LEAD YP: The Future of Education

Robyn Schell, Manager of Marketing, Dallas Regional Chamber

On Wednesday, June 26, the 2019 LEAD YP Class welcomed leaders from around the region to discuss the future of education.

Elizabeth Caudill, Managing Director of Higher Education & Workforce for the Dallas Regional Chamber, moderated a panel discussion featuring Ivonne Durant, Chief Academic Office for the Dallas Independent School District, Rosemary Haggett, Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs & Student Success for the University of North Texas System, Kristin Kuhne, Senior Director of Insights and Analytics for Educate Texas, and Amber Scanlan, Senior Vice President and Director of Client & Community Relations for PNC Bank.

Panelists discussed what their respective organizations are doing to positively influence the talent pipeline, from cradle to career; how they use data to inform decisions and identify skills gaps in the region; and what they’re doing to specifically address educational access and workforce readiness for minority students.

To help better engage our LEAD YP Class, they shared a few ways to get involved:

  • Be knowledgeable about your district and its needs by researching on the district’s website, attending community discussions, and advocating for education so your community is educated and informed.
  • Give to your local schools with time and energy, or donate to an education-based philanthropy. Dallas ISD has been able to accomplish so much because of the giving of the Dallas community.
  • Volunteer at your local school(s):
    • Become a class speaker or mentor to share about your job and organization
    • Have a student shadow you
    • Review curriculum to help keep it relevant to your industry
    • Look into potential opportunities your company has for students (internships, mentorships, etc.)
  • Read up on the education pipeline – one suggested book is “Educated: A Memoir,” by Tara Westover.

Our class was grateful to learn from these subject-matter experts and looks forward to taking an active role in making the workforce pipeline even stronger as the future of education continues to evolve.