The nuts and bolts of mission investing

May 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment

PHILANTHROPY | Last week, Tamara wrote about how the Kellogg Foundation has used mission investing to maximize its impact. Today, Gretchen follows up with a closer look at the mechanics of mission investing – specifically, she writes about MRIs (not that kind) and PRIs. She also explores how the Consumer Health Foundation is using mission investing to improve our region. (Daily, 5/21)

Related:
- The Kellogg Foundation and Mission-Driven Investing (Daily, 5/16)

- How Philanthropists Can Help Companies Achieve Profit with a Purpose (Arabella, 5/14)

- Leveraging the Power of Foundations-An Analysis of Program-Related Investing (LFSP, 5/21)

OKLAHOMA | Our thoughts go out to Moore, Oklahoma, after yesterday’s monster tornado flattened huge parts of the city. Moore has been hit by similarly-destructive tornadoes three times in the last fifteen years. While the damage from the latest is devastating and the loss of life is significant, there is some relatively good news. Medical examiners have cut their death toll estimate in half, as of this morning. (Atlantic & WTOP, 5/12)

Our colleagues in Baltimore have pulled together a list of ways that you can help the victims. The Tulsa Community Foundation has also set up relief funds. And here are some options for local Oklahoma nonprofits.

Finally, here’s a heartwarming story amid the many sad ones. (Sky, 5/21)

POVERTY | Following up on yesterday’s news about the rise in suburban poverty, The Atlantic looks at some of the implications of suburban versus urban poverty (Atlantic, 5/21):

Poor people who live in high-rise apartments and dense urban blocks have neighbors who can pool childcare, or point each other to social services, or share rides to work. They have access to public transit, because transit follows density, too.
…
“That isolated poverty is a kind of hopeless poverty,” [Ford Foundation President Luis] Ubiñas said. It is also considerably less visible to the rest of us. “We won’t run into it on the subway or in the park,” he says. “We’ll drive past it on the highway.”

LOCAL | Here’s part two of WAMU’s investigation of local developers and their relationships with elected officials – Million-Dollar Properties, $1 Deals. (WAMU, 5/21)

TRANSIT | If you’ve been wondering how the Silver Spring transit center ended up as a $120 million-plus, useless mess, you’re in luck. The Post looks at the history of the project. (WaPo, 5/12)

JUVENILE JUSTICE | A new report from the National Youth Employment Center reviews the work of the organization’s Postsecondary Success Initiative, which works with disconnected and court-involved youth to help them achieve postsecondary credentials. The initiative is supported in part by the Open Society Foundations. (NYEC, 5/21)

EDUCATION | Process for Charters to Inherit Vacant DCPS Buildings Gets a Wee Bit Easier (CP, 5/21)

Ray Manzarek, a founding member of The Doors, passed away from cancer yesterday. It was a real tragedy that Doors lead singer Jim Morrison wasted his life on drugs, but the band’s impact on modern music was incredibly deep considering its short tenure. Here’s my favorite Doors song, which I think represents some of Manzarek’s best work - Riders on the Storm. It feels especially appropriate for today.

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Is ‘social housing’ a solution to our affordable housing challenges?

May 6, 2013 By Leave a Comment

HOUSING | Opinion: Roger Lewis, a professor emeritus from the University of Maryland, revisits some familiar statistics that showcase how un-affordable housing has become for both low- and moderate-income families. He even sketched the cartoon to the right to drive the point home. But he takes the conversation a step further and suggests a possible path forward (WaPo, 5/4):

We should take a cue from Europe, where countries such as Denmark and Austria build “social housing.” Social housing is public housing, but only in the sense that it is government-financed. European social housing is subsidized yet serves middle-class as well as low-income households, thereby avoiding many of the socioeconomic issues associated with America’s public housing.

Using the words “social” and “Europe” in an American policy debate virtually guarantees immediate dismissal. But that fact aside, what do you think of Lewis’ idea?

