The TRUTH We Must Face – We Are Failing our Kids!

The American education system is facing significant challenges that are impacting the future of our kids. Academic performance, preparation for future needs, the social and psychological impacts of COVID, and test scores even in the basic subjects of math and reading have been significantly impacted. Old models of education are increasingly seen as ineffective in today's world. They are not preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow.

Let’s face it: when most people think of education, they picture the traditional school model—the big school buildings, the bell ringing at 8 AM, the classrooms with rows of desks. It’s what we know, what we grew up with, and, for many, it feels like the only way things could work. But with more people seeking out educational alternatives—like microschools, homeschooling, and hybrid learning options—there’s a growing question: why is it so hard to see beyond traditional schooling?

Is it possible to create a school that will feature an innovative mixed-age approach, where students across different grade levels (Kindergarten to 12th Grade) learn together? A focus based on collaboration and mentorship between younger and older students, with the older students guiding and assisting younger learners, and fostering a community of support and understanding. Students grouped by interest or skill level rather than rigid grade levels, encouraging personalized learning paths and allowing flexibility in development.

 Yes, it's possible to create such a school—this idea is gaining traction in progressive education circles and has been implemented in several successful models around the world.

 Here are some real-world examples of schools that follow similar philosophies:

1. Acton Academy (Global Network) – a Self-paced, mixed-age "studios" instead of traditional grades, with a focus on a Learner-driven, Socratic method, peer accountability, and entrepreneurial thinking. Older students mentor younger ones; students work collaboratively in multi-age groups. It was Founded in Austin, Texas, with campuses worldwide. Each school operates semi-independently with shared core principles.

 2. Big Picture Learning (U.S. and International) – this school is project based, interest-driven with individual learning paths. It focusses on internships, with real-world opportunities and individualized learning paths. Mixed-age groups allow students to progress at their own pace with adult mentors. The advisor (mentor/teacher) stays with the student for multiple years, promoting deeper relationships.

3. The Agile Learning Centers (ALC Network) – features self-directed education within a mixed-age environment. Their focus is on learner autonomy, intentional culture creation, and agile management tools with no formal grades or curriculum; students co-create their learning journeys.

4. Montessori Secondary Programs (Middle & High School) – perhaps most wide-known and numerous models, these multi--age classrooms (e.g., 12–15-year-olds together) focus on independence, intrinsic motivation, mentorship, and community roles. Students take responsibility for their own learning and often mentor younger students.

 5. Sudbury Schools (Sudbury Valley School, Massachusetts) – identified as democratic education with total age mixing, freedom, responsibility, and democratic governance. There are no classes, grades, or curriculum—students learn through play, exploration, and peer interaction. Older students naturally mentor younger ones through daily interaction. This school is, by even today’s standards, very radical and unstructured, but influential in the alternative education space.

The Problem

Traditional education is rigid, age-based, and one-size-fits-all. Students are bored, disengaged, and missing critical real-world skills. Older students lack leadership opportunities, and younger students miss out on peer-based inspiration and support. The ability to identify and discern TRUTH is also missing from most school curriculums such that students are taught false assumptions, un-true biases, and outright lies about the world in which they live and how it functions.

The Solution

A school where students grow at their own pace, guided by interest, not age. Older students mentor younger ones. Projects replace tests. Real skills drive progress. What will it take? In my next article I will explore how AI is being utilized to help create an educational model of the future.

If you are in the least concerned about how our American students are being outpaced in all measures by students in the rest of the world let me know and share your thoughts and ideas.

The uncomfortable TRUTH is that we are failing our children and jeopardizing their futures. #TRUTH, #publiceducation, #failingschools, #ourchildrensfuture