Fix the Past or Invent the Future: Moving Beyond One-Size-Fits-All Education

By Yong Zhao

We can't afford to be stuck in a past that no longer serves all students.

In Fix the Past or Invent the Future, acclaimed education expert Yong Zhao exposes the deep flaws in the one-size-fits-all policies and practices that have dominated classrooms for decades and left countless students behind.

Zhao takes on some of the most popular and seemingly scientific practices and beliefs in education and shows that no intervention, not even the most powerful, works for all students all the time. In Part I, "Fix the Past," he explains - Why probability research doesn't help classrooms. - Why blindly applying the growth mindset can be misguided. - Why SEL doesn't solve students' social and emotional problems in school. - Why short-term wins in educational interventions can be long-term losses. - Why AI doesn't help in the traditional classroom.

But Zhao doesn't stop there. Arguing that incremental fixes to inherited practices will never be enough, he offers a bold, hopeful vision of what education could be in the age of AI: a personalized, flexible system that embraces individuality, fosters creativity, and prepares students to thrive in an ever-changing world. In Part II, "Invent the Future," Zhao explores - How true personalization must be done by students instead of for students. - How to help students find and solve problems. - How human interdependence is the foundation of global competence. - How educators can approach educational transformation with the school-within-a-school model. - How to move forward from where we are today.

Filled with innovative suggestions and thought-provoking insights, this book is a must-read for educators, policymakers, and researchers committed to transforming the school experience for each and every student.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416634118
• ISBN13: 9781416634119
• Release Date: December 2025
• Publisher: ASCD
• Length: 115 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.