Every teacher has heard it: “When will I ever use this?” For decades, that question has exposed the biggest gap in education — not a lack of technology or standards, but a lack of relevance.

At ISTE + ASCD 2026, I sat down with Jamie Candee, President & CEO of Edmentum, to talk about their “Road to Readiness” — a vision that treats learning less like a forced march and more like a road trip: a journey defined by exploration, agency, and a real-world destination.

3 Takeaways from Our Conversation

🌊 1. Real-World Relevance

Through a partnership with the Emmy-winning Roadtrip Nation, Edmentum embeds authentic career videos directly into core curriculum — like world-champion surfers explaining how they use geometry to catch waves in Oahu. It's a direct answer to the question every student asks: "Why do I need to know this?"

"One of the number one goals we have at Edmentum is to bring real-world relevance to students." — Jamie Candee

🧭 2. College AND Career Ready

Edmentum is breaking the old "college vs. career" binary — introducing career exploration as early as middle school, offering nearly 200 CTE semesters across 55+ pathways, and helping districts partner with employers to bring workplace learning and simulations directly into high schools.

🍎 3. Educator-Driven Implementation

100% of Edmentum's customer success managers and professional learning specialists are former educators and administrators. Their "listen first" approach starts with a district's specific outcomes and shared goals, builds a customized implementation plan, and puts real people in schools to see it through.

"It's a very collaborative process that is led by individuals who have been administrators and educators and care deeply about the outcomes within your system." — Jamie Candee

👉 Read + Explore

• Full write-up: Edmentum’s “Road to Readiness”​
• ​Watch my video interview with Jamie Candie, Edmentum CEO​
• Learn more about Edmentum: edmentum.com​

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