Related: Last week, WRAG released a new report on housing affordability in the Greater Washington region – What Funders Need to Know: Housing. It details many of the affordability issues that Lewis mentions. (Daily, 4/30)

Related: Earlier in the spring, WRAG heard from former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros about ways that funders can support housing affordability. Check out number eight on his list, which directly relates to Roger Lewis’ idea of “social housing.” (Daily, 3/26)

Related: Housing Crash Fades as Defaults Decline to 2007 Levels (Bloomberg, 5/6) Related: What the heck, how many times can we write “related” in one issue?

Event: Next Saturday, the Communications Action Network (CAN), is sponsoring its Parade of Homes. The event features open houses at 20 affordable housing communities across the region. It’s a great opportunity to see the range of options and quality for local affordable homes. [Learn more.]

HOMELESSNESS | Advocates, City Officials Spar Over Homeless Amendments (CP, 5/3)

AGING | This is a tough but important read – Elderly Couple’s Tale Of Abuse Not So Uncommon (WAMU, 4/4)

GIVING | Opinion: The Hudson Institute’s William Schambra writes about the politics and potential impact of “genuine compassionate conservatism.” (Chronicle, 5/1)

BOOK REVIEW | In today’s Daily, The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s president, Eileen Ellsworth, reviews Do More Than Give: The Six Practices of Donors Who Change the World by Leslie R. Crutchfield, John V. Kania, and Mark R. Kramer. You can read the full review here. Eileen writes that the book is a worthwhile read for all funders (Daily, 5/6):

[Do More Than Give] is a useful and thought provoking work for every kind of donor, in any kind of community. If you are looking for a practical, step by step manual for how to become a more effective donor, this book has a very great deal to offer.

TRANSIT | If you’ve ever ridden the New York subway and accidentally ended up on an express train to the Bronx when you were aiming for Brooklyn, then you probably appreciate the relative simplicity of our Metro system. And if you haven’t had that experience, lucky you, because it’s a time-consuming mistake that makes you feel like a helpless dimbulb.

Our addition of the Silver Line – and it’s graphical rendering on the WMATA system map – is pushing things into confusing territory. (Atlantic, 5/6)

I’ve been trying to find something funny to share with you on this gloomy Monday. There’s a whole website of hilarious – sometimes intentionally and sometimes not – web product reviews. I can’t vouch for the appropriateness of the whole site, but this entry amused me. I guess a ceiling fan is a cheap alternative to these dudes.

And if you aren’t in the mood to laugh, here’s a really beautiful song – Where Our Destination Lies by Ben Gibbard. I don’t think I’ve shared it here before. Apologies if I have, but it’s a great one.

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Education news from across the region

April 29, 2013 By Leave a Comment

On Friday, we briefly noted that Prince George’s County Interim School Superintendent Alvin L. Crawley announced his resignation, which will end his tenure about a month before his contract was scheduled to expire. The reasons for his departure are unclear, but the Board of Education alluded to “the passage of the recent legislation changing the governance structure of our school system.”

As County Executive Rushern Baker searches for a permanent replacement for Crawley – the position’s new title will be chief executive officer – the Post looks at school performance in Prince George’s County. Despite measurable gains in the last five years, the county still lags behind state and regional averages. Demographics might have a lot to do with it (WaPo, 4/29):

Even though Prince George’s is one of the most affluent majority-black jurisdictions in the country, many middle-class families send their children to private schools. Of the 200 schools in the county, 135 contain a student population where 50 percent or more are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, a measure of poverty.

- Big changes to summer school for elementary- and middle-schoolers in the District. Starting this year, summer school will be by invitation only. Changes to the program are designed to help students who are most likely to benefit from it, but students who are too far behind are being cut loose. (WaPo, 4/29)

So, we’re left with academic Darwinism. In the meantime, it’s not hard to imagine what will happen to the children who need the most help.

Related for WRAG Members: Join us this Thursday for a briefing on D.C.’s summer youth programming. [More info.]

