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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250506T150000
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UID:250814-1746543600-1746549000@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Schools as “Safe Spaces”: Beyond Active Shooter Drills to Trusting Relationships?
DESCRIPTION:CGLR leading partner and renowned education advocate Andy Rotherham of Bellwether moderated the session. Rotherham shared how he is passionate about the trusting relationships that can help get “left of boom” (see below) by creating the positive school culture and climate needed to give students outlets to express their concerns and fears\, which might otherwise lead to dangerous behaviors.  \nRotherham began the session in discussion with Senior Security Consultant and Retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer Drew Pache\, who helped us understand how strategies on the front lines of the military are not so different from strategies that work in schools. This is where the concept “left of boom” comes from. As Pache explained\, this is the idea that to prevent an attack you need to get ahead of it by doing reconnaissance and getting to know people and listening to their grievances. In this way\, there is a much better chance of learning when something is not right or a violent attack is brewing. As he said\, “If something doesn’t seem right\, it’s probably not right.” And this same approach is what works in schools. When teachers and other adults in the school building are trusted by students and communicating about students’ needs\, they can get “left of boom” by listening and understanding. \nGarry McGiboney\, Ph.D.\, of Health Security Dynamics then joined the discussion. While he has a different background than Pache as a researcher and former Deputy State School Superintendent in Georgia\, McGiboney had the same message as the Green Beret. Emphasizing that we need a new paradigm for school safety that puts mental and behavioral health before heavy doors and active shooter drills\, McGiboney explained how teachers can come together with school resource officers (SROs) to recognize when students may need someone to listen to and hear them: \n“Teachers want to know. And when we train the SROs\, they want to know too. What should I look for? Regardless of the age of the student\, it could be elementary\, it could be a kindergarten student\, it could be a high school student. What should I look for as an indicator that child is in trouble and may need some help? That’s how we can avoid tragedies occurring in our schools. [It] is those relationships — when we identify what may be going on with a child or even a colleague for that matter.” \nTwo school district leaders followed in the discussion and offered insights about what this new paradigm for school safety looks like on a school campus. Yolanda Reid Wheeler of Henry County Public Schools in Georgia and Daniel Mojica of Chelsea Public Schools in Massachusetts emphasized that when there is coordination across ALL the adults surrounding the students — including SROs\, bus drivers\, teachers\, lunchroom attendants\, and\, most importantly\, parents — and this coordination is supported by training in behavioral health\, there are many more opportunities to see and hear students who may need help. Reid Wheeler highlighted the system of support that creates a positive school culture: \n“I think about the systems of schools\, and what that means is that when the student is getting off the bus\, when they’re being dropped off\, who do we have there at the door greeting them? And that greeter has a behavioral checklist. They are scanning\, they’re observing: What’s the countenance of those children when they’re coming off the bus? Also\, talking with the parents helps with understanding who’s coming into the building. Then being able to observe that by the scan\, I call it eyeballing: What is it that you’re seeing coming into the building?” \n\n\n\n \n\n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				If you were able to attend the session\, we would love to hear your feedback! We appreciate your help in filling out the following form as we seek to learn and understand the perspectives\, ideas\, critiques and recommendations that better inform our key audiences. \n			\n				Share Feedback
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/schools-as-safe-spaces/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250513T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250513T163000
DTSTAMP:20260408T083257
CREATED:20250506T075957Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250806T073919Z
UID:250895-1747148400-1747153800@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Medicaid as Linchpin: Truth and Consequences | More Hopeful Futures or Children as Collateral Damage?
