‘Tis not the most original topic, this. But it’s especially relevant this year: We at Spotlight do have much for which we’re thankful in 2021.
We start with that oft-cited source of gratitude: family. Yes, we’re thankful for our actual families, but this year we’re also happy to be part of a much larger one: the Pearson family. We were acquired in March, and overnight found ourselves with 35,000 new (professional) siblings.
Nine months later, we can confidently say that it’s working: while in 2019 Spotlight produced video reports for students and families in three states (and in 2020…well, let’s not go there), by spring of 2022 we’ll do so for millions of students in eleven states. We’re grateful for the opportunity to make assessment data accessible, understandable, and actionable for these students’ families — in dozens of languages.
Our branch of the Pearson clan is growing too: thanks to this growth, we’re hiring! And we’re happy to have brought on new “family” members who share our passion for high-quality, equitable education.
We’re growing our team and our footprint against the backdrop of advances in assessment: fast-disappearing are the days of one massive end-of-year test, as states are replacing that convention with various innovative models. Pearson is well-positioned to meet this moment — and Spotlight provides just the right solution to explain the impact of these changes on each student. We’re thankful for the push that this innovation is giving us.
Finally, we understand that we haven’t returned to “normal”: students wear masks in most schools; districts fight surging COVID cases — not to mention the latter-order effects of the pandemic, including teacher shortages. But after the tragedy of 2020, we’re thankful for today’s conditions, with the vast majority of students actually attending school; teams and clubs practicing and playing; and in some schools, a sense of…yes, normalcy. That seems like something for which we can all be thankful.