- On the other hand, D.C. tops nation in preschool spending, though spending in Maryland and Virginia is declining. (Examiner/WaPo, 4/29)

- And finally, Kaya Henderson, chancellor of D.C. Public Schools, wrote an op-ed for the Post that makes a really great point about the media. She says that the school system is making big gains, but you might not realize it with the media only focusing on drama (WaPo, 4/29):

These investments do not generate headlines. They do not create controversy. They do not fit neatly into the box of what others think of as school reform. But they will result in student achievement and in more families choosing DCPS.

REGION | If you’ve ever wondered how our region ranks against others for economic performance, well then today is your lucky day! The answer is fifth, according to the Milken Institute’s index of best performing cities – and we’ve shot up from a puny 17th place in last year’s ranking. (Atlantic, 4/29) Very nice. High five!

- We’re also the ninth most ozone-polluted region in the country. (WAMU, 4/28)

GRANTMAKING | In 2010, WRAG convened members for a Project Streamline workshop  on reducing the paperwork burden on grantees. A number of WRAG members subsequently went on to streamline their application and reporting processes. We recently checked in with CareFirst, which has substantially revised its grant reports. (Daily WRAG, 4/29)

Well that was a lot of education news for one day. Do you feel like you’ve learned something? Good! Because now you have to test your knowledge of famous literary titles. Can you pick out the mistakes here?

Apparently we’re in for a wet week. Here are two songs that come to mind – Sugar Magnolia, in which blossoms bloom, and Africa, wherein the rains are blessed.

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A new public-private infrastructure bank?

April 23, 2013 By 1 Comment

Federal City Council head Anthony Williams, who previously served for eight years as the District’s mayor, is leading conversations with both Mayor Vincent Gray and members of the D.C. Council about the potential development of a new, nonprofit D.C. Public-Private Development Trust (WBJ, 4/23):

The Federal City Council is lobbying D.C. leaders to create an infrastructure bank that would pool public and private dollars for critical capital and social projects without saddling the District with more debt — a groundbreaking idea that would, if adopted, transform how the city tackles its major development projects.

WRAG’s president, Tamara Copeland, is interested in learning more about the exploration of new ways to meet challenges facing our region. She says:

When Anthony Williams met with WRAG CEOs earlier this year, this wasn’t an idea that he shared, but it’s definitely an interesting one. As we think about the societal problems facing our region, it’s exciting to have new concepts for social financing on the table. WRAG will be monitoring these conversations as they move forward. How might philanthropy be a part of the social finance solution?

IMPACT | On a similar subject, Rebekah recaps our recent Brightest Minds event with the Strive Network’s Jeff Edmondson. He spoke to funders and local leaders about the concept of “collective impact” and its four key elements. (Daily, 4/23)

VOTE | For our readers who live in the District, don’t forget to vote in today’s special election for At-Large Councilmember! Here’s where to find your polling station.

Related: Housing is a big priority for WRAG – here’s where the candidates stand on the issue. (UT, 4/22)

HOUSING | According to a new report from the MacArthur Foundation, home ownership is a decreasingly essential component of the American Dream. About 70 percent of American adults believe that “it is less likely for families to build equity and wealth through home ownership today compared with two or three decades ago.” (Atlantic, 4/23)

AGING | In the Greater Washington region, Prince William County has seen the sharpest rise in residents 65 and older. Thanks to new developments aimed at attracting this cohort, the Post has labeled the county as “a regional retirement mecca, a small-scale version of Florida on the outskirts of Washington.” (WaPo, 4/23)

A few thoughts. First, how did “mecca” become a casual noun? Second, does this “version of Florida” include alligators, hurricanes, and sinkholes? Third, if it does, can we have some Disney theme parks to make up for that stuff? Thanks.

EDUCATION
- D.C. Education Advocates Seek More Funding For Adult Programs (WAMU, 4/23)

- Council questions push for special-ed students in D.C. public schools (WaPo, 4/23)

HEALTH | WRAG’s Health Working Group has been focused on supporting local implementation of the health care reform. Just a reminder that the National Health Law Program is hosting a webinar on the subject – Health Reform: An Overview – tomorrow. [Details and registration.]

