Agile in Education: A Partnership with Promise for Oregon's Public Schools

Agile thinking, widely successful in the technology industry, is being explored as a transformative approach in education through a collaboration between New Relic, Innovate Oregon, and Dayton Public Schools in Oregon. Spearheaded by Thompson Morrison and supported by New Relic volunteers, the initiative aims to apply Agile principles—such as feedback loops, iterative cycles, and the empowerment of teachers—to create more engaging and relevant educational experiences. The program, initiated in Dayton, Oregon, has seen promising results, with teachers reporting enhanced classroom dynamics and improved problem-solving skills among students. This collaboration not only offers a new perspective on managing classroom challenges but also serves as a rewarding experience for the participating technology professionals, who find value in using their expertise to impact education. The success of this pilot program has sparked interest in scaling the model to other schools, with calls for more Agile practitioners to join the effort, demonstrating a potential path for integrating modern business practices into educational systems nationwide.