July 2011 All Hands Raised Update From CEO, Dan Ryan

Posted on July 1, 2011 in CEO Updates

Dear Friends –

A lot has happened since November 4th when Portland State University released the 2010 Cradle to Career Report and introduced the Cradle to Career (C2C) framework to our community. Building on this good work, over the last six months the Portland Schools Foundation (PSF) has convened a C2C Council comprised of 43 cross-sector leaders from our community who have met twice; organized a C2C Steering Committee to meet monthly, advise the Council and report to the PSF Board of Directors; and established a Data Team, which supports the Council and the Steering Committee with thoughtful research and the data to anchor the work and measure our progress. Quadrupling our stakeholder engagement has been exciting, humbling and rewarding for me and my team, and I would like to thank many of you for providing helpful insights, advice and support in building this bold partnership.

Initial Priorities
Building this new infrastructure is essential, and we will not succeed in creating the lasting systemic change if we do not lay a strong foundation for the work of C2C. All of these groups – the Board, Council, Steering Committee, and Data Team – reached a critical milestone when the three initial priorities were selected to guide and focus our collective action moving forward. These priorities support the goals and indicators we have adopted as a part of C2C, which are outlined in the 2010 Report. The initial priorities selected are:

  • Eliminating Disparities in Children and Youth Success
  • Ensuring that Every Child Enters School Prepared to Learn
  • Linking Community and Family Supports to Children and Youth Success

In the coming weeks and months we will develop clear language around what the three initial priorities mean for our community, and make clear how they align with the indicators and goals previously identified.

PSF Rebranding
Last August, when six Multnomah County superintendents endorsed PSF to manage C2C, they requested that we embark on a name change; one that better reflects the expanded geographic reach and the C2C work plan. To that end, PSF is currently engaged in an outreach plan to do just that. We need your voice, and you should have received an invitation last week to participate in a community engagement workshop. I hope that you will be able to attend one of these sessions (please click here for more information) – if you are unable to attend, you will be sent a questionnaire in early August to share your thoughts and perspectives. We highly value your input and opinions.

Thank You
Throughout July, August and beyond, we will continue building a new and exciting system, and we look forward to keeping you updated over the next several months. This work would not be possible without everyone’s collective efforts in helping to create a better way to serve and support our children and youth.  Many difficult, thoughtful conversations took place to produce our recent achievements. The hard work ahead will continue to be challenging and often feel uncomfortable, however I am confident we will continue to roll up our sleeves and remain focused on the greater good. I trust each and every one of you will find a place on the C2C map as we move forward in building the system together.

Best,
Dan