 

As I was walking to lunch yesterday, one of the at-large candidates was unceremoniously standing in front of the grocery store greeting shoppers and handing out flyers. No staffers, no press – just a final push for a few more votes. That’s a really great work ethic and it made me confident in my vote.

In other news, did anyone downtown see the giant blue whale replica at Freedom Plaza yesterday? I only saw pictures, which reminded me of two things: my favorite Star Trek line and the Michael Jackson song from Free Willy.

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New report highlights the importance of civil legal aid

April 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

The Public Welfare Foundation, in partnership with the Kresge Foundation, has released a new report on civil legal aid titled Natural Allies: Philanthropy and Civil Legal Aid. We’ve written before about how civil legal aid is frequently confused with criminal law. This report has a great section that clarifies what civil legal aid is – and why it is a critical area for philanthropy to support:

Legal aid helps people solve problems…Tenants facing wrongful eviction; Homeowners facing foreclosure due to fraudulent schemes; Women who are victims of domestic violence; Veterans and military families struggling in civilian life; Consumers bankrupted by predatory lenders; Workers cheated out of wages or denied lawful benefits; Children who need a stable home or special education; Elderly whose economic security or health care is in jeopardy; Disabled people denied opportunities; Immigrants who work the lowest-wage jobs without benefits or contracts; Communities devastated by natural disasters…

Related: WRAG Board member and Public Welfare Foundation president Mary McClymont recently wrote an op-ed on this. (Daily, 4/18)

WORKFORCE | The Community Foundation’s Greater Washington Workforce Development Collaborative has launched an advocacy campaign around adult literacy in the District. They are encouraging the D.C. Council to fully fund the Pathways to Adult Literacy Fund. Sarah Oldmixon, who leads the collaborative, shared this with us:

Over 64,000 D.C. residents lack a high school diploma or its equivalent. Moreover, forthcoming changes to the GED and National External Diploma Program will require expanded nonprofit capacity to address the needs of adult learners, making expanded funding opportunities critical. A new initiative of the Adult and Family Education office in the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent for Education, the proposed Pathways to Adult Literacy Fund will help 1,000 District residents enhance their basic skills and earn a GED, high school diploma, or post-secondary credential.

This WAMU story helps demonstrate the importance of the funding. It feature the Academy of Hope and Southeast Ministry. (WAMU, 3/31)

The Community Foundation has a change.org portal for their effort, with talking points, action items, and recent news.

EDUCATION | A new report from the Walton Family Foundation finds that per pupil funding in the District is $13,000 higher for traditional public students than charter students. (Examiner, 4/18) Here’s the research, which actually finds similar disparities in other cities.

- Parents, activists say chancellor’s budget undermines D.C. schools (WaPo, 4/18)

TRANSIT | The Columbia Pike streetcar project didn’t get the federal funding it sought, but the project is pressing forward nonetheless. (WAMU, 4/18)

It’s been a bad week, right? The bombings, the Senate utterly failing at representing the will of the people, the factory explosion in Texas. Well, here’s something that might cheer you up: funny notes written by kids. Scroll down after reading the love note for a whole gallery of notes.

Also, check out these houses that have indoor slides! The pirate-themed one is especially cool.

- Christian

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Obama’s budget calls (again) for a charitable deduction limit

April 9, 2013 By Leave a Comment

PHILANTHROPY | President Obama is expected to again propose a cap for charitable deductions when he releases his budget tomorrow. The president is still aiming for a 28 percent cap, which is the number he has been proposing since 2009. At a briefing, Press Secretary Jay Carney addressed the issue:

When asked how Mr. Obama would overcome opposition from both parties due to worries about the impact on charities, Mr. Carney said the president was confident he could forge a compromise with a “common-sense caucus,” according to a transcript of the briefing.

We’ll leave aside the fact that “common-sense” and “compromise” are effectively foreign language terms for our government these days. But the White House’s continuing defense that the limits would only affect the wealthy still misses the point of philanthropy. As the Charitable Giving Coalition correctly points out (Chronicle, 4/9):

The charitable deduction is different than other itemized deductions in that it encourages individuals to give away a portion of their income to those in need…It is not a tax cut for the wealthy.

