The Learning Model That Turned a Dropout Into the Class Speaker with Jenny Curtin

Jenny Curtin partners with schools and districts across New England on behalf of the Barr Foundation, where she helps build and scale Transformative Learning Experiences — rigorous, project-based units developed with partner Springpoint that pull students out of the classroom and into courtrooms, communities, and real business ventures.

Her work runs on a philanthropic value most funders don't practice: taking the long view, and staying with schools through the slow, unglamorous work of actual change.

A student named Buddha dropped out of high school after years of disconnected, irrelevant coursework — and became his graduation class speaker after enrolling somewhere that taught differently. Jenny Curtin of the Barr Foundation joins the show to explain the model behind that turnaround, and why most school transformation efforts stall before they ever reach a kid like him.

🫶 What You'll Learn Why "taking the long view" beats chasing the next quick fix in school reform How to design school changes around your most marginalized students first What a Transformative Learning Experience unit actually looks like in practice Why community with other school leaders is what sustains multi-year change efforts 🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🧠 Key Insight #1: Why School Transformation Requires Slowing Down First What's broken: Schools chase quick fixes and bolt-on programs instead of questioning their actual purpose and vision. The shift: Leaders take the long view — slowing down to investigate vision, gather empathy interviews, and study other school models before acting. Impact: Change becomes sustainable enough to survive leadership turnover instead of collapsing the moment its champion leaves. 🧠 Key Insight #2: Why Centering Marginalized Students Redesigns the Whole School What's broken: Most school redesign starts from the average student and treats the most marginalized students as an afterthought. The shift: Design at the margins first — build for the students least served by the current system, then let that design benefit everyone. Impact: A school that centred a disconnected, disengaged dropout re-enrolled him — and he graduated as class speaker. 🧠 Key Insight #3: Why Project-Based Learning Beats Traditional Coursework What's broken: Traditional coursework asks students to check a box for a diploma without connecting it to their real lives. The shift: Transformative Learning Experiences put students in real courtrooms for moot trials, real neighbourhoo