Ed Policy Briefing - Promise neighborhoods guest speaker geoffrey Canada

>> IF YOU COULD PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS, WE NEED TO START SOON. THANK YOU. SOME OF YOU MAY NOT HAVE PICKED UP AGENDAS BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T HERE AT THE BEGINNING. THERE'S AN AGENDA AT THE DESK WHEN YOU FIRST COME IN. I PUT SOME RESERVE SIGNS ON SOME SEATS FOR THE POOR DEPARTMENT STAFF USED TO COMING DOWN AT 10:01. IF THERE'S PAPERS ON STAFF YOU CAN REMOVE THEM. ALL BETS ARE OFF. IF YOU ARE HERE, YOU GET A PLACE TO SIT. WE'RE GOING TO START IN JUST A MOMENT. >> GOOD MORNING. ONE MORE TIME. GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING. >> WE HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE FOLKS HERE WITH US TODAY TO SHARE MORE ABOUT PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS OVERALL, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT INSPIRED OUR THINKING AND WHERE WE ARE HEADED WITH THE PROGRAM WITH PLAN WILLING GRANTS ANSWER THINGS THAT IT WILL ALLOW US TO LEARN ABOUT THIS WORK. I'D LIKE TO TAKE ONE SECOND TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR SPECIAL GUESTS IN THE ROOM THAT WILL BE COMING UP TO JOIN US. WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE ADMINISTRATION, PEOPLE FROM INSIDE THE BUILDING WHO HAVE WORKED *** THE PROGRAM, AND PEOPLE FROM THE OUTSIDE WHO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THESE ISSUES. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. WHAT I ALSO WANT DO IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE FOLKS WHO WILL COME UP HERE FOR JUST ONE SECOND. HEATHER HIGGINBOTTOM, ACTUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR A LOT OF THE VERY I RECALLEST THINKING ABOUT PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMING TO REALIZATION AND THE MAN WHO INSPIRED THIS WORK, GEOFF CANADA, WHO NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION, A EMSURE. WITH THAT I'D LIKE TO INVITE HEATHER UP TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROGRAM. THANK YOU. >> (APPLAUSE.) >> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. IT'S SO WONDERFUL TO BE HERE. AND THANK YOU, JIM, FOR THAT ENT INDUCTION. I HAVE HAD THE REAL PLEASURE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, NEARLY TWO YEARS OF WORKING WITH JIM AS HE TOOK WHAT WAS A COUPLE OF PARAGRAPH DESCRIPTION FROM A CAMPAIGN POLICY DOCUMENT INTO THE PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS INITIATIVE WE HAVE TODAY. AND HE HAS DONE TREMENDOUS WORK AND IT'S BEEN A REAL PLEASURE TO WORK WITH JIM. I'M SO EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH ALL OF YOU THIS MOST OF THESE. HAVING ALL OF THE WINNERS OF THE PROMISE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING GRANT HERE AND SO MANY STAKEHOLDERS, INSTITUTIONS AND INDIVIDUALS COMMITTED TO THE INITIATIVE IS REALLY EXCITING. WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT PLANNING, THINKING ABOUT PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS FOR A LONG TIME. SEEING THE TEAMS OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM FULL OF INDIVIDUALS COMMITTED TO BUILDING ON THIS MODEL IS REALLY THRILLING. JIM ASKED ME TO TALK A BIT THIS MORNING ABOUT HOW WE GOT PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS AS A PRIORITY FOR THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, WHAT SOME OF THE THINKING WAS AND THE IDEAS BEHIND IT. IT'S A REALLY FUN STORY TO TELL. FIRST I'LL DO THE SHORT STORY. EARLY IN THE CAMPAIGN PRESIDENT OBAMA, THEN CANDIDATE OBAMA, WAS GOING TO BE DELIVERING A SPEECH ON URBAN POVERTY HERE IN WASHINGTON D C. IN THE SPEECH HE PROPOSED THE PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS INITIATIVE INSTIRED BY THE WORK THAT GEOFFREY CANADA WAS DOING IN HARLEM WITH THE HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE. THE MISSION WE ANNOUNCED IN JULY OF 2007 FOR PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS WAS TO BREAK THE CONCENTRATED POVERTY BY PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND DEVELOPMENTEL OUTCOMES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE THE BACK STORY WHY WE CAME TO ANNOUNCE THE INITIATIVE REALLY CAME ABOUT IN OUR INITIAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THEN CANNED DA OBAMA. WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE WORK HE HAD DONE. AS MANY OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY HEARD HE WAS AT ONE TIME A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO. YOU HAD ERRED THAT OVER AND OVER. HE WAS HERE IN DC AND WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT WHAT HE WANTED TO SAY IN SPEECH. HE WRESTLED WITH IT A BIT AND SAID, I DON'T WANT TO GO OUT AND JUST TALK ABOUT THE SAME KIND OF APPROACH AND SAME PROGRAMS. BECAUSE THEY ARE GOOD, BUT THEY ARE NOT ENOUGH AND WE NEED SOME FRESH THINKING. AND IT WAS CLEAR IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD THAT HE REALLY DEEPLY UNDERSTOOD THE CHECKS TY OF THE CHALLENGES IN URBAN COMMUNITIES AND UNDERSTOOD THE RELATIONSHIP AND THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF MANY OF THE ISSUES, WHETHER locational ATTAINMENT RATES, HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT, HIGH RATES OF CRIME, ABUSE, THESE COULD NOT BE TREATED JUST AS INDIVIDUAL ONE-OFF ISSUES. WE NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY WERE CONNECTED AND ADDRESS THAT. THE CHARGE THAT HE GAVE, AND I SHOULD EXPLAIN I WAS THE POLICY DIRECTOR ON THE CAMPAIGN, THE CHARGE HE GAVE TO THE POLICY TEAM, TO US, WAS TO DEVELOP A RESPONSE THAT WAS AS SOPHISTICATED AND HOLISTIC AS THE PROBLEM WAS. HE SAID, I DON'T WANT TO JUST TAKE ONE PIECE AND CALL THAT OUR PLAN. WE NEED THE REALLY LOOK AT THIS COMPREHENSIVELY. HE ALSO SAID TO US AT THE TIME, EDUCATION HAS TO BE AT THE CENTER OF THIS WORK BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A CHANCE AT REALLY BREAKING THE CYCLE IF WE'RE NOT EMPOWERING YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES. HE SAID WE HAD A GREAT OPPORTUNITY WITH THE CAMPAIGN. WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE IT WAS GOING, PRETTY EARLY IN THE PRIMARY. TO SHINE A SPOT LIGHT ON SOME NEW APPROACHES AND GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE PEOPLE'S THINKING THROUGH HIS CAMPAIGN ABOUT HOW TO TACKLE SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS. HE SAID WE HAD TO BE SMART AND WE NEEDED TO BE CREATIVE AND WE NEEDED TO THINK DIFFERENTLY. SO WE TOOK THAT CHARGE. WE STARTED SURVEYING THE LANDSCAPE AND IT WON'T SURPRISE ANYONE IN THE ROOM THAT IT DIDN'T TAKE US LONG BEFORE WE STARTED REALLY ZEROING IN ON THE Harlem Children's zone. AS WE STUDIED THE WORK AND SUCCESSES IN HARLEM WE BECAME CONVINCED THAT IT REALLY WAS RIPE FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE MODEL THERE AND SCALE IT NATIONALLY AND PUT SOME FEDERAL RESOURCES BEHIND IT. SO WE CALLED UP Harlem Children's zone HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE AND TRIED TO CONVINCE THEM THAT WE WERE TRYING TO TAKE THE CONCEPTS AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO BRING THE VISION TO COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE HAD WONDERFUL THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATIONS. PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE THE PROGRAMS THAT GEOFF AND HIS COLLEAGUES HAVE CREATED. YOU HAVE TO IDENTIFY PROBLEMS WITHIN COMMUNITIES AND MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE. THEY GOT US TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO QUOTE/UNQUOTE REPLICATE HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE. THE FIRST THING THEY SAID IS, YOU CAN'T REPLICATE HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE. YOU NEED UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLES AND LESSONS THAT WE HAVE EARNED WILL IN OUR WORK HERE. IT WAS A GREAT DISCUSSION AND WE CAME AWAY WITH SOME FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES FROM THAT, WHICH WERE CRITICAL TO THEIR MODEL AND WHAT WE HOPE WILL BE CRITICAL TO SO MANY OF YOUR COMMUNITIES AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO GOING FORWARD. FIRST YOU NEEDED TO CREATE A PIPELINE OF PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORTED CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AT EVERY STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT TO ENSURE THEIR ACADEMIC SUCCESS. SECOND, YOU NEEDED TO FOCUS ON SCALE, REALLY NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT THESE PROGRAMS WOULD SUPPORT A WHOLE GAMUT OF CHILDREN, A WHOLE RANGE OF CHILDREN AND COMMUNITY, NOT JUST A THIRD OR HALF. NEEDED TO TYPED A WAY TO REACH ALL OF THE CHILDREN. