Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium

Collective Impact Advocacy to Protect and Improve Public

Education

Grantmakers for Education Conference

Houston, TexasOctober 17, 2013

Join the Conversation!Join the Conversation!

@tegactx@texassabo

@jenesterlinetx#txlege

www.facebook.com/TXEGAC www.tegac.org

Session OverviewSession Overview

• Welcome and Introductions • Texas Political Context• Background of Consortium’s Origins• Panel Discussion: Understanding the

Model• Break Out Work at Tables • Table Reports and Closing

Session Learning Objectives

• Recognize the unique and varied roles that foundations can play in the complicated space of public education advocacy and policy.

• Learn first-hand how education grantmakers can partner for greater impact in public education policy and advocacy through: (1) creating and disseminating objective data; (2) mobilizing foundation leaders beyond direct grantmaking; and (3) pooling funds.

• Understand the role of TEGAC in the broader context of collective impact efforts in public education around the state of Texas.

Welcome to Texas, Y’All!Welcome to Texas, Y’All!In 2011-2012 Texas schools:•Served 5 million kids, 60+% of whom were poor and 44% of whom were Latino.•Employed 324,000 teachers•Served more than 200,000 pre-k students and growing.•Added 75,000 kids and growing•Were divided into more than 1000 school districts•Were governed by competing state agencies and electeds•Were cut by $5.4 billion

Foundations at the Texas Capitol:

2013 (and Beyond)

Who and What is “Who and What is “The ConsortiumThe Consortium””??

• FOR Foundations. BY Foundations. Education focus. • Formed in 2011 in response to $5.4 billion in cuts to

Texas public schools by the 82nd Texas Legislature.• Members come from all over Texas and include

private, corporate, and community foundations.• 22 Texas foundations are currently paid members.• Membership requires a minimum contribution of at

least $5000 per calendar year with opportunities to pool additional resources with other foundations.

• This is a “campaign” with a finite timeline NOT a new nonprofit.

2013 Consortium Members• Amarillo Area Foundation (Amarillo)• Andy Roddick Foundation (Austin) • Beau and Kathryn Ross Foundation (Austin)• Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation (Waco)• Dallas Foundation (Dallas)• Ewing – Halsell Foundation (San Antonio)• Genevieve and Ward Orsinger Foundation (San Antonio)• George W. Brackenridge Foundation (San Antonio)• KDK-Harman Foundation (Austin)• Laura and John Arnold Foundation (Houston)

• Meadows Foundation (Dallas)• MR and Evelyn Hudson Foundation (Dallas)• Powell Foundation (Houston)• RGK Foundation (Austin)• San Antonio Area Foundation (San Antonio)• Sid Richardson Foundation (Ft. Worth)• Simmons Foundation (Houston)• Still Water Foundation (Austin)• Tapestry Foundation (Austin)• Trull Foundation (Palacios)• United Way of Metropolitan Dallas (Dallas)• Webber Family Foundation (Austin)• Wright Family Foundation (Austin)

_________

Children at Risk Budget Cut StudyChildren at Risk Budget Cut Study

www.childrenatrisk.org

Children at Risk Budget Cut Children at Risk Budget Cut

StudyStudy• Texas Legislature and Education Agency not

interested in assessing the damage and examining lessons learned.

• Consortium stepped in to fill gap of information about the impact of $5.4 billion in cuts to schools

• Program cuts included:o Full-Day and Quality Pre-Kindergarteno Summer Schoolo Guidance Counseling and Social Workero Libraries and Librarianso Health Services o Tutoring

• Increase in class sizes from pre-k through high school• Many cuts directly impacted foundations’ long-

standing partnerships with the state, including successful efforts like Communities In Schools and AVID.

400 ISDs participated in Budget Cut Impact Research Project

Surveyed 65% of the Student Population in Texas

Next Steps for the Consortium: Next Steps for the Consortium:

What Members Say They WantWhat Members Say They Want• Multiple meetings with philanthropists and

foundations in cities across Texas from Houston to Amarillo to El Campo.

• Consortium survey respondents most value:oAdvocacy Day at the Capitol – 69%oAnnual research on budget cut impact – 67%oPolicy updates during session – 62%oPooled funds to support advocacy – 58%oNetworking with other Foundations – 54%oCommunications Campaign – 46%

What the Consortium is Doing NOW

• Maximizing the legislative Interim:o Interim Charges from Lieutenant Governor and

Speakero Interim Hearings and Reports from All

Committees• Building a research-based and politically viable

agenda that prioritizes the unique needs and interests of philanthropy.

• Seeking unusual suspect partners to promote the agenda to policymakers, the media, and the public.

There is strength (and efficiency) in numbers.

Suggestions for Interim Charges of

the Texas Legislature• Monitor implementation of House Bill 5 and opportunities

to improve parent outreach and education about changes to the high school curriculum.

• Monitor implementation of Senate Bill 503 and examine opportunities to improve access to and the quality of expanded learning opportunities for Texas students.

• Examine opportunities for improving access to and quality of pre-kindergarten programs, including opportunities to maximize existing resources and leverage additional local and federal support.

• Examine opportunities to improve the quality of and support for public school administrators and teachers.

How Do Work Groups Function?How Do Work Groups Function?

(June 2013 – December 2014)(June 2013 – December 2014)Consortium determines critical public education for Focus

(Implementation of HB 5, pre-K, teacher quality, expanded learning opportunities)

Individual foundations “sign up” for one or more work groups

(Commitment of time and resources/opportunity to be lead funder)

High quality research sets priorities for policy reform(e.g: Data project on impact of cuts)

Work group members select diverse partners to promote research-

based agenda through advocacy

Texas Legislature and policymakers respond to proposals in 2015

School districts/nonprofits implement new statutes

Discussion Questions

• How unusual is this effort among education grantmakers? Is there a precedent around other issues of this kind of collaboration?

• Based on the information you’ve heard, what resonates with you given your foundation’s grantmaking focus and within your geographic and political context?

• Based on your own experiences, what are one or two suggestions/recommendations you would offer to the Consortium as it develops plans going forward?

What did they just say?What did they just say?

Caroline Sabin, Powell FoundationVoice: 713.523.7557

Jennifer Esterline, TEGACVoice and Text: 512.796.4530jennifermesterline@gmail.com

Jason Sabo, Frontera StrategyVoice and Text: 512.450.2125

sabo@fronterastrategy.com