Dear Members,
Last week, we sent you a "save the date" for the launch of the Education Funders Research Initiative (EdFunders). Sixteen funders with very diverse strategies around school reform have come together to help inform both the next administration in NYC and the philanthropic sector by studying the results of school reform strategies and discussing how best to prepare students for college and 21st-century careers.
The EdFunders commissioned three cornerstone papers to examine these issues. Using these as our base, we are convening renowned practitioners and thought leaders in education for research-based discussions of what's working in education reform. There will be two in-person programs as well as a vibrant and engaging set of online discussions.
I hope you will join us on October 8 for the launch of this project. Our thanks to our host, Trinity Wall Street. A panel including New York State Education Commissioner John B. King and President Scott Evenbeck of the Stella and Charles Guttman Community College, and moderated by WNYC's Beth Fertig, will examine the first two EdFunders-commissioned papers. The first paper looks at over a century of reform efforts and the current drive for college and career readiness, while the second one tracks 80,000 students and how they moved through the New York City educational system.
Whether your organization is involved in funding education or not, we hope you will come out and join your colleagues to support a project that is a "best practice" model for the philanthropic community: working together, exploring tough issues and advancing new learning.
Best regards,
Ronna