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT THEY DRILLED OVER AND OVER TO US AND SINCE ACTUALLY, IS THE IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL NEED AND USE OF DATA AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND INSISTENCE ON RESULTS. SO WE PUT THAT TOGETHER. WE TALKED WITH THE PRESIDENT. WHEN HE ANNOUNCED THE PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS INITIATIVE IN JULY, ONE OF THE THINGS HE SAID IS HOPE IS IN WHAT WORKS. THAT WAS SOME OF THE guidance HE HAD GIVEN US. WE HAVE TO FIND WHAT WORKS. THAT IS GOING TO GIVE PEOPLE HOPE AND GOING TO BE WHAT HELPS US TACKLE THESE CHANGES. SO THAT IDEA OF WHAT WORKS IS REALLY THE MOTIVATION OF TAKING THIS CONCEPT AND FROM ONE NEIGHBORHOOD IN NEW YORK AND TRYING TO SCALE IT NATIONALLY. AND ALSO THE FUNDAMENTAL KEY CORE PRINCIPLE OF PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS PREDICATED ON OUTCOMES. IT REQUIRES YOU TO EXAMINE CONSTANTLY WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO UNDERSTAND ITS EFFECTIVENESS AND IF IT'S NOT WORKING TO CHANGE. GEOFF, I'M SURE EVERYONE HAS HEARD HIM TALKING ABOUT HAVING THAT SCRUS AM. WE TRIED TO, AS JIM AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN DESIGNING THE PROGRAM, ENSURE IT'S PREDICATED ON RESULTS AND OUTCOMES AND THOSE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE ATTENDING AN COMPLETING COLLEGE. I ALSO HAVE THE DEEP AND PROFOUND PLEASURE OF INTRODUCING GEO IF, T--GEOF TODAY. PARTICULARLY IN THIS ROOM HE DOESN'T NEAT NEED AN ENT INDUCTION BUT IT'S AN HONOR FOR ME TO DO IT ANYHOW. HE IS THE REAP WE ARE ALL HERE, THE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE. AS YOU KNOW THAT TARGETS ABOUT A HUPPED BLOCK REGION IN TAR LET ME WITH A SET OF COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES AIMED AT GETTING YOUNG PEOPLE SUCCESSFULLY THROUGH COLLEGE. IT'S HIS VISION, CREATIVITY TO CHANGING THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN HARLEM THAT HAS BEEN THE CATALYST FOR THE NATIONAL WAVE THAT WE ARE RIDING. THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CALLS THE HARLEM CHILDREN'S ONE ONE OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS SOCIAL EXPERIMENTS OF OUR TIME. IN OCTOBER 2005, HE WAS NAMED ONE OF AMERICA'S BEST LEADERS BY U.S. NEWS AND WORLD RECORD. GEOFF'S WORK WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS BUT HE HAS DONE MORE THAN ANSWER PHONE CALLS. WHEN PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCED THE INITIATIVE WE REALLY STARTED GETTING TO, WOULD. DESPITE THE FACT IT WAS EARLY IN THE PRIMARY IT SEEMED IMPROBABLE IT WOULD COME TO FRUITION, THEY TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY SERIOUSLY AND BEGAN PREPARING RESOURCES TO HELP AN OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SHOULD ONE ACTUALLY MATERIALIZE, MAXIMIZE SUCCESS WITH PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY RESEARCHED AND NALIZED AND MADE GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS AND DURING THE TRANSITION GEOFF AND ANGELA AND SOME OF THEIR COLLEAGUES TRAVELED TO WASHINGTON AND MET WITH MELANIE BARNS, THE DIRECTOR OF THE WHITE HOUSE POLICY COUNCIL, AND ME TO TALK ABOUT PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS. IT WAS SPITING--EXCITING BECAUSE HE CAME QUIPED WITH SO MUCH INFORMATION, SO MUCH THOUGHT, ANALYZED AND RESEARCHED AND HAD RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE COULD START MOVING THIS FORWARD. LONG BEFORE ELECTION DAY, AND WE WERE TRYING TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO GET STARTED WITH THE PRESIDENT'S AGENDA AND THIS HUGE GIFT HAD BEEN DEVELOPED FOR US AND IT WAS ENORMOUSLY BENEFICIAL. WE INDEALT--IB--INDEBTED TO THEIR WORK THAT HELPED US GET TO THIS PLACE AND IT'S MY REAL PLEASURE AND HONOR TO INTRODUCE GEOFF TODAY. >> (APPLAUSE.) >> THANK YOU, HEATHER, AND IT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE MY GOOD FRIEND JIM SHELTON. WE GO WAY BACK. I THINK THAT A NUMBER OF YOU ALL HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO. IT'S BEEN REALLY A PRETTY INTERESTING YEAR. A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON. A LOT OF MORE PEOPLE KNOW ME. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE ME AS MUCH AS THEY USED TO. JUST COMES WITH THE TERRITORY, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN, FOR US, AND THIS IS THE TEAM. AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT ANGELA GLOVER BLACKwell HAS BEEN MY PARTNER. SHE WAS ON THE ORIGINAL BOARD TO DEVELOP HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE MORE THAN 13 YEARS AGO. AND I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. BUT IT IS INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, HAVING BEEN AT THE SAME PLACE. I HAVE HAD THE SAME JOB FOR 28 YEARS. SOME PEOPLE SAY, OH, YEAH. I HAVE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME. NOW ALL OF THIS EXCITEMENT IS GOING ON, YOU KNOW, 60 MINUTES A COUPLE OF TIMES. I JUST HAVE TO TELL YOU ONE THING ABOUT 60 MINUTES, RIGHT? THIS IS AN INTERESTING TIME WE LIVE RIGHT NOW. I GREW UP IN THE TURMOIL OF THE '60S, I WENT TO COLLEGE IN 1970. ALL OF THIS STUFF WAS GOING ON. THE TIME WAS NIXON AND WATERGATE. IF YOU WERE A REAL SOCIAL JUSTICE PERSON, THE SHOW YOU TURNED ON EVERY SUNDAY, 7:00 P.M., 60 MINUTES. IF YOU WANTED TO SEE JUSTICE. BUT WHAT I NEVER UNDERSTOOD, WHY DID THOSE IDIOTS GO ON 60 MINUTES. RIGHT? IT WAS THE SAME FORMAT EVERY WEEK. RIGHT? THERE WOULD BE SOME SCOUNDREL, RIGHT? HE WAS ACCUSED OF POLLUTING THE WATER AND HE WOULD COME ON AND SIT THERE WITH MIKE WALLACE AND GOING THROUGH, AND MIKE WOULD BE GRILLING HIM AND HE WOULD BE SAYING, NO, I NEVER POLLUTED, MY COMPANY DOESN'T POLLUTE. AND MIKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT LIE, MIKE WOULD WHIP OUT THE FOLDER OF THE GUY DUMPING SLUDGE. AND I JUST SAT THERE AND SAID IT'S THE SAME FORMAT EVERY WEEK, WHY DO THESE IDIOTS GO ON 60 MINUTES. THEN THEY CALLED ME! >> (LAUGHTER.) >> SO YOU KNOW, THE LATE AND WONDERFUL ED BRADLEY, WHOM I HAD KNOWN FOR MANY YEARS, WE WERE GOING BACK AND FOR THE, AND SUDDENLY HE SAID, LET'S GET READY. AND ALL OF THE SMILES LEFT. THE GLASSES CAME DOWN. SAID WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT, TIME OUT ED. I SAID LOOK, IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING, LET'S GET TO IT RIGHT AWAY. DON'T DRAG ME ALONG IN THIS THING. BUT I AM, I WAS SO EXCITED THAT THE PRESIDENT WAS INTERESTED IN THIS WORK. BECAUSE WHAT I HAVE SAID TO OTHER PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY, THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX AND COMPLICATED EFFORT THAT WE'RE INVOLVED IN. AND IT'S NOT FOR EVERYBODY TO TRY TO DO. WE RECOGNIZE THAT. BUT IF THERE IS A BETTER PLAN, I SURE WANT TO HEAR IT. AND IF SOMEONE HAS A BETTER WAY TO DO THIS, PLEASE TELL ME. YOU WILL SAVE ME A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY AND HEART ACHE. BUT I, QUITE HONESTLY, DON'T KNOW OF WAY DO THIS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN THE MOST FRUSTRATING TO ME ABOUT THIS WHOLE INITIATIVE IS THAT PEOPLE KEEP WONDERING WHETHER OR NOT YOU CAN REPLICATE IT. RIGHT? AND I HAVE JUST BEEN FRUSTRATED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE ABSOLUTELY, YOU CAN REPLICATE IT. