Education can often feel like a race — a high-stakes push for performance, recognition, and results. Awards and innovation contests promise transformation, but too often they reward visibility over value, spotlighting a select few while leaving countless educators behind.
Jeff Yass, the hedge fund billionaire behind one of the largest “education innovation” contests, is worth an estimated $59 billion, according to Forbes. That’s enough to fund 59,000 $1 million prizes — or, more impactfully, to fully cover the education of tens of thousands of children, no competition required. Interestingly, many of the same voices championing these contests have spent years methodically steering education toward privatization, turning learning into a for-profit venture under the banner of “reform.” These so-called change-makers aren’t disrupting the status quo — they’re maintaining it, repackaged as innovation.
To be clear, this isn’t a critique of the educators and organizations applying. Most are doing meaningful work and seeking support wherever they can find it. But participation in these contests can unintentionally uphold a system that values competition over collaboration, and spectacle over substance.
At Meridian Learning, our focus is on the day-to-day, relationship-driven efforts that foster real growth. We know from nearly two decades in education that lasting change isn’t built on contests, but on commitment, community, and quiet consistency. Instead of diverting energy to chase prizes, we’re investing it where it matters most: the advancement of meaningful learning through the empowerment of educators, children and families.