DESCRIPTION:We haven’t reached the pain point yet. This is the first step….And then there’s going to be that snowball effect where they either lose benefits\, or a nursing home closes down\, a rural hospital closes a unit\, etc. And then it starts really picking up steam. And the challenge is going to be coming back from that. We can see the immediate impact in front of us\, but there’s the economic impact that’s going to be longer term. We don’t talk enough about the long-term impact on the child. Right. It’s not just that we’re going to lose this benefit today\, it’s going to be the effect on the child as we move forward. \n–Moe Hickey\, Voices for Utah Children \n\nIn this May 13 GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar\, a diverse group of policy experts\, health care leaders\, education advocates\, and community voices came together to explore the critical role Medicaid plays in supporting not just children’s health — but their learning and development\, their families’ stability\, and the foundational systems that serve them. They also highlighted key action steps that can be taken now to ensure that this vital program is sustained and strengthened. \nModerated by Dr. Robert K. Ross\, former President and CEO of The California Endowment\, the session made clear that Medicaid is far more than a health insurance program. It is a central pillar of educational equity\, economic resilience\, and community well-being. Dr. Ross grounded the conversation in a powerful historical and moral context\, urging participants to see Medicaid as part of the nation’s democratic promise to its children. \nPanelists — Paola Andujar of National Association for the Education for Young Children\, Anne Dwyer\, JD\, MP\, of Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families\, Moe Hickey of Voices for Utah Children\, and The Honorable Jessica Schubel of Day One Strategies — brought deep insights into the consequences of current policy shifts and the opportunity to act now to preserve and improve Medicaid.  \nKey themes included: \nThe Impact of Medicaid Policy on Children’s Health \n\nProposed Medicaid cuts could lead to significant coverage losses for children and families\, with an estimated 8.6 million people potentially becoming uninsured and coverage losses exceeding 14 million when combined with other ACA provisions.\nMedicaid coverage is correlated with improved educational outcomes. Research shows Medicaid enrollment improves reading scores and future earnings.\nMedicaid covers a significant portion of health services provided in schools and access to these services is linked to improved academic outcomes.\n\nThe Broader Implications of Medicaid Funding \n\nUnderstanding the economic implications of Medicaid cuts is crucial\, as cuts can lead to increased costs for states in other areas\, such as emergency care\, and long-term economic impacts can affect community stability and growth.\nCuts to Medicaid can lead to reduced funding for schools and community health programs.\nReduced Medicaid funding and/or increased administrative burdens not only limit individual access to care\, they also threaten the sustainability of early childhood systems\, public schools\, and community health providers that depend on Medicaid as a reliable funding stream.\n\nOpportunities for Advocacy and Collaboration \nPanelists stressed that Medicaid is deeply interconnected with education\, economic opportunity\, and equity. Advocates\, educators\, and funders must work in concert to protect and strengthen the program. Examples of activities include: \n\nCollaborating with other organizations to promote Medicaid’s benefits; educate the public; share resources and information to empower local advocates; and support joint campaigns to enhance visibility and understanding of Medicaid’s role.\nIncreasing awareness about the ways Medicaid funding impacts various sectors\, including education and health services.\nEncouraging a holistic approach because the health and education systems are interconnected.\n\nThe session closed with an urgent message from the panelists: The future of Medicaid is not just a policy debate — it is a defining moment for how we support children and families. To protect this vital infrastructure\, coordinated advocacy\, informed messaging\, and strong local leadership are essential. \n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				If you were able to attend the session\, we would love to hear your feedback! We appreciate your help in filling out the following form as we seek to learn and understand the perspectives\, ideas\, critiques and recommendations that better inform our key audiences. \n			\n				Share Feedback
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/medicaid/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250520T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250520T140000
DTSTAMP:20260408T083257
CREATED:20250506T081456Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250526T200751Z
UID:250912-1747744200-1747749600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Timely Support for Immigrant Families & Children: Philanthropy Striving to Meet the Moment
DESCRIPTION:“So what does it look like for philanthropy\, which has so much privilege\, to be able to stand in solidarity with movement partners\, with communities? Funders wait for a rainy day — and it’s pouring out right now. Now is the time to be contributing and funding support for immigrant children and families. Use your privilege and use your voice…and stand strong and speak out against the harmful approaches that are leading to the backsliding of our democracy and that can have repercussions for not just our children\, but our grandchildren….This is not a marathon. It’s not a sprint. This is a relay race. We are building toward a better future\, not just for ourselves\, but to be good ancestors to our descendants and to leave a better world for the children that will continue beyond us.” \n\n\n\n\n\n\n​​​​– Ivy O. Suriyopas\, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees \n\n  \n\n\n\n\nIn this Funder-to-Funder Conversation\, Ivy Suriyopas of Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) offered the above passionate call to action in closing to an engaging conversation about the experiences of immigrant children and families in the current policy environment and the ways in which funders are joining together to support them. \nThe session was