The prioritization of logical-mathematical and linguistic intelligences in education has thus created a paradox. While it has enabled remarkable technological advancements, it has also diminished the relative value of human contributions in these areas, as AI increasingly takes over tasks that were once exclusive to highly educated professionals. This shift highlights the urgent need to rethink educational priorities, moving beyond the narrow focus on computational intelligence to embrace intelligence diversity.

Embedding of the pursuit of intelligence singularity in education has perpetuated systemic inequities, narrowing the scope of intellectual development to align with limited metrics. Intelligence diversity, rooted in Gardner’s MI theory, offers a transformative framework to address these distortions. Only by recognizing and cultivating the full spectrum of human intelligences, education systems can foster equity, creativity, and innovation. This shift is essential not only for preparing students to thrive in a dynamic, technology-driven world but also for nurturing the diverse intellectual capital necessary for collective progress.

To be serious about this work, we need to start by creating safe and inclusive spaces where students are encouraged to share their real feelings and experiences. Our schools and educational policymakers need to establish environments that encourage open dialogue, active listening, and respect for diverse opinions, ensuring ALL students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts.

Can we shift our work in ed policy and school improvement from work that is designed to do what is “good for” students and instead move toward asking them what they want to accomplish?

Listening to students is always the right first step.

But this trick intends to miss the point. In this exchange, one side favors parental involvement, elevating their experiences and those of their studnets so that more equitable systems might be put in place and years of discrimination, bias, and exclusion might begin to be replaced with systems that better align with the American ideals of free expression AND the fundamental nature of how learning works through discussion and deliberation across lines of difference.

Are there students who really want to get to school but simply cannot because they are stranded somewhere? Sure. But if we truly understand that there are students in such overwhelming circumstances, our reaction is shamefully inadequate.