The disconnect between today’s classrooms and the demands of the modern workforce has become impossible to ignore—and students agree. According to the latest Education Insights Report from Discovery Education, 80% of students believe that learning content tied to real-world experiences is essential. Yet over 60% doubt the skills they’re learning in school prepare them for the workforce, and 71% aren’t excited about entering it. 

But what if classrooms operated differently and weren’t confined by brick walls or a single campus? That’s the mission driving Dr. Romules Durant, CEO and Superintendent of Toledo Public Schools (TPS). Through his innovative vision for future-ready classrooms, Dr. Durant is courageously transforming education to raise graduation rates, close achievement gaps, and build a strong community.

 Dr. Durant knows it can feel risky taking on a new approach, especially if stakeholders don’t fully see the vision yet, but he isn’t afraid to explore new avenues for bridging the gap between classrooms and industries. He actively collaborates with industry leaders who share his vision and are eager to partner with him. “It’s about taking calculated risks to change how schools operate,” he explains.

Bridging Industry and Classroom

The concept of future-ready classrooms starts with an “outside the box” perspective on bringing industries into the learning environment, and the determination to build strategic relationships with those who can make the concept a reality.  Dr. Durant and his team at TPS saw an opportunity to integrate the resources and expertise of their community to create hands-on, real-world learning experiences and work-based learning programs that focus on career exploration. This type of innovation requires thoughtful planning, relationship building, and of course, bravery. For Dr. Durant, that meant building trust and collaboration with all stakeholders, like the school board and local business leaders. Together, they decided to invest in initiatives that may not yet be the norm in K-12 education but show tremendous promise.

Redefining the Classroom

Classrooms don’t have to be just spaces for textbooks and whiteboards—envision multi-functional learning campuses that serve students, families, and communities alike. 

The Community Hubs at Toledo Public Schools are the perfect example of redefining the classroom. Today, six hubs offer academic and work-based learning opportunities for students as well as services and programs for the community, like financial management, childcare, homecare for senior citizens, mental health services, and even entertainment. It’s a dual-benefit model that exemplifies how blending education with community resources can make a tangible difference.

Durant shares, "Community members, like our senior citizens, can utilize the trades and services that are available. For example, we're finding out through local studies that what keeps a senior from owning their own home is the inability to do maintenance. We have a construction academy and landscaping program here on this campus. Put a ticket in, and a student, alongside a professional, will handle the issue."

The Power of Work-Based Learning

Career exploration should be central to every student’s academic journey, starting as early as elementary school. In fact, according to the Education Insights Report, 90% of middle schoolers today want more exposure to different career paths, while 88% wish they had more resources to better prepare them. 

Many countries around the world provide young students the opportunity to explore careers through work-based learning such as apprenticeships, intern- and externships, and immersive, future-ready classrooms. After an externship in Germany to study their workforce development programs, Dr. Durant implemented a strong emphasis on immersion, giving students the chance to step directly into the shoes of a professional and test out career paths.

Dr. Durant emphasizes the transformative power of replicating such models, “That trip really helped set the stage for how to go about workforce development. But more importantly, community and partnership . . . We started erasing the boundaries of communities and putting education at the place of industry . . . Imagine if you were able to go to school from 7th through 12th grade AND earn an associate’s degree at that place of industry. How better prepared you would be for the workforce?”

As an example, the Toledo Technology Academy of Engineering for grades 7-12 allows students to explore engineering in a fully immersive environment with the Electric Vehicle lab, the first of its kind for an Ohio public school. With 11,000 sq. ft. of space, including six vehicle lifts for hands-on learning and a classroom, this lab gives students the opportunity to learn firsthand about cutting-edge technology, as well a current mechanics and displaced autoworkers a chance to enhance their own skillsets and careers.

The Aerospace & Natural Science Academy is another inspiring example. The aerospace campus is located at the airport where students can work on airplanes and even earn their pilot’s license, while the natural science campus is just next door to the Toledo Botanical Gardens.

Durant explains, “It's about aligning kids to things they have an interest in, exposing them to career pathways, and that excitement is what brings them to school. I tell other superintendents that if you connect a student to a career pathway, that's an increase in your graduation rate . . . the student is aligned to something where they can see and understand why this science experiment or this math skill they are learning matters . . . They truly have connected and can say “this makes sense for me.”

Through these programs, learning feels relevant. Students aren’t memorizing equations in isolation; they’re applying them on the job floor, in hospitals, and in labs. They’re building confidence as they earn credits toward 2- and 4-year degrees, as well as trade certifications, all while seeing firsthand how their future-ready classrooms tie directly to real-world careers.

Funding Innovation Through Relationships

None of these innovations are possible without financial stability and support. And Dr. Durant has proven that calculated risks yield remarkable rewards by establishing strong relationships with those who hold the purse strings. “It’s through a strong relationship with the school board,” Dr. Durant says, “that we’ve been able to mitigate risks and ensure we have the resources we need to launch programs that truly change how students learn.”

 Securing local funding for future-ready classrooms also needs strong relationships with the community. Partnerships with local businesses, nonprofits, civic organizations, school boards, and city councils provide a wealth of opportunities for funding because all those involved have the same goal: ensuring students become successful members of the community.

Empowering Students. Strengthening Communities.

The goal of future-ready classrooms is clear—prepare students to thrive in a dynamic world. Students get a head start on building skills and earning credits, so upon graduation, they’re equipped with knowledge and experience to jumpstart their careers. Communities benefit, too. When young people feel supported, they want to work and live in the same neighborhoods that nurtured their potential, creating a strong, thriving local workforce.

At TPS, this isn’t just a vision—it’s happening. Leaders like Dr. Durant are setting the standard, offering a clear model for schools and communities to follow. Discovery Education is proud to stand alongside courageous leaders like Dr. Durant to prepare future-ready students. We are continually innovating career exploration resources like Career Connect and the STEM Careers Coalition, as well as building partnerships with industry leaders that share our vision, to support career and workforce programs designed for 21st century students.  

With unique partnerships between Discovery Education and industry leaders, those same schools and communities can deliver students their holistic vision of what it means to be ready for the future. Together, we’re rethinking education, one calculated risk at a time.

Access the Discovery Education career readiness guide, Expanding Opportunities: How District Leaders Can Champion Career Readiness to learn key strategies for developing, maintaining, and funding career readiness programs in your district.

Watch the full Courageous Leaders Conversation with Dr. Durant below.