning for an ever-changing future in schools, Parag Khanna offers “planetary thinking” about the “planetary condition” in a recent piece for Noema Magazine. (Noema is a publication from the Berggruen Institute (BI) – a global network of thinkers that devises systemic solutions to the world’s challenges.) Essentially, Khanna describes global changes “from rigidity to fluidity,” characterizing today’s world as “high entropy” while adding that “entropy is not anarchy.” Exploring history, global politics, migration (as in his recent book Move: Where People Are Going for a Better Future), and economics, Khanna offers a dizzying synthesis of what is happening on our planet. What do devolution and decentralization mean for schools? Khanna’s overview that “the world has moved from a presumed monopoly to an active marketplace” may also apply to the microcosm of private schooling (in the U.S. and beyond). Where are there opportunities for “new patterns and formations?” This essay will likely be challenging and provocative in generative ways for students and educators alike.

In the United States, state-funded scholarship programs, including school vouchers and education savings accounts, have expanded significantly, sparking debate over their impact on public education. A recent article in Education Week provides a comprehensive overview of the landscape of private school choice, noting that 28 states and the District of Columbia have implemented at least one such program, with 13 states offering universal access. The report outlines how these initiatives aim to empower parents by increasing educational options, particularly for students with disabilities. However, the analysis also highlights concerns that these policies may drain public school resources, exacerbating existing disparities in academic quality. FutureEd further examines the implications of this shift, detailing the financial mechanisms behind these programs and questioning whether they genuinely expand access or primarily benefit families who could already afford private education. A parallel trend is observed in Australia, where a recent Guardian article reports that private school enrollments have surged by 18.5% over the past five years, while public schools have seen only a 1% increase. The article attributes this disparity to government funding policies that favor private institutions, leading to increased socioeconomic segregation. Synthesizing these perspectives, a clear pattern emerges: both the U.S. and Australia are grappling with the consequences of channeling public funds into private education. While school choice policies promise increased flexibility and individualized learning opportunities, they also risk weakening public school systems by diverting essential resources.

Michael S. Roth’s The Student: A Short History is a lovely reflection on the meaning and purpose of education. Roth, President of Wesleyan University, has written widely on a range of topics, but in this book, he focuses on different concepts of the “student” to get at what education is really for. Built around four models of studenthood (the followers of sages like Confucius, Socrates, and Jesus; medieval apprentices; Enlightenment-era scholars-to-be; and mid-century college students), the book traces its historical arc with impressive nuance and balance while never straying too far from its polemical purpose. Roth presents a mix of richly-imagined moments of pedagogical transformation, from the development of the Socratic method to the free thinking of the 1960s American university, as well as philosophical and sociological analysis of the institutions and circumstances in which students have found themselves. The final chapter picks up in the 1960s, zooms through the cultural and curriculum wars of the latter half of the 20th century, and offers a refreshingly simple yet nuanced vision for how we should understand the role of a student in the 21st, braiding together insights from the various eras in a clarifying synthesis. Above all else, in reminding readers that today’s students become tomorrow’s citizens, Roth’s book pushes us to think more expansively about what education is really for and what is required of educational institutions to create the conditions for students to learn.

How can a $1.7 billion standardized testing industry claim to measure learning while failing both teachers and students? In her TED Talk, Tanishia Lavette Williams challenges the belief that high-stakes testing improves education, revealing how it perpetuates racial bias, misrepresents student potential, and diverts critical resources from classrooms. Williams exposes the financial and educational toll of standardized assessments, contrasting skyrocketing testing costs with underfunded teacher resources. She traces the racialized history of these exams, questioning their role in shaping opportunity. More than a critique, she envisions a future where teacher-led instruction and authentic assessment replace industrial-scale testing. For independent and international schools, her insights prompt reflection. While private schools can avoid state testing, they still face the pressures of metrics-driven evaluation. How do assessment models reinforce or resist the same biases? What narratives about achievement and access shape admissions, grading, and college counseling? Williams’ talk offers validation and possibility. How might schools redefine success beyond test scores? What if investment prioritized teacher expertise over corporate metrics? Her vision urges us to imagine an education system built not on compliance, but on curiosity, equity, and meaningful learning.

The book Over Work comes as if in answer to the solid evidence that workplaces, including schools, are experiencing issues of burnout, retention, and job satisfaction. Author Brigid Schulte explores work as one of the greatest determinants of quality of life and one of the most warped. Living within economic and cultural systems that make it hard to know the answer to significant, inner questions – “When am I done? Have I done enough?” – also make it difficult to know when long hours are reasonable workload expectations and when they are the early warning signs of serious overwork. There are three aspects of this book which make it a worthy read for uncertain times. First, it includes exploration of the individual, organizational and policy-political levels because all need to be involved in bettering the burden of overwork. Second, quite remarkably, it steers clear of simplicity. This text is not about tips and tiny changes one can make to have a better day. Yet, most importantly, it assumes that there are solutions. Schulte finds these by taking a wide view at every opportunity. While focused on American workplaces, she explores longstanding examples of successful approaches in other countries, across cultures and political and social realities. The book shares stories, statistics, and strategies. It argues that families; care; parental leave and wellness policies; the value of listening and deep thinking about power, policy and legislation; and litigation are all needed to make quality of life in our unique contexts a major driver in both our collective and our individual decision making. 

In “Can AI Transform Education?” Dr. Asyia Kazmi draws on decades of personal experience and global insight to examine the transformative potential of generative AI in education. Kazmi recounts an early encounter with adaptive learning technology in a challenging London classroom and then fast-forwards to today’s rapidly evolving AI landscape. The article thoughtfully explores how AI-driven tools, from personalized adaptive learning platforms and AI tutors to teacher coaching systems and automated administrative assistants, can address persistent challenges in educational access and quality. Kazmi identifies and explores three critical areas where AI may create significant impact. What makes this piece particularly relevant for independent and international school educators is its balanced approach. Kazmi does not simply extol the virtues of AI; she critically assesses the potential pitfalls and emphasizes the importance of ethical implementation, equity, and robust evidence of impact. The discussion is enriched by concrete examples of current EdTech solutions that are already making strides in diverse educational contexts around the globe. The article challenges educators to reimagine their roles in an AI-enhanced classroom, urging them to harness these emerging tools to bridge learning gaps and empower every student. 

Set entirely within a hermetically-sealed satellite orbiting Earth, Samantha Harvey’s Booker-Prize-winning “space pastoral,” Orbital, transmits a message of wonder and warning to readers. In short chapters packed with poetic descriptions of the singular planet we call home, Harvey logs 16 Earth orbits in a 24-hour period through the points of view of six astronauts from different countries who observe Earth through a portal window, its shifting beauty and silent drama on full display below. Although they often think about their lives on earth – their entanglements, achievements, and losses – these travelers are grateful for their fascinating perch just above the fray. Their experiences embody the fact that people learn a great deal through contemplative observation, reflection, and distance from the subject at hand. With so many philosophical provocations, poetic descriptions, and vivid images of Earth’s magnificence and endangerment, Orbital is an excellent teaching text in a variety of interdisciplinary settings.