The attempt at working together can have many faces: monkey pile on a symptom (a shallow version of collective action); a Band-Aid when a blood transfusion is needed (ineffective at best, but can actually do more harm in the long run); or a deep, reflective analysis of a complex, intractable issue to avoid unintended consequences. In […]
What is Broken and How Would I Fix It?
What if what’s broken is us? We the people became fragmented, narrow-minded and comfortable in our separate worlds, watching as we waited for someone else to save us. “It” covers a lot of ground—infrastructure, water shortages, preventable chronic health issues, disappearing middle class, predatory legal and financial systems, entitlement mentality, cranky and childish political culture… […]
Elevate California – California 2017 Economic Summit
We are seeing the same themes and conversations happening everywhere we look… Complex problems require a new way of thinking and acting together. (Systems approach to intractable issues) We are all connected. (“What affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.) Solutions to social, environmental and economic challenges are interdependent. (Triple-bottom-line) As […]
Bullard High School Law Lab
It’s a new world of work. Complexity abound. Our schools have been challenged to equip our children with 21st century skills, and they can’t do it alone. This is an all hands on deck responsibility. What this means is becoming informed and getting engaged. Every adult and every employer has a role to play in […]
Solutions
During every conversation there are great ideas. Reflection turns them into golden nuggets. Action turns them into new ways of thinking and acting. Examples: “People involved in work or pursuing work don’t create social problems.” “Communities with an entrepreneurial culture flourish. Those that don’t, perish.” “Programs must be self-sustaining or they will die.” If you […]
When The Student Is Ready…..
At lot of time and effort goes into trying to get other people to change, to learn, to behave, to perform. Sometimes it’s best to step back, focus on conditions, remove barriers and simply let go. How many times have you thought or said “someone oughta do something?” As few today believe the state or […]
Happy New Year! What to Expect
Developing a strong, ready and diversified workforce is a top priority going into 2016. The keys are Career & Technical Education & Linked Learning. Thanks to deep engagement by employers and strong commitments from educators, we will complete a strategic plan this month with specific recommendations and next steps. The Civic Learning Partnership is aligning a […]
Both/And Closes the Gap
As we continue to advance the Career & Technical Education Initiative, the equal importance of inner and outer skills development is clear. Knowledge keeps changing. The ability to learn; adapt; influence across networks; initiate; communicate; access, analyze and apply information are all essential success skills. The challenge–how to model and teach these in systems designed for […]
Jobs, Workforce, Regions–What’s Up
In 2011, Brookings and the Rockefeller Foundation launched the Project on State and Metropolitan Innovation (PSMI), a five-year initiative to expand economic growth and opportunity in metropolitan regions. http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2015/07/23-expanding-growth-opportunity-carlson What they have learned will be very familiar: Leaders need to be able to work across programmatic and jurisdictional boundaries to implement the new model, both […]
Constitution Day – In Case You Missed It
Constitution Day at Fresno State was inspiring and sobering. The panel–amazing! Juan Arambula, Justice Rosendo Pena, Esmeralda Soria, Lorenzo Rios, Ismail Ali. Gratitude, commitment, responsibility…all were key themes as they expressed their views about being an American citizen. Jefferson said “I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the […]