The late educator Rita Pierson delivered one of the most powerful messages ever shared about education. Her TED Talk remains essential viewing for anyone who works with, serves, or makes decisions affecting children. Her message transcends job titles, political affiliations, educational philosophies, and organizational structures. At its core is a simple yet profound truth: children learn, grow, and thrive when they know someone believes in them.
Every child deserves a champion.
Not every child will remember the lesson taught in a particular classroom. Not every child will remember a policy, a program, or a curriculum. However, they will remember how they were treated. They will remember the adults who listened to them, encouraged them, challenged them, and refused to give up on them when life became difficult.
Rita Pierson understood that education is fundamentally about relationships. Before academic growth can occur, trust must exist. Before students are willing to take risks, they must feel safe. Before they can reach their full potential, they must believe someone sees that potential within them.
That responsibility belongs to all of us.
Whether we are parents, teachers, support staff members, administrators, school board members, policymakers, business leaders, or community members, each of us has the ability to become a champion for our children. They deserve a united commitment from every stakeholder involved in their development and success.
The power of connection cannot be overstated. One caring adult can change the trajectory of a child’s life. One person who refuses to quit on a child can provide hope during moments of struggle, uncertainty, or self-doubt. The value of such commitment is immeasurable and often extends far beyond the walls of a classroom.
Yet, for far too long, education has often felt like we are building the bicycle while trying to ride it. New initiatives emerge, policies change, mandates evolve, and expectations continue to grow. While innovation and progress are important, there is also value in pausing to evaluate whether what we are doing is truly serving the best interests of children.
Too often, educational decisions are made in isolation. Different groups work within separate silos, each focused on their own priorities without fully considering the perspectives of others. As a result, mistrust develops, communication breaks down, and opportunities for meaningful collaboration are lost.
Education works best when every stakeholder has a seat at the table.
Students, parents, teachers, support personnel, administrators, community leaders, businesses, and policymakers all possess valuable perspectives. Establishing a system of checks and balances that encourages collaboration and shared decision-making can lead to more thoughtful, equitable, and sustainable solutions. When all voices are heard, trust grows. When trust grows, progress follows.
As I reflect on my journey as an educator, parent, administrator, and advocate for children, I believe the following recommendations can serve as guiding principles for anyone committed to improving education and building a stronger future for all students.
Become Present
Every moment matters.
Children do not need adults who are physically present but mentally distracted. They need adults who are fully engaged in their lives, willing to listen, observe, and connect.
Social media, emails, notifications, and the endless distractions of modern life can always wait. Childhood cannot.
When we miss opportunities to support, encourage, or simply be there for our children, those moments cannot be reclaimed. Being present means giving children our attention, our time, and our commitment. It means becoming someone they know they can turn to regardless of the challenge they face.
No matter our role, we must be advocates for children first.
Become a Strong Communicator
Trust is built through communication.
Strong relationships between schools, families, communities, and policymakers are impossible without consistent and meaningful communication. When communication breaks down, misunderstanding and mistrust often follow.
Intentional communication creates transparency, strengthens relationships, and aligns efforts toward common goals. It ensures that everyone understands not only what decisions are being made but why they are being made.
Progress in education depends on our ability to listen as much as our willingness to speak.
Become Relationship-Driven
Relationships are the foundation upon which successful schools are built.
Titles and positions may differ, but everyone involved in a child’s development has value. No single role is more important than another.
Students thrive when they are surrounded by people who respect one another and work together toward a common purpose. Building relationships requires effort, empathy, and a genuine desire to understand the experiences of others.
When we invest in relationships, we strengthen the bridge that connects possibility to achievement.
Become Socially Aware
Every person has a story.
Taking time to understand the experiences, struggles, successes, and perspectives of others allows us to make more informed and compassionate decisions. True empathy requires more than feeling sorry for someone—it requires seeking to understand their reality.
Educational decisions affect real people. Programs, departments, and services often support students and families in ways that are not immediately visible. Before changes are made, leaders must carefully examine the potential impact on those who depend upon them.
The best decisions are informed by both data and humanity.
Become Less Assessment-Driven
Children are more than test scores.
