The new success formula for teens

💡 THOUGHT

The new success formula

It hit me in a college classroom: I was buying a piece of paper. My classmates and I would all walk away with the same degree. But what did it really mean?

In a world where 52% of recent college grads are underemployed, being an average college graduate doesn’t signal much anymore.

Luckily, it’s not the only way to showcase your value to the world.

Here’s the formula for career success in 2024:

Real projects + Work experience + Self-education + Networking = Job offers 

A degree may signal some of those things, but not very well. You need more! Of course, college can still be a great choice for some. The key is, college or not, to start building a body of work.

– Isaac

📊 TREND

Jay-Z Supports a PASS for PA Families

The education landscape is shifting faster than you can say “Y to the E to the S.”

In an unexpected plot twist that has education policy wonks scratching their heads, Jay-Z threw his weight behind the proposed $100 million PASS program that would provide scholarships to students in Pennsylvania’s lowest-performing schools.

Let’s break it down:

• First, these aren’t your Uncle Milton’s vouchers. Families could use the funds for private schools, yes, but also for various educational services and resources.
• It’s less about abandoning ships and more about “building more lifeboats.” The goal is to expand options for families with the greatest needs.
• As more states experiment with flexible funding models, the lines between traditional public, private, and alternative education options are blurring.

With Jay-Z in the mix, the education reform debate just got much more interesting. Who knows, maybe we’ll see Beyoncé leading a task force on STEM education next? 🐝

⚒️ TOOL

“Help! My 1st Grader Needs Math!”

When a mom on Reddit asked about the best math curriculum for her 1st grader, she got a handful of replies: Elephant Learning, Zearn, and Prodigy, to name a few.

In response, we dove into our data from the last three years to see which math programs our OpenEd families use most often. Here’s the breakdown of our top 10 math providers by rough market share:

Remember, the best math program is the one that works for YOUR family. Don’t be afraid to mix and match or switch it up if something isn’t clicking. If all else fails, there’s always counting Cheerios at breakfast.

😺 (WORD) OF THE DAY

con·cat·e·nate (kən-kăt′n-āt′)

From the Latin “concatenare,” concatenate means linking or joining a series or chain.

Let’s concatenate the sounds: “con” + “cat” + “en” + “ate.”

In coding, it often means combining strings of text. In everyday speak: It’s like we’re playing word LEGO, snapping syllables together.

See you tomorrow!

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)