A Philanthropy New York Collaborative Webinar, presented with the Foundation Center and Foundations for Education Excellence.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: All interested funders.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The results of the mid-term elections are expected to have far-reaching effects on the education reform agenda at federal, state, and local levels. A shift in the power balance in the Senate or House can influence federal legislation such as ESEA reauthorization. It can impact the level of support for the Obama Administration's education platform, including the allocation of funds for signature programs such as Race to the Top, the Innovation (i3) Fund, and Promise Neighborhoods. Moreover, the outcomes of gubernatorial elections in several battleground states are likely to set off renewed debates about such hot-button issues as pay-for-performance, the charter school cap, student test scores, and implementation of the Common Core State Standards. These potential shifts in policy – and political will – can have a profound impact on agencies, school districts, and nonprofit organizations working on the ground to improve education in their communities.
In this interactive webinar, a panel of education policy experts, including foundation practitioners, will provide a post-election briefing on the results of key races as well as likely scenarios that will play out on the federal and state levels, with special emphasis on the implications for grantmakers active in the field. Presenters will cover topics including:
- What "big picture" issues will have the greatest impact on the national education agenda?
- What are the key trends relating to Congressional and gubernatorial outcomes, and which states are most keenly affected?
- Who are the election "outliers" and what do these unexpected outcomes suggest in the education reform debate?
- What can grantmakers do in response to political changes altering the education landscape? How might these outcomes inform their policy and advocacy work, program directions, funding and evaluation of grantees?
- What are some best practices grantmakers can follow to establish new public/private partnerships in the aftermath of the election?
Following the presentations, a Q & A session will offer participants the opportunity to ask questions and weigh in on the issues and strategies for moving forward.
This webinar is presented as part of the Foundation Center's Foundations for Education Excellence initiative, made possible through generous support by the C.S. Mott Foundation. We also thank the Council on Foundations, the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, Grantmakers for Education, and the Philanthropy Roundtable for their assistance with this effort.
PRESENTERS
- An-Me Chung (Facilitator), Associate Director of Education, Program on Human and Community Development, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
- Danica Petroshius, President and CEO, Policy Strategies and Solutions, a Washington, DC-based firm with expertise in education advocacy and policy.
- D'Arcy Philps and Vic Klatt, Vice Presidents at Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc., a federal government affairs firm based near Capitol Hill.
- Michele Cahill, Vice President, National Program, and Program Director, Urban Education, Carnegie Corporation of New York.
- Barbara Chow, Program Director, Education, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.