While assessment plays an important role in measuring growth, it should never define a student’s worth, a teacher’s value, or a school’s success. Education must focus on developing the whole child rather than simply producing numbers on a spreadsheet.
Life itself becomes the ultimate assessment. Success is measured not only by academic achievement but also by character, resilience, creativity, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and the ability to contribute positively to society.
Learning is a journey, not merely a destination. Educational systems should recognize that students learn differently and progress at varying rates. When excessive emphasis is placed on testing, we risk losing sight of the joy of learning and the individuality of each child.
Become a Mental Health Advocate
Mental health matters.
The challenges facing today’s children and adults are more complex than ever before. Anxiety, depression, loneliness, stress, and other mental health concerns continue to impact students, educators, and families.
Ignoring these realities will not make them disappear.
Schools should have access to adequate mental health resources and support systems that are readily available, easily accessible, and proactive rather than reactive. Students cannot perform at their best academically when their emotional well-being is neglected.
A healthy society begins with healthy people.
Become Committed to Digital Safety
Technology has created incredible opportunities, but it has also introduced significant challenges.
Children are growing up in a digital world unlike anything previous generations experienced. Social media, cyberbullying, online harassment, misinformation, and unhealthy screen habits have become increasingly common realities.
Digital citizenship should be taught with the same seriousness as any other life skill. Students must learn how to engage responsibly, respectfully, and safely online.
Parents, educators, technology companies, and community leaders all share responsibility for creating safer digital environments and helping young people navigate them successfully.
Technology should enhance lives—not harm them.
Become Committed to Physical Safety
Every child deserves to learn in an environment where they feel safe, secure, and protected.
School safety requires continuous attention, thoughtful planning, and collective responsibility. Safe facilities, well-developed safety protocols, responsible firearm storage practices, mental health supports, and strong community partnerships all play important roles in creating secure learning environments.
Children should be focused on learning, building friendships, and pursuing their dreams—not worrying about whether they are safe at school.
Protecting children must remain one of society’s highest priorities.
Become Active in Education From the Beginning
Educational involvement should not begin during testing season, graduation year, or when challenges arise.
Children need support from the very start.
Whether their educational journey begins in early childhood programs, preschool, Head Start, or kindergarten, involvement matters. Research and experience consistently demonstrate that students benefit when families, schools, and communities remain engaged throughout their development.
Children are our legacy. They deserve our investment from the very beginning—not only when it is convenient.
Create Educational Advisory Councils
Major educational decisions should be informed by the voices of those directly impacted by them.
Each state should consider establishing educational advisory councils that include representation from students, parents, educators, support personnel, administrators, businesses, community organizations, and policymakers.
Such councils could provide valuable insight, identify unintended consequences, and help ensure decisions are equitable and student-centered.
Education should be guided by collaboration and expertise rather than division and isolation.
Completing the Puzzle
Throughout this blog series, each blog specific topic of focus began with a puzzle piece. That symbolism was intentional.
Every stakeholder in education represents an essential piece of a larger picture:
- Students
- Parents and Families
- Teachers and Support Personnel
- Administrators
- District Leaders, School Boards, and Government Officials
- Businesses, Community Organizations, and Technology Partners
When these pieces operate independently, they possess purpose but lack connection. Their efforts may be meaningful, yet incomplete.
However, when these groups work together with a shared vision and shared responsibility, the puzzle begins to take shape. The disconnected pieces become a complete picture. The silos disappear. The mission becomes clear.
Together, we create the conditions necessary for the development of the whole child.
A Final Thought
As I stated at the beginning of this blog series and reiterate here, every role matters. Every voice matters. Every child matters.
United, we can create educational systems that empower, inspire, and support every learner. Divided, it is our children who bear the consequences.
The “they” in the phrase “United we stand, divided they fall” is not adults. It is not institutions. It is not organizations.
It is our children.
They are depending on us to put aside differences, break down barriers, build trust, and work together toward a common purpose. If we truly aspire to be united, then there is no greater cause around which to rally than the education and well-being of our children.
Their future—and ultimately our own—depends on it.
Becoming The Change 
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