Community Engagement & Government Reform
21CSF builds constituencies and advocates for government reform on many levels. Examples include:
- In partnership with SHAPPE, 21CSF established parent-community centers at Cardozo, Roosevelt, and Ballou high schools in Washington, D.C. 21CSF is working to include annual funds for these centers into the DCPS budget for each of the high schools. (2010 to 2011)
- Helped the DC Auditor's Office with the first ever audit of the facility modernization program with data and expertise. This helped ensure that our city received a comprehensive and detailed audit that will help improve our accountability for capital expenditures moving forward. (2010)
- Helped initiate Save our Schools New Orleans, a parent lead initiative to restore and improve New Orleans Public Schools after Katrina. (2007-2009)
- Built capacity of local groups and organizations to affect the DC public school system, through fundraising, sponsoring and maintaining ed-advocates listserv and encouraging and facilitating collaborative planning and joint projects.
- Engaged public in development of policy on public private partnerships that would ensure public participation and institutionalize the tasks required to implement development partnerships which can be used by developers wishing to enter into facilities related partnerships with the public sector.
- Regularly testified as part of the city budget and performance review process on policy changes that change be made to improve the quality of public school facilities.
- Built working relationships with Washington Teachers Union, Teamster's Local #639 and #730 — the repair workers and custodians of the public schools.
- Sustained an ad hoc collaboration of city-wide education advocates — 21CSF, Parents United, DC PTA, DC VOICE, Prop 100, SHAPPE, Parent Watch, and the Campaign for Full Funding—to improve the quality of advocacy in the city through better communication, understanding and coordination of strategy.
- In partnership with Healthy Schools Network, from Albany, NY, created a DC Healthy Schools Coalition of organizations, not traditionally linked to DCPS—Beyond Pesticides, Alliance to Save Energy, Environmental Law Institute, American Federation of Teachers—occupational safety division.
- Provide staff support to environmental groups working to eliminate hostile exterior play environments and create schoolyard greening of the District of Columbia Public Schools to benefit children and the environment.
- Developed a proposal with the Brookings Institute to define a collaborative model for city and school capital planning for the District of Columbia. (2004)
- Helped facilitate a community-based long range educational facility master planning process in the District of Columbia. (2000)
- Managed the Superintendent's Task Force on Education Infrastructure to create the first educational facility master plan since 1967. (1994-1995)
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