Diversity, Equity, InclusionK-12EdTech EntrepreneursFuture of EducationFuture of School: The Podcast

School in 2025 & The Future of Work

Amy Valentine, Nasir Qadree and Satara Enes predict what U.S. schools may look like by 2025 and which skills students will need for future work.

By Amy Valentine

Nasir QadreeNov 12, 20203 min read

Promotional graphic for Future of School The Podcast featuring the shows title a description about host Amy Valentine and guests discussing innovative education and logos for EdCircuit Apple Podcasts Spotify and Anchor

In this episode, Amy, Nasir Qadree, and Satara Enes discuss the future of U.S. schools in five years.

In this episode of Future of School: The Podcast, you’ll hear predictions regarding the outlook for U.S. schools five years from now, the skills required to succeed in the future of work, why K-12 needs to innovate, and more.

The episode begins with “Amy’s Thoughts,” presented by host Amy Valentine (0:34). She gives a forecast for American schools, looking ahead to the year 2025. As Amy says, we’re currently “building the train while we’re building the tracks” for the future of school, but there are some key, simple truths we can all understand.

It Takes a Village

Next is the featured interview (2:51) with Nasir Qadree, Founding Managing Partner of Zeal Capital Partners, a new Washington, D.C.-based inclusive investment vehicle focused on partnering with exceptional management teams with diverse backgrounds and skillsets bridging America’s Wealth and Skills gap. Nasir describes how, societally, the way we think about resources and equity is frequently not evenly distributed across the population. Therefore, it takes a “collective village” to ensure that resources get into the hands of those who need them. He also describes the events that motivated him to pursue a career that would impact issues of equity and gives perspective on the skills that will be essential to the future of work.

Following the interview, this episode’s Research Insight describes the range of reasons students have chosen to diversify their educational pathways (19:13).

Focusing on Innovation in K-12

In the episode’s final segment (24:36), FoS Student Scholarship winner Satara Enes interviews Amy Valentine. Satara, originally from Colorado, is a freshman at Nebraska Wesleyan University. In the interview, Amy discusses how she came to pursue a career in education, why there are many different ways to be a teacher, and why the K-12 education system needs to focus on innovation.

Learn more about Future of School and its mission to mobilize change in American K-12 education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that ensures all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning takes place at www.futureof.school. Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school and follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555 to keep up-to-date on exciting initiatives and opportunities.

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Amy Valentine: Author
Chief Executive Officer, Future of School
Amy Valentine is the Chief Executive Officer and Education Evangelist of Future of School, a national nonprofit organization designed to support the growth of innovative school models integrating blended and online learning. Prior to guiding Future of School’s incubation and launch, Amy managed a portfolio of Colorado schools where she led academic and operational turnaround strategy. She also previously served as executive director for a network of Nobel Learning Communities schools in California.
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Nasir Qadree: Author
Founder and Managing Partner, Zeal Capital Partners
Nasir Qadree is founder and managing partner of Zeal Capital Partners, a Washington, D.C.-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies working to narrow America's wealth and skills gaps. He previously led education and economic opportunity investments at Village Capital and was associate director of AT&T's Aspire social investment fund, after starting his career at Goldman Sachs and State Street. He is a Kauffman Fellow and a graduate of Hampton University.
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