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, AND THIS I HEAR WHEREVER I GO IN THE NATION. I'LL RUN INTO SOMEONE AND THEY WILL SAY, GEOFF, IT'S WONDERFUL, WE BELIEVE IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE COULD DO IT. AND I SAID, ONLY IN OUR BUSINESS, RIGHT, WOULD YOU HAVE A RESPONSE LIKE THAT. BECAUSE IF THAT WAS THE CASE, SEE, I'LL OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THE FIRST HEART TRANSPLANT. RIGHT? FIRST TAME THEY EVER ATTEMPTED IT. THE PERSON LIFT LIKE 25 MINUTES. RIGHT? D AND THEN PEOPLE LIKE, WOW, 25 MINUTES. THAT WAS NOT SO BAD. NOW, BASED ON THAT, IT WAS ONLY ONE PERSON, ONLY ONE PERSON IN THE WORLD WHO COULD DO IT, A SOUTH AFRICAN. ONE IN THE WHOLE WORLD WHO HAD EVER DONE IT. BASED ON THAT WE SHOULD HAVE JUST ALL GIVEN UP. RIGHT? EVERYBODY SAID HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN DO IT SO WHY SHOULD WE LEARN? SCIENCES DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. NOW IT'S ROUTINE. EVERY CITY AND TOWN IN AMERICA YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO CAN DO HEART TRANSPLANTS. IT'S STILL COMPLICATED, STILL DIFFICULT, YOU STILL WANT THE GUY WHO GOT THE A, YOU KNOW. >> (LAUGHTER.) >> RIGHT. YOU DON'T WANT THE C STUDENT IN THERE, RIGHT. I DIDN'T DO SO GOOD ON THAT LITTLE VALUE OF--VALVE DEAL. TROUBLE WITH THAT. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING. COMPLICATED STUFF. REPLICATABLE? ABSOLUTELY. THERE'S NO MAGIC. THIS IS HARD WORK. I TELL THE PEOPLE THIS. ROSUI FROM MY TEAM AND ANGELA KNOWS THIS, THIS WASN'T EVEN MY IDEA. THIS WASN'T EVEN MY IDEA. WE WERE PART BLACK COMMUNITY CRUSADE FOR CHILDREN, HAD BEEN WORKING THREE YEARS ON HOW TO DEAL WITH THE CRISIS AS PART OF THE CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND, HOW TO DEAL WITH THE CRISIS IN BLACK AMERICA. WE HAD EXPERTS FROM EVERY AREA AND NO MATTER WHAT AREA, IT WAS HORROR SHOW. ADD LESSONS, HORROR SHOW, YOU START TALKING EARLY CHILDHOOD, EVERY WORK YOU WORK IT WAS A HORROR SHOW. WE GOT EXPERTS AND KEPT GOING AROUND AND ROUND A WHAT WE SHOULD DO BECAUSE WE HAD THESE TWIN PRESSURES, RIGHT? YOU HAD THE PRESSURE OF PEOPLE BEING IN CRISIS RIGHT NOW, THIS VERY SECOND. THEN YOU HAD PEOPLE THAT YOU KNEW WERE GOING TO BE IN CRISIS IF YOU DIDN'T DO SOMETHING. AND WE AROUND. CURRENTLY A GUY, OTIS JOHNSON, HE WAS MAYOR IN SAVANNA. STILL MAYOR? RIGHT? JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. A LOT OF CHANGES SINCE LAST WEEK. OH, NOT POLITICS HERE. OTIS FINALLY, A PROFESSOR, HE RAN THE SAVANNA KC INITIATIVE. FINALLY OUT OF FROM US TRACE, OTIS SAID--FRUSTRATION, OTIS SAID YES, THIS IS SO COMPLICATED, IF YOU WERE GOING TO DO THIS, YOU HAVE TO DO ALL THIS STUFF. AND ON THE BLACK BOARD HE LAID OUT THIS WHOLE complex THING. I LOOKED AT IT AND SAID MAKE SENSE. GOING TO DO THAT. AND THAT IS WHAT WE DID. WE JUST DID IT. PEOPLE SAID, WELL, NO, NO, NO. THIS WAS JUST LOGICAL, I THINK, PLAN, THAT SAID YOU HAD TO DO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS. AND YOU HAD TO DO THEM ALL AT ONES--ONCE AND ALL WELL. IT HAPPENED AT THE TIME WE WERE GOING THROUGH THIS I WAS LEARNING ABOUT ANGELA BLACKwell ABOUT THE USED OF DATA AND HOW CRITICAL IT WAS. WE BLEPPEDED THAT TOGETHER AND CAME UP WITH OUR CONCEPT FOR THE HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE. HEATHER MENTIONED SOME OF THOSE THINGS. LET ME REINFORCE, I THINK, WHY THESE CONSENTS ARE IMPORTANT. NOT PROGRAMS . THESE ARE CONCEPTS. TO ME THEY MADE A LOT OF SENSE. THE FIRST WAS WE BELIEVED IN SOME PLACES, THIS MAY NOT BE YOUR PLACE, BUT I BEIT IS. WE BELIEVED IN SOME PLACES THERE HAD BEEN SUCH AN ASSAULT ON COMMUNITY, ON THE FABRIC OF COMMUNITY, ON WHAT MAKES A COMMUNITY HEALTHY, THAT WE HAD TO REBUILD COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, IN LOTS OF PLACES, NEW YORK BEING ONE OF THEM, A LOT OF THE DETERIORATION OF COMMUNITY STARTED RIGHT AFTER THE VIETNAM WAR WHERE LOTS OF FOLKS CAME IN BACK FROM THE WAR WITH DRUG HABITS, *** BEGAN TO FLOOD IN AND DEVASTATED THE COMMUNITIES. IT CAME TO A TIME WHERE WE WERE EXPECTED TO HELP THE ELD LER, YOU SEE MISJOHNSON COMING UP WITH HER GROCERIES, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HELP HER UPSTAIRS WITH THE CAR, SET THE GROWS--GROCERIES ON THE TABLE. AND THIS WAS EXPECTED. AFTER *** WHERE YOU REALIZED THE PERSON WAS BREAKING INTO THE HOUSE THE NEXT WEEK TO STEAL YOUR TV, PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT YOU IN THEIR HOUSE. THE WHOLE NATURE OF COMMUNITY BEGAN TO CHANGE AND GOT WORSE AND WORSE THROUGHOUT THE '60S AND INTO THE '70S. AND WHEN I SAW CRISIS BEGIN TO GO DOWN, CRACK ***, ANOTHER DEVASTATION. YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION OF A SENSE OF COMMUNITY. WE THOUGHT IF YOU WERE GOING TO CHANGE A COMMUNITY'S OUTCOMES, YOU HAD TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, TO REWEAVE THE FACT--FABRIC OF COMMUNITY. PEOPLE LIKE TO WRITE ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS AS IF THAT IS WHAT WE DO. IF YOU WANT TO SAVE A FEW KIDS, START A SCHOOL. WE WANTED TO SAVE A COMMUNITY. YOU HAD TO HAVE LOTS OF OTHER STUFF. THE CREATION OF BLOCK ASSOCIATIONS AND TENANT ASSOCIATIONS AND GETTING THE COMMUNITY DEEPLY INVOLVED WITH RECREATING A VISION FOR THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW WHY THAT IS IMPORTANT? THIS FOLK DON'T UNDERSTAND UNLESS THEY HAVE BEEN IN A COMMUNITY WHERE THIS IS HAPPENING. IF THE IDEA OF SUCCESS IN A KID'S MIND IS GETTING AN EDUCATION AND LEAVING HARLEM, THEN WE ARE IN TROUBLE. RIGHT? BECAUSE ALL THAT MEANS IS EVERY TIME WE GET OUR KIDS THROUGH, THEY ARE GOING SOMEPLACE ELSE AND MAKING THOSE COMMUNITIES STRONGER, AND OUR COMMUNITY IS GETTING WEAKER. SO WE HAD TO CHANGE THE WHOLE CONCEPT. YOU GET ALL THE KIDS, THE ONES YOU CAN GET THROUGH, AND LOOK, WHEN WE GREW UP WE WERE TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE SOUTH BRONX. WE NEW IT WAS DYING. YOU SAID, I'M GOING TO GO SOMEWHERE, I WANT TO LIVE IN A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD. IF YOU DON'T DEAL WITH THE COMMUNITY, IF YOU JUST GET TO SCHOOL, AND THEY MAY GET AN EDUCATION BUT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE PART OF THE REBUILDING OF THAT COMMUNITY. AND WE THINK THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL IF YOU ARE GOING TO CHANGE THIS ISSUE. SO THE IDEA OF PHYSICALLY, WE WENT PHYSICALLY AND SAID HOW DO WE MAKE THIS PLACE LOOK LIKE A PLACE GOOD FOR CHILDREN. I WORK IN A COMMUNITY, I SAY A PLAYGROUND AND I SEE CRACK VIAL, WHO IS GOING TO BRING THEIR KID TO A PLACE LIKE THAT? THERE'S A REASON COMMUNITIES HAVE PLAY GROUNDS, BECAUSE KIDS NEED TO PLAY. RIGHT? I MEAN, IF THEY ARE NOT OUTSIDE, THEY ARE UP IN THE HOUSE DRIVING THEIR PARENTS CRAZY. YOU ARE GOING TO JUMP AND RUN, apartments AREN'T MADE FOR THAT. YOU CAN GO INTO THE COMMUNITY AND SAY THE IDEA FOR COMMUNITY WAS FOR US TO GET TOGETHER AS A GROUP AND MAKE IT EASE GER FOR US TO RAIDS OUR KIDS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. WHEN THE COMMUNITY IS WORKING AGAINST YOU THAT IS A PROBLEM. THIS IDEA OF REBUILDING COMMUNITY IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL. THE THING THAT FOLKS DON'T GET, AND IF ANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN THE AMERICAN EXPRESS COMMERCIAL, YOU THINK IT'S PROBABLY A COMMERCIAL BUT IT IS NOT. THIS WAS TOO BIG TO TRY AND DO ALL AT ONCE. SO OVERWHELMING, PEOPLE DID NOT BELIEVE YOU COULD CHANGE COMMUNITY. I'M GOING TO GET IN TROUBLE. ANYONE HERE FROM KANSAS CITY? ONE PERSON. I'M NOT GOING TO GET IN THAT MUCH TROUBLE UNLESS YOU TELL. SO THIS IS THE CHALLENGE THAT PEOPLE HAVE. RIGHT? SO I BEGAN TO TRY AND EXPLAIN TO FOLK, YOU GO INTO COMMUNITY, PEOPLE ARE SO