Partnership Paradigm:
Why and how should we shift from
service to engagement?
ISACS Annual Heads of School Conference
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Chicago, IL
Unwavering commitment
“… Goodness without knowledge is weak, yet
knowledge without goodness is dangerous… both
united form the noblest character, and lay the surest
foundation of usefulness to mankind.”
-- John Phillips (1781, Exeter’s Deed of Gift)
Unwavering commitment, changing times
Preparation
Parent
School
College
Community
Parent
Engagement
College
School
Community
Spending on education: 1984-2012
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
(in 2012 dollars)
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1984
1988
1992
Top Quintile Income
1996
2000
2004
2008
Bottom Quintile Income
2012
Spending on enrichment: 1972-2008
Source: Whither Opportunity?, 2011, Greg Duncan and Richard Murnane, ed., p. 11
(in 2008 dollars)
10,000
8,872
6,975
7,500
5,650
5,000
3,536
2,500
835
1,264
1,173
1,315
1983 to 1984
1994 to 1995
2005 to 2006
0
1972 to 1973
Top Quintile Income
Bottom Quintile Income
Why does this matter?
– Low-income students get caught in gaps
– Low-income students more likely to drop out of high school and less
likely to enroll in postsecondary education, leading to:
• Fiscal burden on taxpayers
–
–
$300 billion in lost wages, taxable income, health, welfare, incarceration costs
According to the Alliance for Excellent Education, were the United States to
convert enough non-graduates into graduates to reach a 90 percent high school
graduation rate, it would result in an additional $8.1 billion in increased earnings
every year.
• Stagnating U.S. economic mobility
–
–
Workforce ill-prepared to compete in global economy
“…the current level of income inequality in the U.S. is dampening G.D.P. growth,”
S.&P. researchers
Strategic Shifts
From:
To:
Focusing exclusively on the achievement gap
Enabling life long economic mobility by also filling
gaps of opportunity, technology, dreams
Offering service learning opportunities to your own
students
Having an impact and effecting real change in a
community
Ad hoc projects that honor the special interests of
faculty and parents
Purposefully focusing on communities as a key
lever of change
Providing a single service program with little or no
follow-up
Supporting long-term engagement for members of
both partnering schools
Providing hours to community service projects
Intentionally leveraging the unique assets of your
school to solve problems
Benefits to Independent Schools
• Offers a visible demonstration of public purpose
• Develops motivated and informed diverse applicant
families
• Attracts faculty and families committed to a diverse
school community
• Provides summer employment and volunteer
opportunities for high school students, graduates and
faculty
• Broadens donor base to include corporate and
foundation sources interested in supporting programs
that benefit underserved children
• Complements school’s development efforts
Leading a movement:
The National Network of Schools in Partnership
We believe that public-private partnerships can be
a key driver of success for students, schools and
communities across the country.
We serve as the go-to resource for schools as they
establish and enhance partnerships by providing:
-
Connection
Advocacy
Knowledge
Responding to the call
Since Spring 2013…
- 108 Members, representing 150,000+
students
- 15 Regional gatherings
- 1 Groundbreaking, searchable database
- Featured by Ed Week, Edutopia,
Department of Education
Inspired and informed by our members
Easy access to critical information
Only searchable database of
programs in the country
A single point of entry for
news and information
Framework for Effective Partnerships
Partnership in action
•
•
•
•
Mission aligned
Clearly defined
Mutually beneficial
Powerful permanent relationships