Conversation #81 takes us to Michigan for a lesson in innovation iteration. When the resource carpet is pulled out from under you, how do you stay focused and passionate about the work? Chris Timmis is the current Superintendent of Dexter Community School District.

"After 8+ years with Summit Learning, we are now building our own competency-based model. I have learned that budget actually is not the main challenge when it comes to sustainable innovation. Instead, it's creating and supporting a new mental model for teachers about what competency-based education (CBE) really looks like.

When we were using Summit Learning, we were able to give our 3,500-4,000 students real choice in how they learned. Families could pick between Summit’s competency-driven and project-based model, or a more traditional track. We intentionally gave students in third and fourth grade access to place-based-learning, providing both students and families exposure to new learning modalities allowing them choice every year. Families valued having the options and about 50% chose Summit. When Summit discontinued the national model, we were able to bring together innovative teachers to design our own model. But COVID exhaustion made implementation challenging. We have recently been able to grow more  renewed interest and are looking to build on that momentum.

I am personally finding renewed momentum as president of Michigan's Future of Learning Council. We work with a group of districts transitioning to CBE as demonstration districts. Most are just beginning to understand what makes innovation in schools possible. We run a cohort model. Lake City has nature programming, Concord works with Next Education Workforce and Getting Smart, Farmington is making strong progress. Our council operates on a motto of 'build nothing for us, without us.' Whole teams meet monthly: we train 65 ISD partners on Tuesdays, then nearly 300 local educators learn implementation on Wednesdays. Our May summit draws 250 people from 84 districts. Critical mass around CBE helps everyone feel less alone.

The hardest part is making innovation feel integrated, not like an add-on. Our district created a spinning wheel learning continuum of competencies linked to rubrics with 0-8 progressions. Teachers can input existing lessons and assessments to see which competencies they are addressing. We are using Jay McTighe's curriculum mapping 3.0 for standards alignment and the Future of Learning Council / Getting Smart's innovation framework, which together align the what, why, and how. But teachers and families are still learning: they understand our Learner Profile but need deeper comprehension, with continued support and resources.

The field is ready for change, especially as we are seeing the onset of AI in schools. We just need sustainable models that honor both innovation and educator capacity."