EdCircuit Staff 
Amy Valentine 
Nasir Qadree 
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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Chaz Austin