co-sponsored by Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP)\, a transnational network of grantmakers dedicated to strengthening Latine leadership and influences and mobilizing philanthropic resources in Latine communities. HIP’s Jazmín Chávez moderated the discussion that featured Rodrigo Barraza of Global Fund for Children\, Shannon Rudisill of Early Childhood Funders Collaborative\, and Ivy Suriyopas of GCIR. \nRudisill and Suriyopas shared how their organizations joined together with other funders this year to launch the 1 in 4 Project. The project supports the 1 in 4 children living in the United States who are part of immigrant families\, advancing policy advocacy and litigation\, narrative building\, and research and data collection to support action at the federal\, state\, and local levels. \n\n“We wanted everyone to understand how many children in the United States are living in immigrant or mixed-status families. Most of them are U.S. citizens. We wanted everybody to think about the populations that they are serving in the communities where they are funding and realize that these kids are in their portfolios already\, that they’re in the communities where they’re serving\, and that some special attention needed to be paid to support them.” \n– Shannon Rudisill\, Early Childhood Funders Collaborative \n\nThe panelists discussed how the current immigration policy environment is causing trauma for immigrant children and their families and communities\, highlighting some of the ways that funders are promoting trauma-informed responses. Barraza noted many of the traumas are “collective traumas” that challenge children’s sense of belonging\, language\, and cultural identity\, and therefore require collective responses such as healing circles to help children build a sense of community where they can recover together. \nRudisill shared several examples of efforts being advanced by the funders in the ECFC network\, including trauma-informed programs for new mothers and their babies and legal service programs to help families prepare for possible separation. She also noted how several funders had been taking proactive action to strengthen the systems serving immigrant populations\, including investments in New Jersey to support dual language learners and to build a stronger pipeline of Latine early learning educators. \n\n“Please be brave. Be bold. Please don’t shy away from the conversation. Don’t give in to fear. I think right now it’s our opportunity to stand on the right side of history and keep fighting and keep pushing and keep looking for ways to connect and to keep building these diverse communities.” \n– Rodrigo Barraza\, Global Fund for Children \n\n\n\n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				If you were able to attend the session\, we would love to hear your feedback! We appreciate your help in filling out the following form as we seek to learn and understand the perspectives\, ideas\, critiques and recommendations that better inform our key audiences. \n			\n				Share Feedback
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/support-immigrant-families/
CATEGORIES:Funder-to-Funder Conversation,Health,Parents,Past Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250520T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250520T163000
DTSTAMP:20260408T083257
CREATED:20250516T194045Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251227T195910Z
UID:250955-1747753200-1747758600@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:Education Savings Accounts: High Expectations & Continuing Concerns
DESCRIPTION:In this discussion\, we built on a session from 2023: Opportunities and Potential Pitfalls: State Expansion of Education Savings Accounts and again created a forum for thoughtful and nuanced conversations to go beyond the headlines on a controversial policy. As this policy has expanded across multiple states — growing from 13 to 19 states since CGLR hosted the 2023 session — we wanted to explore this issue through a balanced discussion that “detoxifies” conversations about parent choice to get to a place where we understand the background\, motivations\, language\, possibilities\, and concerns. \nWhat many are now calling “Education Savings Accounts” references the policy where states are giving families access to public per-pupil funds that can be used to pay for tuition to private schools\, homeschooling supplies\, curriculum materials\, online learning\, tutoring support\, etc. Proponents of school choice see this as a necessary way to allow students to learn in the setting that works best for them\, and skeptics see it as a disinvestment in public school systems at a time when they need as much support as possible. In this session\, I moderated a conversation with a powerhouse panel who helped to define the various terms and variants of this policy while exploring the expansion of state policies and the history and evolution of this particular approach to parent choice. We also discussed the pros and cons and zeroed-in on parents’ views and why choice is important to them.  \nBen DeGrow of ExcelinEd provided an overview of where we are today with various state policies. Luis Huerta\, Ph.D.\, of Columbia Teachers College reviewed the history and how we got to where we are today. Beth Lewis of Save Our Schools Arizona articulated several of the challenges of the expanded funding for per-pupil accounts in Arizona\, including the severe under-funding of public schools that has led some to close. Derrell Bradford of 50CAN spoke to the way these public funds can help to provide the same level of choice to low-income families that wealthier families have always had by moving to geographies with better schools. Colleen Dippel of Families Empowered in Texas explained how her organization has helped parents navigate and take advantage of the opportunities offered in Texas. Mike Goldstein of the Pioneer Institute described parent experiences that illuminated some of the ways parents have used the available public education resources to enhance their children’s learning experience.  \nThrough the discussion\, we explored some of the different perspectives — the possibilities and concerns about public per-pupil funding. The following quotes from two of our speakers help to illustrate the different perspectives on this issue that make it so contentious: \n“Ninety-two percent of our families are choosing public district and charter schools that have accountability to the public. We are sending 12 percent of our state budget to this ESA voucher program for only 6 percent of our kids. The vast majority of these kids are kids who were already in private school. They were already [being educated at home]. In Arizona\, the reality is people are sticking with their public school\, but the other reality is that our public schools are shutting down because of the voucher program\, because we are a revenue poor state! There is not enough funding for both of these and that’s true. The data all shows that the vouchers are primarily going to wealthier families in wealthier ZIP codes.” \n–Beth Lewis\, Save Our Schools Arizona \n___________________________ \n“Parents are our core customers\, so we connect them to religious and non-religious schools\, and then\, certainly\, for parents who want to homeschool\, we make sure that they have information that is accurate and actionable.…We’re providing direct service day in\, day out to connect families to schools and schools to families. Last year\, we made about 37\,000 individual phone calls. So we’re very supportive of all forms of school choice. We think it’s really important to ensure that parents have a neutral service that is not incentivized by one sector over the other. So there ought to be a parent service that is just about helping parents get kids into ESA programs or getting kids into charter school programs or magnet school programs and the individual schools [or whatever educational option they prefer].” \n–Colleen Dippel\, Families Empowered \nParent voice\, parent leadership\, and parent choice have always been central to CGLR’s strategy for increasing student learning and achievement. The policies that are being pursued under the banner of parent choice are complicated\, and their implications are as yet uncertain. This week we started to explore this terrain in more detail\, and we will continue to do so in the coming months. We hope that you’ll come with us on this learning journey.  \n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				If you were able to attend the session\, we would love to hear your feedback! We appreciate your help in filling out the following form as we seek to learn and understand the perspectives\, ideas\, critiques and recommendations that better inform our key audiences. \n			\n				Share Feedback
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/esa2/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/iStock_000073784785_Large-scaled-e1746519699354.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250527T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250527T163000
DTSTAMP:20260408T083257
CREATED:20250506T082302Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251015T170536Z
UID:250918-1748358000-1748363400@leo.gradelevelreading.net
SUMMARY:More Hopeful Futures or Children as Collateral Damage? Head Start as Cornerstone for Early Learning and Development
DESCRIPTION:“Head Start is not in an existential crisis. But to remain impactful and relevant\, the program must continue to evolve.” \n— Tammy L. Mann\, Ph.D.\, The Campagna Center \n\nThe discussion during the May 27\, 2025 GLR Learning Tuesdays session focused on the following key question: \nHow can we strengthen and evolve Head Start —building on its legacy to expand its reach\, deepen its impact\, and meet the moment we’re in? \nAttendees heard from national and regional leaders\, including former Directors of the Office of Head Start\, current program leaders\, and field innovators. Together\, they offered concrete ideas for improvement\, bold questions about the future\, and hopeful reflections on what’s possible. \nHead Start is Grounded in Data and Impact \n\nHead Start plays a critical\, stabilizing role in early childhood systems — especially for rural communities and children with special needs.\nWeakening this infrastructure would have nationwide ripple effects.\n\nHead Start’s Core Strengths and Foundational Elements \n\nThe heart of Head Start — comprehensive services\, a two-generation approach\, and local flexibility — remains strong and essential.\nNew federal policies (e.g.\, expanded eligibility\, mental health supports\, and pay equity) offer opportunities to strengthen the model\, not dismantle it.\n\nHope is Rooted in People\, Persistence\, and Collective Agency \n\nHead Start’s enduring strength lies in its mission-driven people — educators\, leaders\, and families who continue to show up despite challenges.\nThe program’s federal-to-local structure is a “superpower” for community-led innovation.\nThere is power in the Head Start community’s adaptability\, data-informed storytelling\, and collective strength.\n\nEvolution\, Not Just Preservation \n\nNow is the time to modernize\, align with broader systems\, and preserve parent choice within a strong mixed-delivery system. \n\n\nThroughout the conversation\, one idea echoed loudly: We need a national messaging campaign to reintroduce Head Start to the American public. Not as a relic\, but as a relevant\, innovative\, and essential part of the early childhood ecosystem. \nSuch a campaign should: \n\nCenter parent and alumni voices who can speak to Head Start’s life-changing impact.\nEmphasize Head Start’s proven results — from school readiness to long-term health and economic outcomes.\nPush back on outdated stereotypes and affirm Head Start as a model for culturally responsive\, equity-driven systems change.\nUnite allies across sectors — education\, health\, housing\, philanthropy — to advocate together.\n\nThe panelist conversation continued through the end of the webinar\, leaving limited time for Q&A with the audience\, but the panelists took time after the session to share responses in writing to several of the audience questions. Those are available here. \nThank you for being part of this moment — and for all you do to ensure Head Start continues to deliver on its powerful promise to children and families. \n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				If you were able to attend the session\, we would love to hear your feedback! We appreciate your help in filling out the following form as we seek to learn and understand the perspectives\, ideas\, critiques and recommendations that better inform our key audiences. \n			\n				Share Feedback
URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/headstart/
CATEGORIES:Past Event
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