From Reopen to Reinvent: (Re)Creating School for Every Child

by Michael B. Horn

A practical blueprint to rebuilding an education system that is no longer working for its students In From Reopen to Reinvent, distinguished education strategist Michael B. Horn delivers a provocative and eye-opening call to action for the overthrow of an education system that is not working well for any of its students. Grounded in what educators should build in its place to address the challenges that stem from widespread unmet learning needs, the book walks readers through the design of a better path forward. Using time-tested leadership and innovation frameworks like Jobs to Be Done, “Begin with the End,” tools of cooperation, threat-rigidity, and discovery-driven planning, From Reopen to Reinvent offers a prescriptive and holistic approach to the purpose of schooling, the importance of focusing on mastery for each student, and the ideal use of technology. It also provides readers Perfect for K-12 educators and parents and school board members involved in the school community, From Reopen to Reinvent is also an essential resource for professionals working in education-related non-profits and state education agencies.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Education

352 pages, Hardcover

Published July 13, 2022

About the author

Michael B. Horn strives to create a world in which all individuals can build their passions and fulfill their potential through his writing, speaking, and work with a portfolio of education organizations. He is the author of several books, including the award-winning Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns; Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools; Choosing College; Goodnight Box, a children’s story; and the forthcoming From Reopen to Reinvent: (Re)creating School for Every Child, which will be released in July 2022.

Michael is the co-founder of and a distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, a non-profit think tank. He cohosts the top education podcasts Future U and Class Disrupted. He is a regular contributor to Forbes.com and writes the Substack newsletter The Future of Education. Michael also serves as an executive editor at Education Next, and his work has been featured in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, and NBC.

Michael is a senior strategist at Guild Education, which partners with leading employers and organizations to help offer education and upskilling opportunities to America’s workforce. He serves on the board and advisory boards of a range of education organizations, including Imagine Worldwide, Minerva University, and the LearnLaunch Institute and is a venture partner at NextGen Venture Partners.

Michael was selected as a 2014 Eisenhower Fellow to study innovation in education in Vietnam and Korea, and Tech&Learning magazine named him to its list of the 100 most important people in the creation and advancement of the use of technology in education. Michael holds a BA in history from Yale University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Reviews

[McKay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebuilding a school system is extremely difficult but also necessary. Fortunately Covid opened the eyes of most stakeholders and the shift is happening. However, it will take a lot work and patience, especially to love those so engrained in what “has always worked.” I look forward to the journey and the task at hand.

[Darren Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tremendous amount to absorb here, but so worth it. This is an inspiring educational read as well as being full of research on various approaches well-worth diving into. Just a great volume about education now and how to make it universally impactful for the longest possible term.

[Elena H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, full of salient guidance rooted in research. A great read for school leaders or anyone adjacent/ interested in the CBE school reform movement. I would have liked to have seen the district case studies fleshed out a bit more.

[Tom Arnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schooling has been rough since COVID. Teachers, administrators, students, and parents need a guiding star to help them get past the current storms. That's what this book offers. It's loaded with innovative and practical ideas that point to a better way for K-12 education. And the writing style is easy to digest and relate to. It's one of the most inspiring books I've read in the last year.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know who the intended audience for this book was, but it was not me. The anecdotes that opened each chapter were interesting, and the best chapter by far was Implementing Change When People Don't Always Agree. Other than that, it felt incredible disjointed and largely unhelpful unless you are an administrator in a school with an incredible, mostly unrealistic, amount of flexibility.