Sectoral Changes
The increasing interdependence across markets and sectors represents enormous opportunities for collaboration among nonprofit, private, public, and religious sector entities and professionals. As we began the new century, we discovered that not only were public sector educators and organizations concerned about the low academic performance of students but that many professionals and companies from other sectors were troubled as well and were in fact taking meaningful steps to demonstrate their commitment to reform. A sizeable number of private companies are managing schools, school districts or certain aspects of school operations across many states. While many school officials and communities have been somewhat reluctant about private sector participation in public school management, the results to date have shown some promise for these ventures. The consolidations that have taken place among school management companies can be viewed as an indication that these firms intend to be permanent players in public education.
Communities of faith and nonprofit organizations view productive schools as critical elements for building sustainable institutions in neighborhoods and communities. The inability of local schools to provide youth with basic academic training has motivated community organizations to develop schools themselves instead of relying on district and other officials who have not shown a propensity toward considerable school reform. Local churches and nonprofits are also realizing that the longer it takes school systems to make the necessary changes, the farther behind students get, which essentially stunts their academic development and ultimately the productivity of the larger community. Entrepreneurs continue to demonstrate their commitment to raising academic achievement by funding voucher or scholarship programs that are designed to move students out of non-performing public schools and into academic settings that can provide them with the tools to excel academically.
The growth of public-private partnerships, the increased visibility of the nonprofit community, and the emergence of the religious community beyond its walls underscore the potential of cross-sectoral partnerships as effective vehicles of change in public education. The private sector’s emphasis on organizational and strategic coherence, the religious sector’s commitment to spiritual and moral stewardship, the nonprofit sector’s local and social service focuses, and the public sector’s charge to provide equitable public goods can be successfully integrated to produce countless models for transforming school systems, processes, and structures. Each sector’s unique competencies, strengths, and resources coupled with their shared interest in yielding high quality public schools can create measurable outcomes as well as produce synergies that will enable a range of strategic options which transcend sectoral boundaries. The convergence of sectors around community building has virtually laid a foundation upon which we can build effective collaboration across sectors pursuant to transforming elementary and secondary public schools.
Communities of faith and nonprofit organizations view productive schools as critical elements for building sustainable institutions in neighborhoods and communities. The inability of local schools to provide youth with basic academic training has motivated community organizations to develop schools themselves instead of relying on district and other officials who have not shown a propensity toward considerable school reform. Local churches and nonprofits are also realizing that the longer it takes school systems to make the necessary changes, the farther behind students get, which essentially stunts their academic development and ultimately the productivity of the larger community. Entrepreneurs continue to demonstrate their commitment to raising academic achievement by funding voucher or scholarship programs that are designed to move students out of non-performing public schools and into academic settings that can provide them with the tools to excel academically.
The growth of public-private partnerships, the increased visibility of the nonprofit community, and the emergence of the religious community beyond its walls underscore the potential of cross-sectoral partnerships as effective vehicles of change in public education. The private sector’s emphasis on organizational and strategic coherence, the religious sector’s commitment to spiritual and moral stewardship, the nonprofit sector’s local and social service focuses, and the public sector’s charge to provide equitable public goods can be successfully integrated to produce countless models for transforming school systems, processes, and structures. Each sector’s unique competencies, strengths, and resources coupled with their shared interest in yielding high quality public schools can create measurable outcomes as well as produce synergies that will enable a range of strategic options which transcend sectoral boundaries. The convergence of sectors around community building has virtually laid a foundation upon which we can build effective collaboration across sectors pursuant to transforming elementary and secondary public schools.
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