USED TO FAILING. YOU KNOW HOW MANY DIFFERENT INITIATIVES WERE STARTED IN HARLEM TO TRY AND CHANGE HARLEM? THEY HAD ONE IN THE '60S, ONE IN THE '70S, ONE IN THE '80S, ONE IN THE '90S. SO HERE I COME SAYING I HAVE IT. AND PEOPLE ARE LIKE, OH, HERE IS ANOTHER PLAN. IN FACT A BUNCH OF CARPET BAGGERS, COME IN AND START SOMETHING AND LEAVE AND NOTHING EVER CHANGES. SO I'M IN KANSAS CITY AND TALKING ABOUT THE NEED TO GET A HANDLE ON THIS. AND THE TO EX--THE FOLKS THERE SAID TO ME, GEOFF, I KNOW YOU DID THAT BUT THAT WAS HARLEM BUT THIS IS KANSAS CITY. LIKE YOU DID THE EASY PLACE. THEY WERE SERIOUS TOO. EVERYBODY WAS SHAKING THEIR HEADS, YEP, YEP. SO I GOT SO UPSET, RIGHT? I SAID LOOK, I SAID LOOK, SO I HAD TO TELL THEM A TRUE STORY. THIS IS A TRUE STORY. I SAID, 15 YEARS AGO THERE WAS A BIG FOUNDATION THAT WANTED TO DO COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY BUILDING INITIATIVES. AND I WAS TRYING TO GET THEM TO DO HARLEM. THEY SAID TO ME, THEY LOOKED AT HARLEM, AND IT WAS SUCH A WAR ZONE. ABANDONED BUILDINGS, TRASH ALL OVER EVERYWHERE, SCHOOLS TOTALLY INEFFECTIVE. BUREAUCRACY ALL BIG AND THEY SAID GEOFF, WE KNOW YOU ARE SERIOUS BUT YOU CAN'T DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN HARLEM. WE HAVE TO GO TO A MIDSIZE PLACE THAT HAS SOME POSSIBILITY OF SUCCESS LIKE KANSAS CITY. THAT WAS THAT IS WHAT THEY SAID. SO WHEN I TOLD THE PEOPLE IN KANSAS CITY THAT, THEY STARTED TO LAUGH AND THEY GOT THE POINT. I SAID LOOK, GUYS, LOOK, I HEAR THINGS HAVE NOT WORKED FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, BUT THE IDEA THAT YOU COULD COME IN AND REBUILD THAT INFRASTRUCTURE SO PEOPLE FEEL DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITIES, SO THEY DON'T THINK THIS IS A PLACE PEOPLE HAVE TO LEAVE, WE THINK IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL. NOW, THE SECOND ISSUE, WHICH I THINK WAS MENTIONED, IS THE TWIN TENSION. WE BELIEVE YOU START EARLY. RIGHT? START EARLY, AS EARLY, THE MOMENT OF CONCEPTION, WE KNOW THERE ARE CHALLENGES THAT BEGIN RIGHT THERE. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN, AND THIS IS ONE THING THAT I THINK WE HAVE REALLY NAILED. YOU CAN WORK WITH A KID TWO OR THREE YEARS IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND THINK THEY ARE GOING TO BE FINE, RIGHT? YOU WORK WITH THEM THREE YEARS, FOUR YEARS, YEAH, YOU'RE FINE. I GOT YOU OFF TO A GOOD START. THAT DON'T WORK. NEVER HAS WORKED IN OUR COMMUNITIES. IT'S NOT LIKE THE PROGRAMS AREN'T GOOD. SO PEOPLE SOMETIMES THINK I'M CRITICIZING A PROGRAM. NO. IT IS THAT EVERY AGE, EVERY DEVELOPMENTEL STAGE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, THERE ARE CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS FOR THESE KIDS. AND IF YOU DON'T DEAL WITH THOSE, IF YOU THINK YOU GET OUR KIDS OFF TO A GOOD START IN ELEMENTRY SCHOOL AND YOU ARE GOING TO SENDS THEM TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE FINE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT COMMUNITY YOU ARE FROM, BUT THAT AIN'T HAPPENING IN HARLEM. YOU THINK HIGH SCHOOL EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE GOOD? NO IT IS NOT. WE FOUND OUT EVEN IF YOU SEND THEM TO COLLEGE, IF YOU THINK THEY ARE COMING HOME WITH DEGREES? YOU THINK SOMETIMES, BOY, I'M PRETTY STUPID. I DON'T KNOW WHY I DIDN'T GET THIS THING. I USED TO THINK, GET KIDS TO COLLEGE AND THEY WILL BE FINE. I HAVE GROWN KIDS. NOT LIKE I SENT THEM BACK TO COLLEGE AND FOUR YEARS LATER CAME BACK WITH DEGREES. ANYONE WHO SENDS A KID TO COLLEGE, YOU KNOW YOU SPEND A THE LO OF TIME AND ENERGY TRYING TO GET THAT KID TO GET THROUGH. SO WHY WE ARE TRYING TO SEND DISADVANTAGED KIDS WITH NO INFRASTRUCTURE, NO SUPPORT, IN HISTORY OF BEING ABLE TO BE IN COLLEGE AND THEY ARE GOING TO GET THROUGH COLLEGE? WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT. SO WE BELIEVE IN THE END HAVE YOU TO STAY WITH KIDS THROUGH COLLEGE. UNTIL THEY GET A COLLEGE DEGREE. THIS IS WHAT WE CALL THE PIPELINE. STARTS AT BIRTH AND STAYING THROUGH COLLEGE. I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I HAD ONE OF MY KIDS COME HOME THIS YEAR FROM COLLEGE. RIGHT? WE HAVE 630 KIDS IN COLLEGE RIGHT NOW. SHE CAME TO ME AND SAID MR. CANADA, I HAD A GREAT COLLEGE DREER AND--CAREER AND I WANT TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE PROGRAM IS. I SAID IT DOESN'T. IT IS OVER, RIGHT? CAN WE JUST GET THERE? I KNOW, I KNOW. SO THIS IS THE CHALLENGE THAT I THINK WE ALL WANT. IN THE END, THOUGH, THIS IS ABOUT REALLY GETTING OUR CHILDREN TO BE COME PET 26TIVE. THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE COMPETITIVE IF WE CAN'T GET THEM TO PLACE WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO EXCEED FOR JOBS IN THIS NEW ECONOMY. SO THAT IS WHY WE THINK YOU HAVE TO STAY WITH THESE KIDS AND GET THEM THROUGH. NOW, WE INVESTED VERY HEAVILY EARLY ON. RIGHT? IF YOU LOOK AT MY EARLY YEARS, I PUT 70 PERCENT OF ALL MY RESOURCES IN KIDS FROM TEN BELOW AND 30 PERCENT IN SORT OF MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL. PEOPLE AT THAT TIME SAID TO ME, WHY? I SAID LOOK, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ACTUALLY FIX THIS AT SOME POINT. RIGHT? THAT IF WE GET THOSE YOUNG KIDS AND GET THEM ON GRADE LEVEL, WE HAVE THIS THING FIXED. AND IF WE DON'T DO THAT, TEN YEARS LATER, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM. SO YOU KNOW, THOSE KIDS THAT WE STARTED WITH WHO WERE IN, YOU KNOW, THE FOURTH GRADE, TEN YEARS AGO, THOSE KIDS ARE IN COLLEGE NOW. THAT IS HOW YOU WANT TO FIX THIS THING. WHEN YOU REALLY WRANT TO GET THIS DONE. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS. I'M TELLING YOU EXACTLY WHAT WE DID. WE DECIDED, WE ALWAYS DID WORK WITH THE ADOLESCENTS BUT WE REALLY FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE WE REACHED ENOUGH OF THOSE YOUNG KIDS THAT TEN YEARS FROM NOW WE WOULD SAY, OKAY, WE THINK WE GOT THIS THING DONE. AND THIS IS THE ISSUE OF CREATING THESE PIPELINES, THIS TWIN TENSION OF DO YOU BEGIN EARLY, HOW IS IT YOU WORK WITH THE ADOLESCENTS. WE BELIEVE THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE ROLE MODELS SO THE KIDS IN YOUR COMMUNITIES ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO GROW UP. IF YOU ARE GROWING UP IN HARLEM, TEN YEARS AGO MEANT CHANCES ARE YOU ARE GOING TO BE HUSTLING, DRINKING, SMOKING, GOING TO PARTIES. BUT NO ONE THOUGHT IT MEANT GOING TO COLLEGE. NO ONE THOUGHT IT MEANT GETTING JOBS. NO ONE THOUGHT IT MEANT COMING IN AND BEING AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN REBUILDING YOUR COMMUNITY. SO WE NEEDED A GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE TO STAND UP AND SAY THIS HAS CHANGED, THIS IS DIFFERENT. THAT IS WHAT WE DID IN THE FIRST FIVE OR SIX YEARS. WE REACHED 30 PERCENT OF OUR ADOLESCENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE DEEPLY ENGAGED IN LEADERSHIP STUFF. SO MY YOUNGER KIDS COULD SEE A VISION OF THEMSELVES AS THEY GOT OLDER. SO THIS IDEA OF PIPELINE FOR US IS REALLY IMPORTANT. THE THIRD THING REALLY HAS TO DO WITH THIS ISSUE OF WRAP AROUND SERVICES. RIGHT? AND PEOPLE ARE CONSTANTLY WANTING TO DEBATE ME ON IS THIS JUST ABOUT PURE EDUCATION. RIGHT? TEST SCORES, WRITTEN, WELL, YES, IT IS. A LOT OF TIME WORRYING ABOUT THAT. BUT WE ARE TRYING TO REBUILD A COMMUNITY. IN MY COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, 30 PERCENT OF MY KIDS HAVE ASTHMA AND I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE MY KIDS GOING INTO THE EMERGENCY ROOMS AND MISSING SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY HAVE ASTHMA. WE HAVE THIS HUGE OBESITY ISSUE. I'M NOT GOING TO LET MY KIDS ALL GROW UP TO GET SICK IN THEIR 20S AND 30S BECAUSE NO ONE HELPED THEM DEAL WITH EXERCISE AND NUTRITION AND DIET IN A WAY THAT IS HEALTHY. INDEED, I BELIEVE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE NEED ARTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE NEED SPORTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE NEED ALL OF THE SORT OF CULTURAL ENRICHMENTS THAT MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE TAKE FOR GRANTED. