Burke Schools urged to prepare students for an AI-driven economy

As more baby boomers retire and birth rates continue to decline, the job market is expected to undergo major shifts in the coming years.

Dr. Bill Daggett, the executive director at Successful Practices Network, worries that the only people filling the spaces are untrained and unprepared for the world they’re entering, but Burke might have a leg up.

Successful Practices Network is a nonprofit that specializes in professional learning and coaching for school districts across the country.

Daggett stopped by the Burke County Board of Education planning session to discuss what preparing students for the future should look like, explaining that many educational entities are falling short in preparing students for an AI-driven future, while struggling to simultaneously build children’s soft skills.

“We are preparing kids for a fundamentally different world,” Daggett said. “And yet, we still have an industrial bell schedule we follow.”

Burke County’s career and technical education (CTE), which offers pathways like nursing and firefighting, sits in the top six counties in the state for credential attainment at 86.87%. The county is also seventh in the state for work-based learning.

However, more than 90% of “hot ticket jobs,” like coding, that have been heavily sought after until this point will be gone in just a few years, thanks to the development of AI, Daggett said.

Daggett also cited research showing brain development might be different from past generations. The parts of the brain used for processing and retaining information, as well as problem-solving and organizational skills, are sometimes less developed. This difference may affect their ability to function independently.

Considering the pen-and-paper initiatives from the county, Daggett suggested finding a balance in focusing on skills in teamwork, resilience, and empathy, as well as teaching students how to utilize AI to its fullest potential.

“Here’s the reality,” Daggett said. “You are already further ahead than most of the districts we are working with. … I think you are very well-positioned, so be careful. Revolutionists get killed. You’ve got to do this in an evolutionary way. You’ve got to bring the staff and community along as you’re doing it.”