Check out the infographic above from the Charitable Giving Coalition. It gives a few reasons why the charitable deduction cap isn’t such a hot idea.

MENTAL HEALTH | The president’s budget will also include $235 million in new spending for mental health. (WaPo, 4/9)

HOUSING
- Due to sequestration, up to 150 families in Fairfax County are having their Section 8 housing vouchers suspended. The cuts are forcing local nonprofits to scramble to help the people affected. (Patch, 4/9) Rebekah originally posted about this Friday, but the situation appears to be more dire now.

- Federal law requires agencies to make vacant and underused properties available for homeless services, but a judge has ruled that many agencies have been effectively hiding such properties. Legal advocates believe that the judge’s ruling “will result in potentially thousands of properties” for homeless services. (WaPo, 4/8)

HOMELESSNESS | Fairfax County’s Homeless Population Declines 12 Percent: Emphasis on rapid re-housing, prevention keys to success. (Connection, 4/1)

EDUCATION | Mayor Gray’s schools budget for next year increases spending per pupil, but many schools are actually going to have their budgets cut because enrollment numbers are lower than originally projected. The cuts are likely to be in the $14-25 million range in total.

Council Member David Catania, who heads the education committee, has strong words on the subject: “If and when we are serious about stabilizing DCPS, we need a plan…And that plan is not this budget.” (WaPo, 4/9)

- What happens to school buildings after they close? The Atlantic investigates. (Atlantic, 4/9)

AGING | A new study finds that social isolation increases the likelihood of death by 26 percent. As Ezra Klein puts it, “Too much time without human contact can kill you.” (WaPo, 4/9)

Related: NPR’s Talk of the Nation did a show on this research with one of the report’s authors. Listen here.

ARTS | Here are the winners of the 2013 Helen Hayes Awards. (WaPo, 4/9)

Good news/bad news for space lovers. The bad news is that NASA isn’t going back to the moon, which squashes my dreams of watching a moon landing live in high definition. The good news is that the agency apparently employs lunatics (ha!) who are planning to trap an asteroid in a giant container and then land astronauts on it. What could possibly go wrong?

Also, I knew my musical feelings would change with the temperature! Today’s weather put me in a UB40 mood. How about you? What’s your favorite warm weather music?

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Gentrification spreads in the suburbs, but its effect on housing is bad for the region

April 4, 2013 By Leave a Comment

HOUSING | One of the primary concerns about gentrification is that it drives up housing costs and pushes lower- and moderate-income individuals further away. As Robert McCartney points out, the trend isn’t just happening inside the District, but in the suburbs, too. That’s bad for the region because companies don’t want to invest in places that are difficult for workers to access.

A new coalition called the Communications Action Network is aiming to raise awareness of the importance for mixed-income housing across the region. The coalition consists of 150 local organizations, including the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers, and was created by former WRAG Board member Craig Pascal of BB&T Bank (WaPo, 4/4):

He and others were heartened when D.C. Mayor Vince Gray recently urged new spending of $100 million to subsidize affordable housing. But they say more is required, especially in the suburbs.

“We need to do more to get the message out to the region, including in the business and political arenas,” Pascal said. “The challenges have never been greater for creating and preserving housing for people at all income levels.”

Related: Learn more about the Communications Action Network.

- The District’s public housing waiting list contains more than 70,000 names – and a wait time of about 28 years for a one-bedroom apartment. In an effort to overhaul the broken system, the city will stop accepting new applicants after April 12th.

Curiously, a spokesperson for the housing agency emphasized that a new system would “give people more choices” and allow them to identify where they would prefer to live. That suggests that the city has enough housing to offer choices, which it clearly doesn’t. It also suggests that there is already a new system planned out, which there isn’t. (WaPo, 4/4)

- Here’s a look at expenditures by the country’s seniors. Housing is far and away the biggest one. (SHN, 3/27) We have to assume that pogs, comic books, Beanie Babies, and Pixy Stix are covered under “other.”