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COME AND ALWAYS WANT TO BEAT UP ON ME ABOUT THIS ISSUE. YOU KNOW, YOU DO ALL THESE SERVICES, AND IF THIS PROGRAM DOESN'T DO THE SERVICES AND THEY GOT GOOD RESULTS, AND YOU DO THE SERVICES AND YOUR RESULTS IS NO BETTER, WHY DO YOU DO THOSE SERVICES. AND I ALWAYS WANT TO ASK THEM, IF YOUR OWN CHILD'S TEETH WERE BAD, WOULD YOU FIX THEM? I MEAN, WHY IF I'M WORKING WITH SOME KID WOULD I DO LESS FOR THAT CHILD THAN I WOULD DO FOR MY OWN KID? IF YOU HAVE SEEN A KID WHO WAS SICK, WOULD YOU IGNORE HIM AND SAY JUST GET YOUR BOOKS AND STUDY FOR HOME WORK? ESDOANT--DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. THAT IS HOW FEEL ABOUT SOMEBODY ELSE'S CHILD. WE FEEL THE CONCEPT IS WE TAKE CARE OF OUR KIDS. WE DO THE TOUGH STUFF AROUND READING AND MATH AND GRADES, YES, BUT IF KIDS ARE SICK YOU MAKE THEM HEALTHY. IF THEY DON'T EXERCISE YOU ALLOW THEM TO EXERCISE. IF THIS E DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO THEY ENDS UP DRINKING AND DOING DRUGS. YOU GIVE THEM FUN THINGS TO DO SO KIDS HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES. I HAVE YET TO MEET A PERSON WITH MONEY WHO EVER QUESTIONED WHETHER THE CHILD NEEDED TO BE A PART OF THE SOCCER TEAM. NEVER SAY I DON'T THINK IT'S RAISING THEIR READING SCORE SO I DON'T THINK I'M GOING TO LET THEM PLAY SOCCER. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SOME OF THIS, WHEN YOU'RE A PARENT, YOU DO THINGS THAT ARE HEALTHY FOR YOUR CHILD AND GETTING YOUR CHILD INVOLVED IN HEALTHY ACTIVITIES ARE CRITICAL. BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. WE THINK THIS IDEA OF REBUILDING A NEIGHBORHOOD MEANS THAT YOU HAVE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CHILDREN'S NEEDS ARE BEING MET. AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT IN EVERY PART OF THE COMMUNITY. IN EVERY PART OF THE COUNTRY YOU ARE GOING TO FIND DIFFERENT ISSUES. NOT WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO BUT WHAT YOU NEED TO DO FOR YOUR YOUNG PEOPLE SOME PLACES HAVE PLENTY OF SPACE FOR KIDS TO GO OUTSIDE AND THAT IS A PRIORITY. IN HARLEM IT'S A PRIORITY. WE DON'T HAVE SPACE FOR KIDS TO ACTUALLY PLAY AND EXERCISE. THE STREETS AREN'T SAFE AND YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THOSE ISSUES. THIS IDEA OF WRAP AROUND SERVICES WE THINK IS CRITICAL IF WE ARE GOING TO REALLY HAVE HEALTHY COMMUNITIES. LET'S GET BACK TO THE SCHOOL ISSUE, THOUGH. BECAUSE SCHOOLS ARE A KEY PART OF THIS. IN THE END, YOU WOULDN'T BE HERE IF THE SCHOOLS IN YOUR COMMUNITY WERE WORKING. RIGHT? THAT IS PART OF THE REASON KIDS AREN'T DOING WELL. THIS IS ALL ABOUT IN THE END THE KIDS HAVE TO GET A GOOD EDUCATION. AND HERE IS A YIR THAT I JUST LIKE TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR POSITION IS, NOT WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, BUT WHAT OUR POSITION WAS. OUR POSITION IS EVERY CHILD IN OUR ZONE, 10,000, 11,000 KIDS, WE MAKE THE SAME GUARANTEE TO THOSE KIDS THAT I MAKE FOR THE KIDS WHO GO TO MY CHARTER SCHOOL. IF YOU GO TO MY CHARTER SCHOOL, 1200 KIDS THERE, THE MAXIMUM CHARTER SCHOOL, 2400, MOST OF MY KIDS WILL ALWAYS BE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL. IF YOU ARE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL AND YOU ARE PART OF MY PROGRAM, I MAKE THE SAME GUARANTEE. I GUARANTEE YOUR CHILD GOING TO GO TO COLLEGE AND WE'RE GOING TO GET YOUR CHILD THROUGH COLLEGE. YOU ARE IN MY SCHOOLS I GUARANTEE. IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SAME GUARANTEE. PEOPLE GET THIS CONFUSED. PEOPLE ONLY FOCUS ON OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS AS IF WE DON'T SPEND OUR TIME, RESOURCES AND ENERGY IN ALL THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. IN ALL THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE ZONE, I ACTUALLY HAVE MY WORKERS IN THE CLASSROOM DURING THE SCHOOL DAY. WE USE AAMERICORPS WORK IS FOR THAT. THEY ARE PART OF THE FABRIC OF THE SCHOOL. WE HAVE AFTER SCHOOL AND SUMMER PROGRAMS IN THOSE SCHOOLS. THIS IDEA OF WHAT YOUR TARGET SCHOOLS ARE, WE THINK THE SCHOOLS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE THE TARGET SCHOOLS. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SUPPORTING THOSE SCHOOLS. WE ACTUALLY RAISE MONEY TO GIVE SCHOOLS EXTRA MONEY FOR THEM TO DO THINGS LIKE RUN SATURDAY PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOL SO THAT THE KIDS CAN HAVE A LONGER SCHOOL DAY. SO OUR IDEA IS IT'S A FAULTY AND PHONE YO DISTINCTION BETWEEN CHARTER AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THIS IS REALLY ABOUT CREATING BETTER SCHOOLS FOR KIDS. IN OUR ZONE WE WANT OUR SCHOOLS TO DO BETTER. AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ADVANTAGE WE HAVE IS THAT IF YOU WORK WITH KIDS IN ELEMENTRY SCHOOL, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM, WHEN THEY ARE OUTSIDE ELEMENTRY SCHOOL, THAT IS NOT YOUR PROBLEM. THAT STAYS MY PROBLEM. RIGHT? THAT STAYS MY PROBLEM FOR THAT KID'S ENTIRE CAREER AS A CHILD. THAT IS MY PROBLEM. SO THEY DIDN'T GET A GOOD ELEMENTRY SCHOOL, WE HAVE TO GET THEM INTO A GOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL AND CATCH THOSE KIDS UP. IF IT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, THEN HIGH SCHOOL. THOSE KIDS STAY AS OUR RESPONSIBILITY. IF THEY ARE IN MY SCHOOLS, IT'S EASIER FOR KNEE MANAGE THAT. BUT MY STAFF DOES NOT GET OFF THE HOOK BECAUSE OF THAT. THEY HAVE THE SAME SET OF OUTCOMES FOR ALL THE KIDS WHETHER IN MY CHARTER SCHOOLS OR NOT. THEY HAVE TO GET THESE KIDS THROUGH. NOW, SCALE. THIS ISSUE WAS ONE OF THE MOST COMPLICATED THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH, THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO TOUCH ENOUGH LIVES, I THINK, TO CHANGE THE CULTURE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE IN A COMMUNITY. IF THE CULTURE IN HARLEM WAS, AND IT WAS, IF YOU'RE SMART KID, YOU BETTER NOT EVER SHOW IT, BECAUSE IF YOU SHOW IT, YOU RISK, YOU'RE IN PERIL. YOUR PHYSICAL SAFETY. KIDS WOULD BEAT YOU UP. I NEVER DID GET THAT WHOLE BEAT YOU UP THING IF YOU ACT SMART. KIDS WILL BEAT YOU UP. YOU CAN'T LOOK LIKE YOU WANT TO BE, AND YOU CAN'T TALK LIKE YOU WANT TO BE EDUCATED. RIGHT? THAT IS AGAINST THE CULTURE. THE CULTURE IS YOU WANT TO ACT LIKE A THUG. THAT IS THE CULTURE. ANY KID THAT BUCKS THAT DOES SO AT THEIR OWN PERIL. SO YOU CREATE A NICE LITTLE ISOLATED OASIS, A BLOCK OR TWO, YOUR KIDS ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE EXCEPTION. WE WANT THE KIND OF BEHAVIORS THAT WE THINK LEADS TO HEALTHY YOUTH DEVELOPMENT TO BE THE RULE, NOT THE EXCEPTION. WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE, OH, IN THIS TWO BLOCKS KIDS THINK RUN WAY BUT THREE BLOCKS AWAY EVERYBODY THINKS SOMETHING ELSE. SO THERE'S 11,000 KIDS IN OUR ZONE, ABOUT 8,000 OF THOSE KIDS ARE IN MY PROGRAM. WE BELIEVE THAT KIDS DO WHAT THEIR FRIENDS DO. FRIENDS DRINK, YOU DRINK. FRIENDS FIGHT, YOU FIGHT. JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CONTACT, WE DON'T THINK YOU CAN ACTUALLY CHANGE THE KINDS OF BEHAVIORS WE THINK THAT YOU REALLY NEED TO CHANGE. SO THIS ISSUE FOR SCALE FOR US, BUT AGAIN, WE DIDN'T START WITH 8,000. RIGHT? WE DIDN'T START WITH 8,000. WE GREW THIS SLOWLY OVER TIME. WE HAVE BEEN AT THIS NOW TEN YEARS. WE GROW YOU THIS SLOWLY OVER TIME. THE IDEA WITH A IS TO REACH ENOUGH KIDS THAT YOU ACTUALLY GET A CRITICAL MASS. NOW, AS I MENTIONED, THIS DATA DRIVEN ISSUE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE KIND OF DATA WE COLLECT AND THE KIND OF TIME WE SPEND ON DATA IN THE ORGANIZATION, SOME OF YOU MIGHT CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT DOING THIS. IT IS JUST A NEVER-ENDING SERIES OF MEETINGS. BECAUSE THIS IS