Thanksgiving! My favorite holiday to eat, drink, and spend time with my family. Throw in some skiing and football, and what’s not to love? It’s also a great time to reflect and be thankful for so many great things in our lives, and speaking for the Redfish Technology Team and as a father of public school students, this year, I am thankful for edtech.
Over my almost 30 years of recruiting, I’ve borne witness to countless “good” ideas and tech revelations. Many run behind the scenes, addressing storage, security, shopping, searches, sleep, sales and social media – while some are just flashy and a little more sizzle than actual steak (or turkey to continue with the theme).
One of the growth verticals we’ve done more, and more (and more) recruiting for over the last 10 years and has products we’ve personally used or seen impact us in our daily lives is edtech. This is no cottage industry or flash in the pan; rather it is a force that is expected in 2025, to reach $404B in total global expenditure. Even at this level, edtech and digital expenditure will only make up 5.5% of the $7.3T global education market in 2025. This couldn’t have come at a better time.
Macroeconomic factors met social needs in a swell that demanded attention. Soaring higher education costs, increasing demands on mental health workers, spiking numbers of ESL students, dropping scores in STEM programs, fewer families with a stay-at-home presence? I’m thankful for edtech. A global pandemic shutting down in-person learning? How about the Great Resignation? The National Education Association (NEA) reported that in 2022, approximately 55% of educators are more likely to voluntarily resign to pursue other careers or retire early due to stress and burnout. Yes, I’m thankful for edtech. While it isn’t a cure-all, it is certainly an impactful aid. As we are reminded of what we face with the climate crisis, social issues, and the economy, chalk one up (pun intended) in the “win” column for how we’ve dealt with the challenges we were presented in education and be thankful for edtech!