HEALTH
- Thanks to sequestration, oncologists at cancer clinics across the country are having to turn Medicare patients away. These patients are then faced with getting care at hospitals, which costs more for the government, but it isn’t clear that the hospitals even have the capacity to accept these patients. (WaPo, 4/4)

Maybe we could cut off medical care for Congress and the White House until they get their act together.

- Opinion: The Rising Threat of Childhood Obesity (HuffPo, 4/3)

ARTS/EDUCATION | DCPS is planning to cut more than $300,000 from the Fillmore Center Arts program, which operates in eleven schools this year. It teaches dance, digital arts, theater, music, visual arts, creative writing, and physical education. The cuts are so severe that the program might not survive – and parents are fighting back. (Examiner, 3/30)

EDUCATION
- A bill that would restructure control of Prince George’s County schools is advancing through the senate, but it is a diluted version of what County Executive Rushern Baker sought. (WaPo, 4/4)

- D.C. schools brace for population boom (Examiner, 4/4) “City needs space for 33,000 youngsters over next five years”

- For many struggling students, a diploma means little (GGE, 4/4)

WORKFORCE/RACE | BusinessWeek has an article about an interesting link between the job market and race. According to new research on hiring practices, “the favoritism of whites towards other whites may be more important than the discrimination of whites towards racial minorities.” (BW, 3/27)

PHILANTHROPY | Philanthropic Leadership: It’s (Not) Accidental (ASF, 4/2)

I had a strange revelation yesterday. Listen to the backup vocalist in Van Morrison’s Glad Tidings during the chorus – the “la la la la” part, at about 0:36. He sounds exactly like Mahna Mahna Muppet!

Rebekah has the Daily tomorrow, so I’ll see you on Monday. Hope you all enjoy the cherry blossoms! Looks like they are going to lineup perfectly with the weekend.

- Christian

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How many full-time, minimum wage jobs do you need to rent a 2 bedroom apartment?

March 19, 2013 By 2 Comments

HOUSING/EQUITY | According to a new study, minimum-wage earners need to hold down three full-time jobs in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment in our region. Here are the jaw-dropping numbers (WAMU, 3/19):

- In the District of Columbia, minimum-wage earners need to work 132 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, in order to afford a Fair Market Rent of $1,412.

- In Maryland, minimum wage-earners need to work 135 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, in order to afford a Fair Market rent of $1,273.

- In Virginia, minimum wage-earners need to work 114 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, in order to afford a Fair Market rent of $1,078.

CHILDREN & YOUTH | Tamara wrote a piece for DC Action for Children’s blog about why having a safe and stable residence is essential to ensuring that a child is “physically and emotionally healthy and primed to succeed in life.” But housing is rarely an issue considered when discussing child advocacy. (DCAFC, 3/15)

EVENT | This Thursday, WRAG kicks off its 2013 Brightest Minds series with former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros. His talk with focus on why everyone should care about housing – especially pressing considering today’s headline. [Register here.]

EDUCATION | Prince George’s executive Rushern Baker’s plan to take over the school system received many positive reactions. However, the school board from which he would be taking control has now voiced its opposition. Chairman Verjeana M. Jacobs says (WaPo, 3/19):

“This is similar to the District of Columbia model, and we know how that’s turned out,” Jacobs said, suggesting that the matter be put to a referendum.

I’m not so sure that the effects of the District’s reforms are as clear as Jacobs suggests. Nor is D.C.’s experience necessarily indicative of how power structures would operate in another jurisdiction. Hopefully all parties involved remember that they are elected and paid solely to serve the needs of the county – ensuring the successful education of its children, for example.

