Dozens came out for the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce Power in Partnership breakfast.
Put on once a month by the chamber, Power in Partnership offers chamber and community members the chance to come together, network and discuss topics relating to local business.
“It’s an event to bring a key speaker…to help solve business problems and proactively plan for the future,” said Chamber President Christine Lynn, adding that the series is usually held from September to May.
While the series tackles a myriad of topics, this month’s focus was on education.
Aylon Samouhn is the co-CEO of Transcend, a national organization that seeks to reimagine teaching and learning.
“Transcend is a national non-profit working with school communities to change the way we do schooling,” Samouhn said.
Lynn said the inaugural breakfast of each series is education focused: “The timing of this speaker was key because Rowan-Salisbury Schools just came out of their low performing designation and they are doing some pretty incredible work.”
Earlier in the month, RSS officials announced the school system transitioned out of the state’s low performing designation. RSS Superintendent Dr. Kelly Withers, who introduced Samouhn at Thursday’s breakfast, said that the county is in a unique position to experiment with student instruction.
Samouhn echoed the importance of unique teaching methods.
“You don’t have to look far to learn that the model of schools that we have today…was designed basically in the 1900s,” Samouhn said, later adding “actually, when you really dig in, they were innovators.”
Samouhn emphasized the need to change across multiple disciplines. He used healthcare as an example.
“We don’t go to a doctor who is serving patients everyday and ask them to come up with the new…surgical thing,” Samouhn said. “We also don’t say ‘no matter what, if the diagnosis is x you do y.’ No, the doctor is there because he or she knows the patient and understands the context to make the best decision for that patient.”
Samouhn said that education wasn’t different.
“Similarly, in education, we can’t just take an answer, throw it on top of everyone, nor can we say you just figure it out.”
Samouhn said that students aren’t strangers to change.
“Fundamentally, the student experience changes,” Samouhn said, referencing the average elementary school setting to the more structural rows and lectures.
“They tolerate school,” Samouhn said, later adding that being deeply engaged in their work has a significant effect. “Not taking easy answers, not telling them how it’s going to be, and inviting them into the process.”
Samouhn mentioned that Rowan County is well positioned to find teaching methods that work best for RSS students.
“Schools have been designed one way and they can be designed a new way,” Samouhn said. “They can be designed in ways that are more deeply engaging and lead to students thriving. The way we design it differently is by communities coming together.
Teresa Dakins, a Catawba resident and parent, said she agreed with a lot of what Samouhn said.
“We were just talking about having kids that get through school, go off to college, and then not have a clue about what they want to do,” Dakins said, adding that she is a proponent of education that gives students hands-on experience. “I think by having more hands on things where you can get some experience with careers is a good thing.”
