The Launching of Commit!, Dallas’s Community-Wide Education Coalition

By Clint McDonnough, Chair, DRC’s Education Advisory Council

Together, as a community, we have formed the initial plans for Dallas’ first education compact…now known as Commit!. We realize that as individuals, our efforts are tactical and our results are limited, but together we can be systematic and strategic, confronting the numerous issues facing public education to make significant, measurable progress.

The seven Founding Partners joined together at last week’s State of Education Luncheon to publically announce the launch of this significant effort supporting public education.

Our effectiveness will come from working together and holding each other accountable.  Partners of Commit! will share a common agenda, rallying around three simple, but powerful and measurable goals:

• every child will be prepared to enter and succeed in school;
• every child will graduate from high school ready to succeed in college or the workforce; and
• We must reduce achievement gaps – neither race, income, neighborhood nor gender should be a factor in the quality of education the students of Dallas can expect to receive in their neighborhood schools. 

To accomplish these goals, Partners of Commit! agree to participate in a system where Commit! serves as a hub, measuring results, sharing and communicating outcomes with the community, and working to attract significantly more support from stakeholders and philanthropists focused on the transformative power of education.  At its core, Commit! is based on the idea that transparency and communication are the most essential elements when it comes to driving systematic improvements in education.

As most of you are aware, in 2010, the Dallas Regional Chamber embarked on a new strategic plan.  We realized that if Dallas was going to continue to be a city fueled by economic growth and opportunity, we needed to address the issues facing our public school system.  It was very apparent that we, as a business community, had the opportunity, as well as the responsibility, to get involved and help to catalyze change for  our the students.

To become informed stakeholders, we embarked on a series of best practices trips around the country to study other urban school districts.  During the five trips, we heard a consistent theme: improvements to educational outcomes cannot be solely the responsibility of teachers and school districts.  Embracing that concept, all those cities and several others have embarked on a journey of a formal community collaboration, binding themselves to one another, and measuring success not by individual gains, but collective impact.

We came home to Dallas inspired, and ready to invest in a way we never have before.  We knew that our city is not only ready for this kind of action, but in desperate need of it.  We also recognized how fortunate we are, because Dallas is filled with people and organizations already making huge differences in the lives of our students.  We knew we could count on those leaders, many of whom are in the room today, to help us turn our inspiration and motivation into a workable, strategic mission…one in which we are all invested and play a crucial role.

During the past four months, we met with more than 100 organizations and almost twice as many individuals, to discuss this theory of collective impact.  From those meetings, we listened to the thoughts and wisdom of our service providers, the encouragement and enthusiasm from local and national funders, and the needs and requests from the District itself.  We asked for support and guidance, and we got it.  We asked for ideas and thoughts on overarching goals and a mission, and we got that, too.

We are the end of the beginning.  We have formed our overarching goals and mission.  We know the direction we are headed, and are in the process of forming a strategic planning committee to identify the specific areas of focus required to move the needle.  We have asked education thought leaders from all sectors to help shape these plans and we hope to have those specific strategies identified within the next 90 to 120 days.  During that time and continuing forward, we will be looking to gain new partners and continue to grow this strategic mission.

Commit! is truly a community effort. It would not be possible without the partners and support we have already received.  While we were in discussions surrounding the formation of this new collective impact, we came across someone that has provided invaluable support to this movement.  Our new Dallas mayor, Mike Rawlings, didn’t need any encouragement to get on board to support Dallas ISD – he wanted to help row the boat.  His commitment to education in Dallas couldn’t come at a better time.  He has worked tirelessly to raise the level of awareness and engage the community in this and many other efforts to improve our schools.  He sees the potential for Dallas ISD to become one of the leading urban school districts in the country, and he is willing to put in the work to get us there.

We also worked directly with the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees and Interim Superintendent Alan King to gain support for the formation of Commit!, as it’s critical for them to be an integral part of this effort going forward.  Dr. Lew Blackburn, Board of Trustees President, has equally championed this collaboration we thank him for his leadership and commitment.

The story of this journey wouldn’t be complete without talking about our Founding Partners.  These organizations have been a part of this since the beginning.  They have provided staff, leadership, and community organization for every step of the process, including accompanying us on our best practices tour, hosting community meetings, and providing their professional insight.  These organizations know that education is the key to the future of Dallas.  The Commit! Founding Partners are:

• Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings
• Dallas ISD Board of Trustees
• JP Morgan Chase
• The Dallas Regional Chamber
• Bank of America
• The Real Estate Council
• The Dallas Citizens Council

We are excited about our Founding Partners, and we are just as excited about all those who will be joining this effort as we move forward.  We have the momentum and support to really make a difference for our area students, and their success will be our success.

You will be hearing much more about Commit! as we continue to develop this strategic mission with the help of all our partners and the community.  The Dallas Regional Chamber is proud to be the incubator of this important initiative and we look forward to the challenges that lay ahead.