BY MILES LAYTON
EDENTON — Willard Daggett, a nationally recognized education innovator and expert on future learning trends, delivered a compelling speech Tuesday evening to Edenton-Chowan school leaders, educators, parents, and community members at Edenton Baptist Church.
Organized by Edenton-Chowan Schools and supported by local civic groups, the forum focused on the sweeping changes artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing to education, work, and civic life. The event attracted over 150 attendees from across the region, highlighting strong community interest in understanding and harnessing new technologies.
Among those attending the forum included Superintendent Tammi Ward and many prominent local educators, former Chowan County Commissioner Patti Kersey, Joy Harvill of the Edenton-Chowan Education Foundation and E-C Chamber of Commerce Director Susan Creed.
“I would like to thank Superintendent Tammi Ward for bringing in Dr. Dagget, a content expert and long-time educator,” Creed wrote in the Chamber’s newsletter. “We heard some very interesting, albeit slightly scary, information about the effects of screen time on our brains, but ESPECIALLY the development of children’s brains. We see it, we know it’s happening, and there is science to back it up. I am certainly not an expert in this field, but Dr. Dagget sited multiple sources that all say screen time is causing a lack of development in the frontal cortex (front of your brain), which is where critical skills are developed. A sample of the skills include: problem solving, critical thinking, motivation, self-control, coping, and the list goes on. We have seen a large increase in anxiety and depression among our youth – this is why.”
Creed continued, “The solution is not an easy one. We are all tied to our phones and computers. They are vital for education and business today. But we have to strike a balance. Just some food for thought. If you have children in your life, get out and throw a ball, bake some cookies, or take a nature walk with them – and for the love of all – leave your phone behind.”
Daggett is founder and chairman of the Successful Practices Network (SPN) — an educational not-for-profit that cares for the present and enables the future by offering robust, personalized professional learning and coaching to schools and districts around the country. As founder of the International Center for Leadership in Education and author of 26 books, Daggett is recognized worldwide for his proven ability to move preK-12 education systems towards more rigorous and relevant skills and knowledge for all students.
Daggett brought more than 30 years of experience and a sense of urgency to his address. His message: the world is not just changing — it already has.
AI: A Catalyst for Change in Education
“We are living through a technological revolution that’s going to change everything about how we teach, learn, and work,” Daggett said. “Artificial intelligence is no longer science fiction. It’s here, and it’s moving fast.”
He demonstrated how advanced AI, including tools like ChatGPT, can serve as 24/7 digital tutors, helping students with writing, math, and research. “Imagine a student struggling with an assignment getting instant, tailored feedback,” he said. “That frees the teacher to mentor and foster deeper thinking.”
He also emphasized the potential for AI to level the playing field in rural districts like Edenton-Chowan. “AI is access,” Daggett said. “Access to knowledge, access to expertise, access to opportunity — regardless of zip code.”
A Real-World Disruption: Paralegals, Lawyers, and the Disappearing Middle
Daggett illustrated the speed and scale of disruption with a personal story. “One of the jobs I showed you on the list was paralegal,” he said, holding up a slide. “I live near Albany, New York — state capital, lots of law firms. A neighbor of mine is a senior partner. He told me: they had 30 paralegals last year. This year? Seven.”
He described a legal AI tool that can summarize a case, conduct research, draft depositions, propose arguments, and prepare legal filings — all in seconds. “That job’s gone,” he said bluntly. “And it’s not just paralegals. This is happening across sectors.”
Daggett posed what he called the most important question of the evening: “Which seven employees did they keep?” His answer: “The most confident. The most creative. The most adaptable. Those who could do the content and also apply it in more sophisticated ways.”
He continued: “There are people saying content no longer matters. They are dead wrong. Content is more important than ever — but only if paired with skills like analysis, communication, and problem-solving.”
The 20th Century Lost Manual Workers — The 21st Is Losing Knowledge Workers
To drive home his point, Daggett offered a story from his childhood on a dairy farm in northern New York.
“My father quit school at 14 to milk cows — twice a day, every day,” Daggett said. “Then came milking machines, then tractors, and finally milking parlors that milk 800 cows at a time.”
The result? “Manual labor jobs disappeared. The workers that remained were the ones who adapted — those who had the skills to work alongside machines,” he explained. “That’s exactly what’s happening now to lower-level knowledge workers. AI is replacing them.”
He warned: “If our students don’t learn the skills to rise above the routine, they will be left behind. AI isn’t coming for them — it’s already here.”
Microcredentials: The New Path Forward
Daggett explained how major corporations have already eliminated or scaled back 90% of positions that require traditional four-year degrees, replacing them with roles requiring microcredentials — short, intensive, skill-based courses.
“Amazon launched five microcredential programs last year. In twelve months, they enrolled 147,000 students,” he said. “One six-week program for prompt engineering now leads to salaries starting at $120,000.”
He urged local schools to partner with community colleges to help students graduate not only with diplomas, but with credentials in high-demand fields.
Superintendent Dr. Tammy Ward was sitting at a table in the front row as Daggett said, “I encourage you to build a model where a student walks across the high school stage with a job-ready credential — ready to work that day. And yes, still ready to go to college if they choose.”
The Skills That Matter Most
Daggett cited three major studies — from McKinsey, Deloitte, and the World Economic Forum — that collectively surveyed over 20,000 employers. These companies identified 56 essential workplace skills, which Daggett grouped into four categories: cognitive (academic), interpersonal, self-leadership, and digital.
He then pointed to a painful truth: “We’re good at the academic ones — reading, writing, math — but we have no systems in place for the others. No report cards for communication. No assessments for resilience. No benchmarks for teamwork.”
“Ask any teacher,” he said. “They’ll tell you: the big gaps aren’t academic. They’re social, emotional, and behavioral — and they’re growing.”
A Call for Realignment
Daggett challenged the audience to think about what they value most for their own children.
“Your child’s going to come home someday with someone new — a boyfriend, a girlfriend — and you’ll suddenly realize: this could be the parent of my grandchild,” he said. “At that moment, will you care about their GPA? Or will you care whether they’re responsible, kind, emotionally mature? The same skills we want in a good employee are the same ones we want in a good family member.”
He warned against siloed thinking. “Education has become fragmented — one subject, one grade, one test at a time. We’ve lost the big picture.”
Looking Ahead: A Community Responsibility
Daggett concluded with a challenge: “We’re not going to be replaced by AI. We’re going to be replaced by people who can do what AI can’t — those with empathy, judgment, communication, creativity.”
He urged schools to focus on building systems that nurture these traits and announced that he would be meeting with staff later that afternoon to dig into specific next steps.
“This isn’t just an education issue,” Daggett said. “It’s a community issue. And it’s going to take every one of us — educators, parents, businesses, and local leaders — working together to prepare our kids for what’s next.”
