Meet Dr. Kelly Wilson | Dean, High Tech High Graduate School of Education

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Kelly Wilson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Kelly, how do you think about risk?
When we started the High Tech High Graduate School of Education (GSE) in 2007, we were the first in the nation to emerge out of, and be fully embedded within, a network of innovative, project-based learning K-12 schools. While linking the preparation of teachers and leaders to the reality of K-12 schools seems obvious now, and aligns with the residency model medical schools have employed for over a century, at the time we were truly pioneers in this space. Taking this risk challenged the status quo and underlying assumption that theoretical knowledge developed by academics within higher education had greater value than craft knowledge developed by practitioners in the field. The GSE turned this on its head with a commitment to integrating theory and practice and using the lived experience of teachers and leaders in K-12 schools as “text” to nurture their growth and development.

Risk is a natural part of innovation and change leadership. More often than not, the greatest risk we take is being unwilling to change or try something that has not been tried before.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I became an educator because of my passion to advance equity and opportunity for those furthest from privilege. As a teacher and founding school leader at High Tech High, I found project-based learning a powerful tool for engaging students in liberatory work that matters to them and to their community. Students explore real-world issues, develop critical consciousness, engage in critical thinking and creative problem-solving, and collaborate with their peers to create authentic products that are shared through public exhibitions of learning.

At each stage of my career, I have been most inspired when challenging, disrupting, and reimagining existing structures and systems that perpetuate inequity, kill creativity, and turn both young people and adults off to school. I have learned to question why things are done the way they are and never stop dreaming of new possibilities.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For me, San Diego is all about playing outside and on the water. I would recommend taking a hike at Torrey Pines or at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, exploring the caves in La Jolla by kayak, or paddleboarding in La Playa or Glorietta Bay.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Huge shout out to my mom, who taught me that every child, regardless of economic circumstances, deserves a transformative education that expands possibilities, and to my dad, who taught me that every child deserves to be seen, heard, and valued for their unique strengths and gifts, especially when they don’t fit into the traditional, and often oppressive, approach to schooling.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” – Albert Einstein

Website: https://hthgse.edu/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-wilson-hthgse/

Image Credits
Brent Spirnak