How To Redesign Schools to Unleash Extraordinary Learning For All

If you’ve ever looked at your kid’s school and thought, “Is this really the best we can do?”—this episode is for you. I sat down with the incredible Jenee Henry Wood, a national leader in community-based school design, and co-author of Extraordinary Learning for All. We dive deep into why our current educational system—designed a hundred years ago for a very different world—often fails to meet the needs of today’s young people, and what it would look like to redesign schools to actually serve them better.

Jenee brings so much wisdom, humor, and hope to this conversation. We talk about the real challenges of educational reform, how parents and students can become catalysts for change, and what it takes to create schools that are co-owned and co-loved by the communities they serve. Trust me, this isn’t your typical education podcast—it’s a call to action rooted in agency, relevance, and hope.

Episode Highlights:

[0:00] - Introducing the episode and our latest book, The Self-Driven Child Workbook
[1:44] - What does it mean to redesign schools—and are today’s schools meeting kids’ needs?
[3:01] - Jenee Henry Wood shares her background and mission with Transcend Education
[5:46] - The “three big ideas” behind redesigning education: design awareness, prioritizing experience, and community-based transformation
[11:15] - Why the old model of school no longer fits the world our kids are inheriting
[12:52] - The politics of change: why we stall at the 20% we disagree on
[15:07] - What kids and parents really want from school (hint: it’s not just test prep)
[17:22] - The power of voice, agency, and building trust in the redesign process
[20:56] - A powerful story from North Dakota about shifting from imposed solutions to shared ownership
[24:31] - How to start a redesign process—yes, even without a superintendent's blessing
[26:54] - Jenee’s message of hope: “Institutions are of us, from us. Change starts with you.”

Links & Resources:

• Transcend Academy Website: https://transcendeducation.org/ 
• Extraordinary Learning for All: How Communities Design Schools Where Everyone Thrives: https://www.amazon.com/Extraordinary-Learning-All-Communities-Everyone/dp/1394230540 

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If you have a high school aged student and would like to talk about putting a tutoring or college plan together, reach out to Ned's company, PrepMatters at www.prepmatters.com