THE ONE THING I WILL GUARANTEE YOU. YOU DO THIS WORK, THERE ARE GOING TO BE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE NOT GOING TO WORK. JUST NO WAY AROUND IT. TRY SOME STUFF AND IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO WORK. AND WHEN WE BEGAN TO CHANGE OUR ORGANIZATION FROM ONE WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT THINGS, HOW THINGS ARE GOING, THINGS ARE GOOD, KIDS GOING WELL, THEY SEEM TO BE HAPPY, TO ONE WHERE SHOW ME THE NUMBERS? PEOPLE WERE NOT HAPPY IN MY ORGANIZATION. PEOPLE USED TO SAY, GEOFF USED TO LOVE KIDS. NOW ALL HE CARES ABOUT ARE NUMBERS. CAN'T TALK TO THE GUY, HE DON'T WANT TO HEAR THE STORIES NO MORE, YOU KNOW, GEOFF, LET ME TELL YOU THIS STORY, I HAD THIS, NO, NO, NO, GIVE ME THE NUMBERS. PUT THEM ON THE BOARD. BECAUSE TOO MANY KIDS CAN'T HEAR THE STORIES. STORIES DON'T REPRESENT WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON. IT'S HARD TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON. AND YOU KNOW, AS CHALLENGING AS IT IS, AND IT IS A CHALLENGE, ALL RIGHT, I HAVE FOUR FULL TIME EVALUATORS, WOULD GO FOR ME, IT IS A CHALLENGE MAKING SENSE OF THOSE NUMBERS AND USING THOSE NUMBERS TO DRIVE RESULTS. IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON. AND IT'S TAKEN SOME TIME BUT MY TEAM NOW LEADS WITH THE NUMBERS. I'M GOING TO TELL YOU THIS. THIS MAY NOT BE YOUR EXPERIENCE. MAYBE THIS IS A REGIONAL THING. BUT THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE. GORGE CALDO, MY CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, WE HAVE BEEN TOGETHER A LONG TIME WITH RASUI. PEOPLE HAVE TO COME IN AND PRESENT THEIR DATA. GOES UP ON THE BOARD AND WE LOOK AT HOW PEOPLE ARE DOING. WE KNOW THE LONGER YOU TALK BEFORE YOU PUT YOUR DATA UP, THE WORSE THAT DATA IS. RIGHT? PERSON COMES UP, DOING A PRESENTATION IN FRONT OF 20 OF US SITTING AROUND WITH OUR PADS AND STUFF, THEY SAY GEOFF, WE HAVE HAD A REALLY REALLY GREAT START, AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WILL FIND, STAFF ARE REALLY WORKING HARD, AND YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE TRIP WE TOOK WITH THE KIDS, AND I'M SITTING THERE SAYING, THIS AIN'T GOING TO BE GOOD. AND THE PEOPLE WITH GREAT DATA, THIS IS WHAT THEY DO. IF YOU LOOK HERE, WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR, OKAY, WE ABOUT TO SEE SOG GOOD NOW. THEY ARE GOING TO SHOW ME THERE'S BEEN REAL MOVE. AND--MOVEMENT AND THEY ARE PROUD OF THAT. THIS IS A CONSTANT WORK OF ART. IN THE END THIS DATA ALLOWS YOU I THINK TO MANAGE TOWARDS RESULTS. BECAUSE PART OF WHAT GOES WITH THE DATA COMES ACCOUNTABILITY. RIGHT. IN THE END, WE BELIEVE, AND PEOPLE ARE SOMETIMES, I THINK, HEAR THIS THE WRONG WAY. WE REALLY BELIEVE ALL CHILDREN CAN LEARN. AND WE THINK IT'S THE ADULTS' JOB TO TEACH THEM. THAT DOES NOT MEAN EVERY ADULT CAN TEACH EVERY CHILD. RIGHT? BUT WE BELIEVE THERE ARE ADULTS WHO CAN COME INTO OUR COMMUNITIES AND DELIVER SUCCESS. AND SO WE USE THE DATA TO FIGURE OUT WHO THOSE ADULTS ARE. RIGHT? AND THIS IS ONE THING I WILL GUARANTEE YOU. IF IN THE END YOU ONLY KEEP THE ADULTS WHO WILL SUCCEED, YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. RIGHT? JUST BY DEFINITION. OR ELSE YOU WON'T HAVE ANY PROGRAM. YOU HAVE NO STAFF. RIGHT? BUT PEOPLE FIND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT IN THE END, IF THOSE NUMBERS AREN'T GOING THE RIGHT WAY, IT'S THE ADULT'S FAULT. WE DID OUR OBESITY, TOOK US FOUR YEARS TO COME UP WITH A PROGRAM THAT WOULD WORK BECAUSE WE KEPT HIRING PEOPLE, AND I WOULD SAY HOW IS THE PROGRAM, AND THEY SAY, THIS IS WONDERFUL, WE WOULD TALK ABOUT IT. LET ME SEE THE NUMBERS. ALL THE KIDS ARE GETTING FATTER. I DON'T GET THIS. THEY SAID DON'T BE WORRIED ABOUT THAT, YOU SHUNED BE CONCERNED. I SAID I shouldn't? THEY SAID NO, BECAUSE WHAT IS HAPPENING, THIS WHOLE COMPLICATED THING. I SAID THAT IS NOT WORKING FOR ME. I GOT SOMEBODY WITH EVEN MORE DEGREES. I SAID THIS PERSON DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH. CAME BACK A YEAR LATER, HOW ARE THE KIDS? EVERYTHING IS GREAT, GOOD, LOOKING AT THE DATA. LET ME SEE THE DATA. KIDS ALL GETTING HEAVY YEAR. I SAID LOOK, THEY HAD AN EVEN MORE COMPLICATED AND SOPHISTICATED REASON WHY I SHOULD NOT BE CONCERNED. GOT RID OF THOSE PEOPLE. NOW NOBODY WANTS TO TAKE THAT JOB. BUT WE FOUND SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY IS DRIVING THOSE. YOU KNOW WHAT, MY KIDS ARE LOSING WEIGHT. THE DATA IS CLEAR. THE KIDS ARE LOSING WEIGHT. THE EXPERTS TOLD ME, RIGHT, IT COULDN'T HAPPEN. I'M JUST TELLING YOU THE TRUTH. THIS IS JUST IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, COME LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. QUITE AMAZING. SO THE QUESTION WAS NEVER WHETHER IT COULD BE DONE. THE ONLY QUESTION WAS DID WE HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON TO DO THE WORK. AND IF I HAD STUCK WITH THAT PERSON WITH THE PH.D. BECAUSE IF I WANTED TO GET fundED, THEY WERE THE PERson. THEY NEW THE STUFF COLD. PROBLEM WAS THEY COULDN'T DRIVE THE RESULTS. O THIS IS ABOUT IN THE END, IS IT MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. LET ME JUST SAY THIS LAST ISSUE, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS SUGGEST THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO DO WHAT IS NEEDED TO BE DONE. NEVER A THOUGHT THERE'S ANY ONE PROGRAM OR STRATEGY GOING TO WORK EVERYWHERE IN AMERICA. EVERY YEAR WE ARE ADD ADJUSTING BECAUSE OF SOME ISSUE THAT DIDN'T EXIST A YEAR AGO. WE SAY LOOK, THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT OUR COMMUNITIES. THE ABILITY TO HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE BUT AT THE SAME TIME MAKE SURE YOU HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUES BECAUSE THEY ARE OUR ISSUES, WE THINK, AS PART OF THIS WORK. LET ME CLOSE WITH THIS LAST STORY, A TRUE STORY THAT I TELL ABOUT THIS ISSUE OF ACCOUNTABILITY. WHEN GOING FIRE MYSELF. I SAID IT PUBLICLY AND EVERYBODY SAID OH, YEAH, WHAT YEAR IS IT? FIVE YEARS, RIGHT? YEP. THEN WHEN THEY LEFT I GOT MY ENTIRE STAFF IN AND I SAID, YOU ALL KNOW I'M THE LAST ONE LEAVING, RIGHT? SO LET'S JUST, WHEN. >> (LAUGHTER.) >> YOU KNOW WHAT, NOBODY WHO WORKS FOR ME THINKS I WAS KIDDING. THIS IS THE DEAL. RIGHT? THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT STUFF WE'RE DOING. AND IT'S NOT EASY. IF IT WAS EASY SOMEONE WOULD HAVE DONE IT A LONG TIME AGO. THIS IS NOT EASY. AND IT'S A CHALLENGE AND WE HAVE TO BE SCIENTIFIC ABOUT USING THE DATA, DRIVING THE RESULTS, RELENTLESS, MAKING SURE THAT WHAT WE ARE DOING, THE RESOURCES ARE GOING TO HELP AND SUPPORT CHILDREN. BUT IN THE END, IS IT DOABLE? ABSOLUTELY DOABLE. AND I'M SURE FROM EVERYTHING I HAVE SEEN, WE HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE ROOM TO DO IT. CONGRATULATIONSS, EVERYBODY. >> (APPLAUSE.) >> BEFORE WE GO TO THE FULL PANELS, I WANT TO TAKE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. THERE ARE MIKES HERE AND HERE. IF YOU LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION, COME UP. WE WILL ONLY DO TEN MINUTES OF QUESTIONS, SO GET THERE FAST. >> I WAS HOPING THIS COULD BE RESERVED FOR DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES BECAUSE WE WORK SO HARD THAT WE CANNOT STAY AWAY FROM OUR DESKS MORE THAN AN HOUR. THERE WILL BE A LONG Q AND A FOR EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE END. ANY QUESTIONS FROM ED EMPLOYEES? BETTER SPEAK UP OR I'LL OPEN UP TO EVERYBODY. >> A LITTLE SHOCKING. >> MY NAME IS LISA AND I'M WITH THE OFFICE OF MIG GRANT EDUCATION. I HAVE A QUESTION THAT HAS TO DEAL MORE WITH THE CLIMATE OF THE SCHOOLS AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE LEADERS, BEING YOURSELF AND OTHERS IF YOU HAVE. WHEN YOU ARE TIRED AND EXHAUSTED AND ALL THE ANSWERS ARE NO, WHERE DO YOU GO TO KEEP ON CRAWLING TO THE NEXT STEP? >> SOUNDS LIKE SOMEONE WHO HAS WORK WITH PUBLIC SCHOOLS. LOOK, THAT IS ACTUALLY A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE THIS IS THE PART OF THIS THAT IS THE WORK THAT IS REAL. RIGHT? ONE OF THE REASONS SCHOOLS ARE ABLE TO STAY LOUSY FOR SO LONG IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE INFINITE ABILITY TO WEAR DOWN OUTSIDERS WHO TRY TO CHANGE THEM. RIGHT? I MEAN, I'M BEING SERIOUS. THAT IS THE ONE THING THEY ARE GOOD AT. THEY ARE NOT GOOD AT EDUCATING KIDS, BUT THEY ARE GOOD AT FINALLY GETTING PEOPLE TO GIVE UP AND SAY OKAY, YOU KNOW, I SPENT YEARS DOING THIS, THIS THING IS NOT WORKING. LET ME TELL YOU WHAT WE HAVE NEVER HAD BEFORE. WE HAVE NEVER HAD A PRESIDENT WHO SAID, THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE AND WE'RE GOING TO SOLVE THIS. