---
title: "Guest column: Students will move forward post-pandemic if we give them new pathways and opportunities"
description: The Superintendent of Rich Township is re-imagining high schools to help students become leaders in their own learning — a pathway to economic mobility.
image: https://www.unchartedlearning.org/hubfs/2022.JohnnieThomas.rich.tribune.png
---

# Guest column: Students will move forward post-pandemic if we give them new pathways and opportunities

[![](https://www.unchartedlearning.org/hubfs/2022.JohnnieThomas.rich.tribune.png) ](https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-guest-column-thomas-st-0605-20220603-wbjtwwyjcbf57gt2mnjloh3ygm-story.html)

Chicago Tribune - Daily Southtown

*By: Johnnie Thomas, Rich Township High School, District 277 on June 3, 2022*

District leaders and educators won’t solve these problems by focusing solely on making up lost academic time. In fact, if piling on more academic work comes at the expense of content that is meaningful and exciting, the approach could further disengage students. That’s why my district is re-imagining high schools with a strong focus on helping students become leaders in their own learning and the learning of others — a pathway to future success and economic mobility.

[Read More](https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-guest-column-thomas-st-0605-20220603-wbjtwwyjcbf57gt2mnjloh3ygm-story.html)

### Subscribe

### Top Picks

[![Learn More:  Programs for Elementary, Middle School & High School](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4906503/6066b9ed-0fa4-441b-9756-0a4b652c8322.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4906503/6066b9ed-0fa4-441b-9756-0a4b652c8322)

### Share This

[![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.unchartedlearning.org%2Fnewsroom%2Fguest-column-students-will-move-forward-post-pandemic-if-we-give-them-new-pathways-and-opportunities%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/linkedin-24x24.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.unchartedlearning.org%2Fnewsroom%2Fguest-column-students-will-move-forward-post-pandemic-if-we-give-them-new-pathways-and-opportunities%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.unchartedlearning.org%2Fnewsroom%2Fguest-column-students-will-move-forward-post-pandemic-if-we-give-them-new-pathways-and-opportunities%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.unchartedlearning.org%2Fnewsroom%2Fguest-column-students-will-move-forward-post-pandemic-if-we-give-them-new-pathways-and-opportunities%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Guest%20column%3A%20Students%20will%20move%20forward%20post-pandemic%20if%20we%20give%20them%20new%20pathways%20and%20opportunities) [![Share on Pinterest](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/pinterest-24x24.png)](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.unchartedlearning.org%2Fnewsroom%2Fguest-column-students-will-move-forward-post-pandemic-if-we-give-them-new-pathways-and-opportunities%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dpinterest&media=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn1.hubspot.com%2Fhub%2F158015%2F305390_10100548508246879_837195_59275782_6882128_n.jpg) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.unchartedlearning.org%2Fnewsroom%2Fguest-column-students-will-move-forward-post-pandemic-if-we-give-them-new-pathways-and-opportunities%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.unchartedlearning.org%2Fnewsroom%2Fguest-column-students-will-move-forward-post-pandemic-if-we-give-them-new-pathways-and-opportunities%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail)

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "WebSite",
  "content_id" : "75284787297",
  "description" : "The Superintendent of Rich Township is re-imagining high schools to help students become leaders in their own learning — a pathway to economic mobility.",
  "image" : "https://www.unchartedlearning.org/hubfs/2022.JohnnieThomas.rich.tribune.png",
  "name" : "Guest column: Students will move forward post-pandemic if we give them new pathways and opportunities",
  "publisher" : "Uncharted Learning, NFP",
  "template_path" : "",
  "url" : "https://www.unchartedlearning.org/newsroom/guest-column-students-will-move-forward-post-pandemic-if-we-give-them-new-pathways-and-opportunities"
}
```