(From left) Michael McAfee of PolicyLink, Munneer Karcher-Ramos of Promise Neighborhood, Sondra Samuels of Northside Achievement Zone and Michelle Walker of Generation Next at the closing plenary.<\/p><\/div>\n

A number of other key insights emerged for me from the amazing lineup of plenary speakers we had at this year\u2019s Convening.<\/p>\n

\n
• Be unequivocal about race.<\/strong> Multiple plenary speakers urged us to be clear that we mean race when we say equity. We need to have honest and tough talks around race, class and culture in our community \u2014 and with each other \u2014 to dismantle structural racism and help our most vulnerable students. As Michelle Walker of Generation Next said: \u201cIf you don\u2019t call out race, you\u2019re not going to change policies and practices. Equity can mean a lot of things if you\u2019re trying to hide from race.\u201d<\/li>\n
• Commit to policy work.<\/strong> We can\u2019t be complacent with broken systems. What matters in this work is population-level results. We must work with policymakers and advocate for the changes needed in communities to break down structural barriers, advance equity and spread effective practices. As Mark Sturgis of Seeding Success said: \u201cWe need to address disparities. If we don’t do something, a system built on slavery will continue to get the result it is designed to get.\u201d\n
  

  Mark Sturgis of Seeding Success during the plenary on the strategic plan with partners and members of the Cradle to Career Network.<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n

• Invest in capacity and capability.<\/strong> This work requires investment in capacity and capability at multiple levels, yet both remain under-resourced in nearly every community. Both figure heavily as core capacities and strategies in our new strategic plan. We encourage Network members to take advantage of leadership development opportunities coming up. Make sure to keep reading News You Can Use for updates!<\/li>\n
• Simplify the message.<\/strong> As Steve Ballmer said while on stage at the opening plenary, we have to eliminate jargon and \u201cget the narrative right.\u201d One of the core components of our approach is a shared community vision. How can we achieve that if people don\u2019t understand what we\u2019re saying? Clear communication is never a one-time solution; it\u2019s an ongoing process. We need to stop trying to sound so smart and start simplifying our messaging!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
  

  Carla Santorno, superintendent of Tacoma Public Schools, shares a story of impact during the Being the Change plenary. She spoke as a partner of Graduate Tacoma.<\/p><\/div>\n

  We can continue to accelerate progress and sustain success if we internalize these insights and use them to inform our behavior. As we\u2019ve said before, insights must lead to action for true impact. I\u2019d also love to hear your thoughts about what resonated most with you, so leave comments below and let\u2019s get a discussion going!<\/p>\n

  As an organization, StriveTogether is committed to building on the momentum from this event. We want to maintain and strengthen the connections made among Cradle to Career Network members, and to further share out the tools and lessons that are accelerating progress in communities. Over the next year, we will offer more opportunities for us to work and learn together \u2014 faster.<\/p>\n

  The time we spent together in Phoenix last week was deeply insightful and inspiring. Thanks to everyone who was able to come. Your dedication to the success of every child is what keeps moving this work forward. As we look ahead to what remains to be done, think about what contribution you can make in your community \u2014 no matter your role \u2014 to get better results for kids and families.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  At StriveTogether, we are still riding high on the energy and ideas generated at the eighth annual Cradle to Career Network Convening. I hope you are feeling that high too if you were among the 400-plus champions of change who gathered in Phoenix last week for Be the Change: Getting Results for Every Child. Amid…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":9889,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"categories":[222],"tags":[81],"class_list":["post-9888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-equity","tag-blog","category-222","description-off"],"yoast_head":"\n