…An innovative district leader, collaborative local funders, and a promising strategy they all agree on. Sounds simple, right? According to a recent paper out of the Bridgespan Group, those are the three most important ingredients to sparking real change in results for students through local philanthropic efforts. Highlighting major transformation efforts in Memphis, Tenn., Jacksonville, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C., and well-known initiatives such as Project L.I.F.T. and the Achievement School District (ASD), the paper aligns bold goal-setting by local education leaders to the opportunities that exist for local funders to transform public education.
In a follow-up article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, the writers focus on Memphis’ quest to become “Teacher Town, USA,” which is described as being to teaching “what New York City is to banking and what Silicon Valley is to technology.” Without the proper political and financial backing, this may seem like a tough goal to reach. Lucky for Memphis, the goal is on its way to becoming reality. It was well-thought-out and includes three basic strands: (1) retain teachers; (2) develop local talent; and (3) recruit national talent. With the backing of a collaborative group of local funders, the district was able to effectively engage the local community in this work, thus reinforcing the new funding streams with buy-in and a sense of ownership from local students, parents, and teachers.
The article emphasizes that it was the sense of urgency, the concrete problem and solution, and the community coming together, founded in the district’s collaboration with and across local philanthropists, that has led to the beginnings of improvement in student outcomes,. We look forward to watching this work continue to roll out, and encourage other districts, local funders, and communities to follow the footsteps of Charlotte, Memphis, and Jacksonville’s innovative—yet simple—approach to changing student outcomes.