GIVING
- The Chronicle of Philanthropy interviewed Rep. David Reichert, who serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, about his desire to protect charitable deductions. Arguments on the subject usually get reduced to very brief talking points, but Reichert goes a little deeper on his perspective. (Chronicle, 3/18)

- On the other hand: Senate Democrats Call for Limits on Charitable Deductions (Chronicle, 3/15)

LOCAL | I’m only including this because it’s so strange. The Post writes about a local man who took over a vacant Bethesda mansion and claimed it as his own. He did so because he claims sovereignty as a member of the “Moorish Nation.” Here’s what’s even stranger: this is apparently happening all over the country. Uh… (WaPo, 3/19)

FUN | The postscript is a bit heavy today, so check out Poland’s ideas for getting people to use libraries. So awesome! (Atlantic, 3/19)

Have you been following the Steubenville rape case? It’s hard to avoid, considering it’s a main headline in every media outlet. Local renaissance man Henry Rollins (punk rocker, poet, activist, journalist) has a very thoughtful perspective on the case – what it means at this moment in history, why it’s a complicated issue, who is responsible, and what can be done.

He drops an F-bomb, so fair warning if you’re sensitive to profanity. But his thinking gets to the core of a great many of the problems that we seek to solve in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. It’s worth a read.

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Baker seeks more control over – and accountability for – Prince George’s schools

March 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

EDUCATION | Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker has announced his intention to take over the county’s school system. Pending the passage of state legislation, the next school superintendent would report directly to Baker while the role of the Board of Education would be minimized (WaPo, 3/17):

County officials said the takeover would allow the government to coordinate resources with the school system, potentially sending more money to the classrooms. “This is about every single child getting the best education possible,” Baker said.

Related: A day after the announcement, reaction from elected officials and county stakeholders was mostly supportive. (WaPo, 3/18)

Related: In July 2011, Baker and former superintendent William Hite spoke with WRAG members about the county’s education priorities. Upon review, two things still stick out.

First, Baker specifically mentioned that he was committed to improving the county’s schools regardless of political risk. That seems to still ring true considering the accountability he is seeking. Second, he mentioned that better schools promote economic growth. He continues to champion that notion in the article above. (Daily, July 2011)

- Raise DC tries to bring coherence to education chaos (GGE, 3/15)

- If you missed it, here’s Rebekah’s recap of a recent briefing on Raise DC. (Daily, 3/7)

LOCAL | Last week, we linked to the Post’s article about our local population growth slowing. Here’s a look at some other trends from Greater Greater Washington, including the fact that inside-the-Beltway growth is still among the nation’s highest. (GGW, 3/18)

DEMOGRAPHICS | Montgomery County has officially passed the one million residents mark! (WTOP, 3/16) About 900,000 of them drive around looking for parking spots in Bethesda on the weekends.

HOMELESSNESS | Plans For Year-Round Homeless Shelter In Arlington Approved (WAMU, 3/17)

PHILANTHROPY | Opinion: Pablo Eisenberg says that philanthropy should increase giving to government watchdog groups. He cites the need to challenge “how Washington works” and offers this sharp opinion (Chronicle, 3/18):

The need for strong watchdogs has become more apparent because of the inept way both President Obama and nonprofit group[s] have responded to America’s most urgent needs.

NONPROFITS | Opinion: Charity Tax Data Are Too Valuable Not to Have in Digital Form (Chronicle, 3/10)

EVENTS
- Tomorrow, the Washington AIDS Partnership and the Institute for Public Health Innovation are hosting an event titled The Opportunities of a New Reality: Health Care Reform, Paradigm Shifts, and the Future of HIV/AIDS Services in the D.C. Region. More info and registration here.

- On Tuesday, April 30th, Georgetown University’s Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership will host a forum called Giving Boldly & Strategically: Why is it important now more than ever?

The forum features WRAG member Nicky Goren (Washington Area Women’s Foundation), former WRAG board members Margaret O’Bryon and George Vradenburg, as well as Trish Vradenburg and the Case Foundation’s Michael Smith. More info here.

DAILY | As promised, The Daily WRAG has reemerged from its maintenance day completely transformed! Hopefully you think it looks more like a beautiful butterfly than an ugly caterpillar – a blue morpho, perhaps? We’re testing out a new email delivery system internally this week that should be much more attractive and functional than the current one. More to come soon.