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY. JUST NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. WE HAVE NEVER HAD A MOVIE PUSHING ON THIS INDUSTRY EXPOSING, I THINK, A LOT OF THE SORT OF REALLY LOUSY PRACTICE THAT IS GOING ON. WE HAVE NEVER HAD A GROUP OF BOTH REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WHO SAID WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT EDUCATION. SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN IN THE TRENCHES AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE BEEN BEATING DOWN, AND I CERTAINLY KNOW WHAT THAT IS LIKE, THIS IS REALLY A NEW DAY. AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT IN JUST SORT OF A WORD. I'M SAYING THAT IS FOR REAL. BOTH THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION HERE PUSHING ON HIM, YOU GET RIGHT TO THE TOP. THAT IS REVOLUTIONARY JUST IN TERMS OF GETTING STATES TO DEAL WITH STUFF SOME OF US HAVE BEEN YELLING ABOUT FOR YEARS. SO IN INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS THERE'S STILL A BELIEF THIS IS BUSINESS AS USUAL, RIGHT? I THINK WE HAVE A LOT MORE TOOLS THAN WE USED TO HAVE IN OUR KIT. ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS, IT'S BEING RUN OUT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. YOU HAVE PEOPLE HERE LIKE JIM SHELTON WHO KNOW EDUCATION COLD. AND I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT MORE PRESSURE ON THESE INSTITUTIONS TO DO THE RIGHT THING. RIGHT? I THINK THAT SCHOOL SAYING TO ME JUST AS A REGULAR PERSON, NO, IS DIFFERENT THAN SAYING, OH, THIS IS A NATIONAL PROGRAM BEING SUPPORTED BY THE PRESIDENT AND THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION. I THINK IT'S GOING TO GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN UP THAT CLOSED SYSTEM A LITTLE BIT MORE. >> ALL RIGHT. MY NAME IS MICHAEL ROBINS. I'M HERE WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND WORK ON NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERSHIPS . WHEREVER WE GO THIS ISSUE IS HUGE. I LOVE YOUR EMPHASIS ON ACCOUNTABILITY. HOW DO WE PROMOTE JOINT ACCOUNTABILITY BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN WAY THAT WORKS FOR KIDS? >> THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION. I THINK, BY THE I WITH A, THIS IS--BY THE WAY, THIS IS GOING TO BE THE MOST PROMISING PART OF THE PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS, THIS JOINT ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUE. I TELL YOU, THIS IS HOW IT'S ALWAYS BEEN. WHEN SCHOOLS HAVE FAILED, WE BLAME THE SCHOOLS. RIGHT? WHEN SCHOOLS SUCCEED, THEY TAKE THE CREDIT. RIGHT? SO IF YOU WORK IN A SCHOOL AND THE SCHOOL IS LOUSY AND IT FAILS, YOU BLAME THE SCHOOL. IF THE SCHOOL IS DOING SUCCESSFUL AND YOU WORK IN A SCHOOL, YOU CLAIM SOME OF THE CREDIT. MY THEER, IN PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS THIS IS A JOINT ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUE. IN THE END IF SCHOOLS ARE FAILING, IT'S THOSE OF US WHO ARE BOTH IN THE SCHOOL AND THOSE OF US WHO WORK IN THE SCHOOL WILL HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOME PLANS. THE ONE THING WE HAVE DIFFERENT NOW THAN I THINK WE HAD BEFORE IS THAT WE REALLY HAVE SOME STRATEGIES THAT ARE WORKING. AND EVEN BUILT INTO SOME NEW CONTRACTS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND OTHER PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO THINK ABOUT SCHOOL DURING SCHOOL, AFTER SCHOOL, WHAT IS HAPPENING ON SATURDAYS, WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE SUMMERTIME NOW, THAT I THINK WE HAVE TO BRIDGE THIS ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUE. BUT IT CAN'T BE BUSINESS AS USUAL INSIDE PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS SCHOOLS, MEANING THE SCHOOLS HAVE THE ABILITY TO ISOLATE THE FOLKS NOT DIRECTLY WORKING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IN THAT SCHOOL. BECAUSE THEN YOU CAN'T REALLY GET THE SHARED ACCOUNTABILITY. BUT I'M HOPING THE SPOT LIGHT WILL DO THAT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS INSTITUTES THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING, SOME WORK AROUND THIS INTEGRATION. I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PLACES THAT ARE RIGHT IN THE MIX OF INTEGRATING THESE SYSTEMS. >> MY NAME IS JULIE TOMBOIR, I'M WITH THE OFFICE OF INNOVATION AS WELL. WHEN I WORK IN MASSACHUSETTS WITH ONE OF THE PROGRAMS CALLED SCHOOL LINK SERVICES, I NOTICED A LOT OF TURF ISSUES. TO FOLLOW ON THE LAST QUESTIONS, RELATIONSHIP WISE, EMOTIONALLY, HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THOSE TURF ISSUES TO BREAK THEM DOWN. >> IT'S REALLY VERY COMPLICATED. PART OF WHAT WE'RE SPENDING ALL OUR TIME PREPARING FOR THE FOURTH GRADE, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TESTING, NOW IT'S THIRDS IN NEW YORK. BUT WHAT IF WE FOCUS ON KINDERGARTEN, FIRST AND SECOND, TWO YEARS THE KIDS WILL BE TAKING THE TEST. AND THEY SAID IN TWO YEARS I WON'T BE HERE. SO I CAN'T EVEN FOCUS ON THOSE KIDS. YOU TELL THEM, THIS IS A FAILED STRATEGY THINKING YOU ARE GOING TO CATCH THE KIDS UP WHEN IT'S TIME TO TAKE THE TEST. WE GOT INTO THIS DYNAMIC THAT JUST DIDN'T SEEM, AND THEN IT WAS TRUE IN A COUPLE OF YEARS, RIGHT, THEY WERE SAYING WE GOT THE HAVE ANOTHER PRINCIPAL AND I'M HAVING THE SAME CONVERSATION WITH THE NEXT PRINCIPAL. I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE TO HAVE IS REALLY WHAT IS THE VALUE ADDED COMPONENT OF THIS THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN THE SCHOOLS TO HELP THE PRINCIPALS UNDERNEATH THIS TREMENDOUS PRESSURE FEEL LIKE WE ARE A PARTNER AND NOT A BURDEN. BECAUSE OFTEN THEY THINK, I DON'T THINK THIS IS GOING HELP ME, BUT NOW I HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOU TOO AND ALL THE OTHER STUFF AND I HAVE THESE OUTSIDERS COMING IN. AND TO BE ABLE IN THEIR LANGUAGE, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T OFTEN DO, TO BE ABLE IN THEIR LANGUAGE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I LOOKED AT THEIR DATA AND SAW A LOT OF YOUR KIDS HAD A REALLY HARD TIME IN THESE FOURS CATEGOER. THEY WEREN'T ABLE THE FIND THE MAIN IDEA. LOOKED AND SAW THEY WERE STRUGGLING WITH GENRE. WE HAVE THIS PROGRAM, YOU GIVE ME A GROUP OF KIDS, I CAN WORK WITH THEM. THE PRINCIPAL SAYS, HMM, THIS MIGHT BE HELPFUL. YOU SAY I HAVE AN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, OH, ANOTHER HALF SCHOOL PROGRAM. PART OF THIS IS TAILORING OUR PITCH TO FIT THEIR NEEDS, KNOWING WHAT THEIR DATA IS, WHAT THEY STRUGGLE WITH, AND WHAT IS IN OUR BAG OF TRICKS TO help HIM IN A CONCRETE WAY SO THEY SAY I'M GOING GIVE THIS A TRY, THIS PLAY HELP ME WITH WHAT I NEED DO, WHICH IS SOME LONG WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LEARN. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE KINDS OF THINGS I THINK WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO. YOU HAVE THE LAST QUESTION. >> REGARDING SCALING UP, AND TIC TAC TOW, STARTED WITH ONE BLOCK. