Matsuda: Living in a VUCA World, What Schools Need to do to Survive and Thrive in the Post Pandemic World

NCCEP Board Member, Michael Matsuda, superintendent of Anaheim Union High School District, recently authored an article discussing the impacts of the pandemic on students and learning, and what the future of education could look like. He explains that the term VUCA, Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity, an acronym first coined by the military after the collapse of the USSR in the 1990s, can be adapted to the changing education landscape. He says, “More than ever, it means students must graduate from our systems with a 'growth mindset;' a mindset based on 21st Century Skills; Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Communication, Creativity, and Compassion. More than ever, students need to develop into citizens who are capable of addressing these unprecedented VUCA challenges, and who are ready for a lifetime of upskilling to thrive as job opportunities ebb and flow.”