Jack Johnson Pannell

Southern Baptists need to prioritize Christian education. Imagine hundreds if not thousands of new Christian schools across the nation committed to excellence and the doctrinally sound instruction of a rising generation. We’ve been mostly AWAL on this issue that could help revitalize churches and impact communities. At Calvary, we’ve personally seen the transformational impact.

We cannot talk about student success without talking about teacher thriving. If working conditions, well-being, and role clarity don’t change, burnout will persist. Innovation has to focus on the conditions that let teachers thrive.

Great conversation last night with the parents of students from multiple campuses. Keeping them informed. Keeping them focused on the mission. Keeping them inspired. Serving them so that they lead well at home. To us, that matters just as much as serving the students.

Small market? Cap your micro-school at 25 kids with you being the lead coach. Go deep. Build a culture. Maintain your capped number. Complication will be your enemy.

Kid graduated Stanford CS last month with $180k in debt and a 3.8 GPA Applied to 847 entry-level positions since January Got 3 phone screens. Zero offers. Interviewed at a Series C startup in October. Hiring manager told him straight up: "We used to have 8 junior engineers. Now we have 2 seniors with Cursor and they ship faster than the old team of 10." His roommate who graduated with him is driving for DoorDash The career services office is still telling kids that "software engineering is recession-proof" while their own alumni network shows 67% of 2023 CS grads still unemployed or underemployed Meanwhile offshore contractors in Hyderabad are getting $35/hour to do senior-level work with Claude 3.5 The same work that used to go to American new grads at $140k total comp His internship manager from last summer just got laid off. Team of 12 mobile engineers replaced by 3 contractors and a React Native AI agent The bootcamp kids who graduated in 2022 and got $120k offers? Half of them managed out during "performance reviews" that were really just AI productivity audits He's $180k in the hole for a degree in a field that stopped hiring humans at his level 18 months ago But sure, keep telling kids to "learn to code"

Today, we celebrate 12 years of My Brother's Keeper Alliance! Guided by our six milestones, and rooted in the belief that communities are the unit of change to realize improved life outcomes for boys and young men of color, we build pathways for progress that lead to real, measurable impact. Our Leadership Academy helps young leaders grow in confidence and skill, MBK Ambassadors lift up youth voice and leadership in community spaces, and our MBK Communities bring together partners to expand opportunity in ways that are measurable and meaningful. Through this work, we are not just redefining what opportunity means for boys and young men of color, we are creating safe, supportive communities where they feel valued and have clear pathways to opportunity and success. Today is a chance to celebrate how far we’ve come and recommit to the work ahead. MBK is deeply grateful for President Obama, the mentors, families, partners, and young leaders who inspire our mission every single day. Together, we continue to build a future full of possibility.