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE BLOCKS? >> I'LL TELL YOU WHAT WE DID BUT IT WASN'T BECAUSE WE HAD ANY SCIENCE, RIGHT? MEANING WE HADN'T TRIED FOUR THINGS AND SAID THIS WAS THE BEST THING. WHAT WE DID, WE DID CONTIGUOS BLOCKS. YOU WANTED PEOPLE TO SEE AND EXPERIENCE. WE DID THE FIRST BLOCK, 19TH STREET, EVERYBODY THOUGHT THAT WAS WITH A FLUKE. MOTHER PEARL LIVED THERE AND PEOPLE SAID IF WE HAD HER, WE could DO THAT. AND THEN PEOPLE WERE STILL SCEPTICAL BY THE TIME WE DID 1 1ST STEET. YOU WALK UP TO 120TH AND SAW CHANGE, LOOK TO THE LEFT, BY THE TIME GET TO 121 YOU SAY WHAT IS GOING ON HERE. PEOPLE HAD A VISION OF WHAT CHANGE LOOKED LIKE BECAUSE THEY COULD WALK AND SEE WHICH IS HOW MOST PEOPLE GO BY. FOR US THAT CONTIGUOS NATURE HELPED. >> WHY NORTH? >> WE STARTED WITH A BLOCK, NOT THE WORSE OR THE BEST. I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. YOU DON'T WANT TO GO IN AND BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW. WE WENT TO PLACES THAT WE THOUGHT WE COULD BE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THE SKEPTICS WEREN'T GOING TO BE CONVINCED UNTIL WE HAD ENOUGH GOING THAT THEY SAID, MAYBE THAT THING IS WORKING. THEY SEEM TO BE DOING IT IN THOSE OTHER PLACES. SO IF YOU WOULD HAVE DONE THE FIRST BLOCK AND WENT TO A SCEPTICAL BLOCK THAT WOULD HAVE FOUGHT US TOOTH AND NAIL, PEOPLE WOULD HAVE SAID THEY LUCKED UP ON THAT FIRST ONE. WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE NEXT ONE, 120 OR 118? 120, THAT IS A BETTER BET. 121 WE JUST DID THAT ONE. WE SORT OF MADE A LITTLE MINI, WHAT WE EQUAL A MINI ZONE. BUT THE REALLY ISSUE WAS GETTING SUCCESS AND HAVING THE RESIDENTS THEMSELVES TALK TO OTHER RESIDENTS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. BECAUSE THERE REALLY WASN'T MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 118 AND 119. PEOPLE SAY, WELL, I DON'T KNOW. LET ME TELL YOU WHAT WE DID? YOU KNOW HOW WE THIS THOSE BUILDING AND THOSE GUYS WERE STEALING LADY LIVING AROUND THE CORNER FROM YOU, PEOPLE BEGAN TO SAY, WAIT A SECOND, THIS THING SOUNDS LIKE IT MIGHT WORK. SO I THINK IN DESIGNING THIS, NONE OF IT WILL BE THE SAME. DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES HAVE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES, BUT THAT IS WHY WE CHOSE THE WAY WE DID. >> YOU HAVE BEEN INSPIRED BY GEOFF, I WILL TAKE YOU INTO THE TECHNICAL DETAILS THAT I KNOW YOU REALLY WANT TO HEAR ABOUT WHERE WE HAVE GONE WITH PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS. AS I GET READY TO DO THAT, I DO WANT TO DO ONE THING BECAUSE OTHERWISE I WOULD BE PRONE I LOVE YOU BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHY ANYBODY ELSE WOULD WANT TO WORK WITH YOU. SO WHAT I WANT TO DO RIGHT NOW IS ACTUALLY MAKE SURE THAT I ACKNOWLEDGE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS. ONE IS, I ACTUALLY DID NOT TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO A FORMAL INTRODUCTION OF ON A DAILY BASIS, WHEN WE KIND OF RUN INTO THINGS THAT DON'T MAKE SENSE AND YOU SAY OKAY, THE REGULAR PROCESS ISN'T QUITE WORKING THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO, THERE'S ONE E-MAIL AND ONE PHONE CALL THAT YOU SEND. ALL OF A SUDDEN EVERYTHING STARTS TO MAKE SENSE AGAIN. SO DONE. THE SECOND THING, I GOT A LOT OF CREDIT FOR THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAD WITH GEOFF AND HEATHER BUT REALITY IS I JUST TOOK IT ONE STEP FURTH AND CAME BACK AND SAID IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA IF WE DID THIS. AND THERE WAS A GROUP THAT DID THIS. SO THE PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS TEAM INCLUDING MARK AND TAGA, I WOULD APPRECIATE. Bill, JANE, STAND UP. >> IT OUT PERFECTLY. THE QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU GET BEYOND THIS VISION, THIS GREAT EXAMPLE THAT WE HAVE OF NEIGHBORHOOD IN ONE PART OF OUR COUNTRY THAT HAS DEMONSTRATED WHAT IS CHILDREN IN A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY ON ALL FRONTS, AND MAKE THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY TAKE TO SCALE. WHAT WE TRIED TO DO IS TO SAY, OKAY, WHAT DID WE HEAR FROM THE PRINCIPLES THAT GEOFF AND ANGELA WORKED AN AND ENABLE COMMUNITIES TO PLAN TO DO IS IMPORTANT. WE TRIED TO STAY TRUE TO THE PRINCIPLES. THE HOLISTIC APPROACH IS IMPORTANT BUT HITTING THE HIGH EDUCATION HAD TO BE AT THE CENTER. DELIVERING FOR EVERY CHILD SUPPORT AND BRINGING THE FAMILY INTO THIS IS ALSO CRITICAL AS WELL. WE ALSO HAD TO BE CLEAR THAT WE WANTED TO SHOOT FOR A VERY SPECIFIC OUTCOME. IN FACT THIS IS IN THE END MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY DELIVERING KIDS WHO ARE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR COLLEGE AND CAREER AND COME BACK TO COMMUNITIES AND BE EXAMPLES TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. WE ACTUALLY HAVE LOW NEEDS. IN THESE TARGETED COMMUNITIES THERE ARE VERY FEW OF THOSE. MOST OF WHAT YOU HAVE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE FRAGILE, NOT IN TROUBLE ABOUT--BUT TEND OF THOSE AND THE KIDS IN THEM. IN FACT, CAN THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK HEAR ME? GOOD DEAL. THANK YOU. IN FACT IF WE WERE GOING TO BE DATA DRIVEN, RESULTS DRIVEN AS GEOFF DESCRIBED, WE HAD TO LAY OUT A FRAMEWORK THAT SAID LOOK, THERE ARE MANY METRICS THAT WE CAN TRACK CHILDREN. ARE THE CHILDREN AT EVERY STEP ALONG THE PATHWAY MAKING PROGRESS, ARE THEY ACTUALLY SUCCEEDING, AND HOW DO WE KNOW. WHAT IS THE METRIC. HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO EVERYTHING ELSE GOING ON AROUND IT. IT'S NOT JUST AS IMPORTANT THAT WE DEMONSTRATE THAT THIS RECOGNIZING WE'RE NOT GOING TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE TO THESE THINGS, WE KNOW THESE OTHER AREAS ARE IMPORTANT. WE KNOW THAT SAFETY IS IMPORTANT. WE KNOW THAT HAVING THE WANT TO TRACK THOSE THINGS AS WELL. INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES MAY COME UP WITH OTHER METRICS ACTUALLY MORE IMPORTANT TO THEIR PARTICULAR APPROACH. BUT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TRACK THESE THINGS SO THAT WE LEARN FROM HOW THEY ACTUALLY IMPACT THE WORK. WE HAD OVER 300 PARTICULAR, INCLUDING BOTH RURAL AND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES. THE INTERESTING THING IS, THIS IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE, ALMOST ALL THE APPLICANTS HAD STRENGTHS IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT AREAS MUCH EXCEL. THEY DIDN'T AGREE TO THIS SLIDE. WE PLACED THEM THERE. SO IF YOU THINK WE PLACED YOU IN THE WRONG SPOT, APOLOGIES. THE MORE PER THING IS EVERYONE BRINGS SOMETHING TO IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA. I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE SPHERE TO SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE LONG TERM. IN FACT THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE FOR DECADES IF NOT CENTURIES IT'S REALLY INTERESTING THAT WE KNOW THAT WE INVEST MORE THAN THE PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS IMPLEMENTATION GRANT PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE ASKED FOR, THE $210 MILLION. WE INVOICE MORE A PATHWAY TO ACTUALLY SOLVE POVERTY AND END THE CYCLE OF POVERTY. PEOPLE ARE QUESTIONING WHETHER YOU SHOULD DO PROGRAMS OF THIS SIZE TO ACTUALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT THE POTENTIAL TO EVERYONE. THE MORE IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO DO TODAY, YOU CAN ALWAYS GET ACCESS TO THIS. WE HAVE A GREAT SET OF FOLKS WHO ARE GOING TO COME UP AND FINISH OFF THE PANEL AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ASK MORE QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. I'LL STAY UP SO YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE THOUGHT ABOUT PUTTING TOGETHER THE PROGRAM. THEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, PLANS AND THE PROGRAM. HEATHER IS GOING TO TAKE US THROUGH THIS AND I WILL LET HER INTRODUCE THE REST OF THE PANEL. >> I HAVE A FEELING I'M GOING TO GET LORD HERE--LOWERED HERE. THANKS, JIM. WE'RE GOING TO HEAR A COUPLE MORE PRESENTATIONS AND AS JIM MENTIONED AS WELL.