Posted by Nellie Mae Ed. Fdn.
Our Shared Commitment to Equity and Justice
Greetings Nellie Mae Education Foundation Grantees and Partners–
I hope this message finds you all well. As we prepare to power down for the year end break, I am reflecting on the tremendous work of this community. Your collective dedication is bringing forward a vision for our public education system designed to meet the needs of all students–where each and every child has the resources, supports, and access to opportunities that foster their healthy development and joy– both here in New England and across the nation. I believe deeply that the success of our families and communities depends on the cultivation of such a system.
A moment of both urgency and optimism
For those of you who I haven’t had the opportunity to engage with directly, know that I come to this work with both deep respect for those leading and doing the hard work of advancing education justice, and a belief that sustainable systems change is possible through collective action. The past few years have been turbulent, as we individually and collectively navigated increasing attacks on the institution of public education, equity, and efforts to create a more just world for future generations. I imagine 2024 will be no different, but together we can stand up and say, “not here, not now, and not in our schools.” We can demonstrate a vision for a better path forward, and show how education justice benefits us all.
The pandemic and the last four years have helped others see what many of you have seen clearly for a long time: the impact of a multidimensional crisis–at the intersection of education, socioeconomic status, mental health, and more–requires an urgent response. While we are far from adequately addressing those problems, others have caught up in their understanding of what we are all collectively facing. By building common cause for education justice, our collective impact will be far greater than any of us going at it alone.
Reflecting on 2023
Since taking on the role of President and CEO at the Nellie Mae Education Foundation this summer, I’ve had the incredible privilege to listen, learn, and better understand the experiences of the communities we serve to determine how we can advance this work even further in the future. This year has been a challenging one for all of us who stand unapologetically in service of education justice. But this moment also presents us with a choice–we can resign to the failed status quo that got us here, or continue to find optimism in how we have come together to support young people in a meaningful way. I choose optimism.
As I look back on my time so far, and 2023 more broadly, I’m inspired by the successes and continued momentum this community is leading in service of equitable education. This includes enriching learning environments and resources that support student’s wellbeing, healthy development, and academic achievement, such as:
- organizations deepening their internal infrastructure and capacity, enabling them to grow their team of advocates and increasing impact in key racial equity areas:
- building culturally relevant schools;
- increasing inclusive policies; and
- ending the criminalization of young people in schools
- parents and caregivers building bridges in their communities to educate others on how our school systems work and, in turn, better advocating for what children need;
- communities having a meaningful impact on policy, including successes in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, just to name a few; and
- investing in programs that are diversifying the people, thoughts, and actions of the educational workforce by:
- recruiting, revitalizing, and retaining educators of color; and
- supporting alternative credential programs that bring leaders from the field into classrooms and community development spaces.
Our unwavering commitment to the road ahead
Nellie Mae remains steadfast in our mission, vision, and values that have shaped our work to date. Our commitment to listening and understanding how systems are failing families and communities helps guide us in bringing together the right resources, research, and partners to change how the system operates, and ultimately, how and for whom those resources are allocated. As we look ahead to 2024, we will deepen our investment in our core grant funds and initiatives:
- prioritizing support for people of color-led and youth-focused organizations to increase their impact and sustainability;
- partnering with organizations in support of districts working to build bridges with community members and invest in evidence-based policies and strategies; and
- incentivizing policy coalitions and grassroots/tops efforts to eliminate disparities and build will for the systems change we’re all working towards.
In 2025, we are excited to leverage resources to deepen policy and practice change efforts that have emerged through this strategy (2020-2024) as leading to equitable education outcomes and justice.
Together, we are the people to transform our education and youth-serving systems to make real the promise of our democracy. We can secure access to a high quality education, justice, and equitable outcomes for each student and family regardless of race, class, indigeneity, or any other sociocultural marker, and ensure these factors hold zero negative predictive power over a student’s experience of school or ability to thrive beyond the classroom.
With gratitude, I wish you all a joyous and empowered 2024!
In partnership,
Gisele