That’s it. Punxsutawney Phil is on probation until his credibility can be restored. And so are all the weathermen who keep incorrectly labeling storms as “one last taste of winter.”

Well, Mondays usually aren’t too much fun and the weather has us shivering, but I have a temporary fix! Paul Simon’s I Know What I Know. Enjoy!

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Special WaPo report on youth…Education news from across the region…Local population boom slowing

March 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

CHILDREN/FAMILIES | The Washington Post has a special section today on children and families. Here’s the editorial frame:

About 75 million Americans are under the age of 18, and more than 16 million of these kids live in poverty. Many sit in bright classrooms where they are taught by excellent teachers and go home to parents who shower them with every advantage. But far too many kids are stuck. They are trapped in drab schools of little learning and in troubled neighborhoods filled with jobless adults. These young people — and their difficulty in finding a path to a better future — are a growing national concern.

The full section of articles, opinions, and videos is located here. Highlights include:

- Opinion: Three simple rules poor teens should follow to join the middle class by the Brookings Institution’s Ron Haskins

- Opinion: Give low-income families the support they need to help kids succeed by Jared Bernstein from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

- After 20 years, some want more from Family and Medical Leave Act

- Policymakers, business leaders say preschool can pay big dividends

EDUCATION
- Prince George’s County has narrowed its schools superintendent candidate list to three – current interim superintendent Alvin Crawley, Durham superintendent Eric Becoats, and Chicago schools chief Harrison Peters. The Post profiles all three candidates and says that the stakes are very high (WaPo, 3/14):

The superintendent will step into a struggling system that is working to implement Common Core standards, reform its teacher-evaluation process and improve student achievement.

It is also a pivotal moment for Prince George’s County at large, as parents, elected officials and civic and business leaders have pinned much of the county’s future on the turnaround of its schools.

- Some District parents are concerned that some schools’ budgets will cause cuts to key staff and services while lower-priority positions get new funding. (WaPo, 3/14)

- As Montgomery Council considers budget, questions about “crown jewel” schools (WaPo, 3/14) I don’t think England would be very happy about us trying to pay for our schools with their jewels.

- In Montgomery schools, achievement gap widens in some areas, drawing criticism (WaPo, 3/13)

- Are early education (pre-K) efforts in the District working? (GGE, 3/13)

SEQUESTRATION | Here’s a brief look at some of the proposed tax hikes and service cuts that local jurisdictions are considering to deal with sequestration. George Mason University professor Frank Shafroth says of local officials (WAMU, 3/14):

The last decade, I think they saw everything growing…Now I think they are with Rod Serling in the Twilight Zone.

“It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition…and sequestration…and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.”

DEMOGRAPHICS
- Unfortunately we’re not dealing with imaginations here, and the Post reports that our region’s population growth rate is slowing down after years of “explosive” increases. (WaPo, 3/14)

- D.C. population swells, immigrants flock to suburbs (Examiner, 3/14)

COMMUNITY | Here’s a great look at Capital One’s method of aligning corporate social responsibility goals with its full body of work. (CSRwire, 3/13)

NONPROFITS | C.Fox Communications is accepting applications for its fourth annual inspired thought Award. The it Award is worth up to $20,000 of pro bono public relations services for nonprofit award winners. [More info.]

PHILANTHROPY | Providence has been announced as the winner of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Mayors Challenge for innovation in early childhood education. Read more about it and the five other winners. (Atlantic, 3/14)

DAILY | Tomorrow, Friday the 15th, the Daily WRAG will be offline for maintenance. When it returns, your minds will drift to thoughts of an ugly caterpillar that entered a pupa and emerged a beautiful butterfly.

Happy Pi Day, everyone! Here are some ways you can celebrate. I’ll be eating pie today, 3/14, at 1:59 and 26.54 seconds.

And an early Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Here’s my favorite song from the Irish band Flogging Molly – Rebels of the Sacred Heart.

See you Monday!

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