Welcome to Playground Post, a bi-weekly newsletter that keeps education innovators ahead of what’s next.

Here’s what we have on deck for today…

1. Hidden tech crisis in schools

2. Exit exams make their own exit

3. Hidden cost of social media in schools

Hidden tech crisis in schools

While entrepreneurs race to build the next AI tutor, schools are facing a more fundamental crisis: they literally can't keep their bells ringing.

The average age of a public school in the U.S. is 42 years — well before any signs of digital transformation.

The idea of layering cutting-edge tech on top of a 42+ year old infrastructure is like puting a round peg into a square hole:

• Schools are running on antiquated infrastructure, with ancient PA systems and networks that can't handle modern bandwidth demands.

• In many districts, just upgrading basic communication requires rewiring entire buildings — a multimillion-dollar project

Before schools can adopt cutting-edge tech, they need modern infrastructure.

Want to make a real impact in education?

Start with the pipes, not just what flows through them.

Exit exams make their own exit

New York and Massachusetts just showed graduation exit exams to the door, joining a massive exodus that's left only 6 states — Florida, Ohio, Louisiana, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia — still requiring them.

• Massachusetts is betting on MassCore — a rigorous coursework path that emphasizes subject mastery over test scores.

• New York's crafting a "portrait of a graduate" that includes real-world skills like financial literacy

This shift creates opportunities for innovators to reimagine assessment: tools that track project-based learning, measure real-world skills, or help schools transition to more authentic evaluation methods.

The door just opened for solutions that move beyond the bubble sheet.

Hidden cost of social media in schools

New research reveals a troubling cycle in schools:

• Fights start on social media

• Escalate through group texts

• End up as viral videos that spark more conflicts

At Revere High School, a single cafeteria brawl turned into a school-wide crisis when students, racing to film it, blocked teachers from intervening.

The viral videos later triggered street fights and community backlash.

The key lesson for innovators?

While banning phones might help, the real solution could be in teaching digital citizenship.

The concept is simple but powerful: teach students that online actions have real-world consequences. Like how filming a fight isn't just capturing content — it's potentially fueling violence, risking legal trouble, and maybe ruining someone's life.

It's not about demonizing technology, but teaching students how to use it responsibly.

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We’ll be back with another edition on Tuesday. See you then!

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