TED Talks Daily – “Schools urgently need a redesign. Here’s how” | Aylon Samouha

Date: December 9, 2025
Speaker: Aylon Samouha
Podcast Host: TED

Overview

This episode features education innovator Aylon Samouha, who passionately argues that the traditional model of school no longer serves students in a rapidly changing world. Samouha advocates for a radical redesign of schools, centering on “community-based design” that responds to local needs and values, and offers real-world learning experiences. Through vivid stories from Brooklyn, Washington D.C., and rural North Dakota, he illustrates how schools can transform into environments where children feel seen, engaged, and empowered to shape their futures.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Need for School Redesign

• Obsolete Model:
  Samouha begins by asserting that schools are not "broken," but are doing what they were designed to do—a design that is now out of date:

  “School isn't broken. It's doing exactly what it was designed to do over a century ago. It was built for the factory age to standardize, sort, and prepare young people for predictable jobs.” (07:06)

• Mismatched Purpose:
  The current world demands different skills—adaptability, discernment, collaboration, and self-awareness—not assembly line obedience.

  “Today, our graduates aren't heading to assembly lines. They're stepping into a world being reshaped by AI, where thriving depends on knowing who you are, discerning fact from fiction, knowing how to keep learning, creating, collaborating, and indeed coexisting with others.” (07:38)

Real-World Examples of Innovative Schools

• Brooklyn STEAM Center (04:13)

  • Students work in immersive settings—marketing for businesses, wiring real houses, hacking for cybersecurity, etc.
  • The school’s environment resembles an engineering studio instead of traditional classrooms.
  • Students earn diplomas and industry credentials, build networks, and learn by solving real problems.
  • Quote:

    “Not about regurgitating content, but about solving real problems. Not what do I need to know for the test, but what can I build that matters?” (05:21)

• Van Ness Elementary (Washington, D.C.) (08:53)

  • School reimagined around the idea that “kids learn best when they feel seen.”
  • Social-emotional learning integrated (morning circles instead of roll call, mindfulness breaks, measuring belonging alongside academics).
  • Resulted in no suspensions and exceeded district averages in academics.
  • Quote:

    “No tension, no punishment, just learning for both of them.” (09:59)

  • Impact: One in four D.C. elementary schools now adopts this approach; it’s spreading nationwide.

• Rural North Dakota (11:01)

  • Student Matthew goes from being disengaged to passionate, discovering blacksmithing and launching a small business.
  • Personalized, real-world learning unlocks curiosity and potential.
  • Vision: Technology like AI can accelerate such experiences for more students.

The Case for Community-Based Design

• Definition:
  Community-based design combines local insight (“the wisdom of lived experience”) and rigorous research, applying design thinking and community participation to education.
• Middle Path:
  Avoids the pitfalls of top-down (disconnected) and bottom-up (overburdened) reform.

  “There's a third way. Community based design. Community based design takes the best of both approaches. It brings together the wisdom of lived experience with the wisdom of research.” (08:21)

Data that Motivates Change

• Transcend, Samouha’s organization, surveyed 70,000 students:
  • Less than half love school; two-thirds say it’s boring.
  • By high school, only a quarter express enthusiasm; less than 4% feel empowered to explore and lead their learning. (06:19)
• Quote on why “fine” is not good enough:

  “But fine isn't fine. It's the sound of potential quietly fading.” (06:56)

Principles for the Future

• School must be designed and redesigned as a continuous, community-driven process—not as a one-time overhaul.
• Engagement, belonging, and real-world purpose—not just test scores—should be the “north star.”

  “We need community based design as a muscle, not a program or an initiative. Something built in, not bolted on. A continuous way of evolving how we do school together.” (12:54)

• Call to action: The question for schools and society must not be “Are the children fine?” but:

  “Let it be. They're engaged, they're thriving. And they're transforming the world.” (13:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the meaningful purpose of education:

  “What happens in classrooms today is what will happen in society tomorrow.” (08:08)

• The stark gap in student engagement:

  “Nearly three quarters of third graders say they love school. But by high school, barely a quarter say they do.” (06:38)

• On the future of redesign:

  “School cannot be something we redesign once a century.” (12:43)

• Final call to action:

  “Let's make sure the answer isn't fine. Let it be. They're engaged, they're thriving. And they're transforming the world. Thank you.” (13:24)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:13] Introduction to the Brooklyn STEAM Center and immersive learning
• [06:19] National student engagement data
• [07:06] History and purpose of school design
• [08:21] Introduction to community-based design
• [08:53] Van Ness Elementary’s whole-child approach and results
• [11:01] Story of personalized learning in rural North Dakota
• [12:54] The need for continuous redesign and call to action

Tone and Style

Aylon Samouha speaks with empathy, urgency, and visionary optimism. He balances hard data with powerful human stories, aiming to inspire educators, parents, and communities to reject the status quo and collaboratively build a more relevant, engaging, and humane education system.

Summary

This talk is a rallying cry for school redesign centered in community, relevance, and student agency. Samouha’s core message: If children are to thrive and transform their world, schools must become places where their interests, identities, and real-world futures are at the heart of every lesson, every day.