Today I talk with Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, a passionate advocate for food and housing insecure college students . Sara is Professor of Higher Education Policy & Sociology at Temple University, and Founding Director of the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice in Philadelphia. She is also the Chief Strategy Officer for Emergency Aid at Edquity, a student financial success and emergency aid company, and founded Believe in Students, a nonprofit distributing emergency aid.
Read MoreRod Schroder, long-time educational leader, discusses the role of superintendents, board members, and community in educating our youth. Superintendent of Amarillo ISD for 15 years, Rod served as interim in Midland ISD for a year as well. Also very involved in legislative activity, both through the Texas School Alliance and other state-wide organizations, Rod also covers the legislature's role. Involved since the beginning of Panhandle Twenty/20, Rod talks about the use of data as an important tool for change.
Read MoreLearn about the importance of play in education and life from my friend, Brandi Heather! I met Brandi through The Podcasting Fellowship course I took, and we continue to learn from one another!
Brandi brings a creative and innovative combination of training and subject matter expertise to her leadership role as Chief Knowledge Officer of AMPED2PLAY Inc.
Read MoreAnette wrote this op-ed piece for the Amarillo Globe News during the first community study of Panhandle Twenty/20 on the issue of educational attainment. It was published on December 27th, 2006, and, sadly, is no longer archived by the local paper. Still, look around, and see what you can do in your own community!
Read MoreJennifer is the founder and director of Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium (TEGAC--now a part of Educate Texas), a collaboration of private, corporate and community foundations across the state working to promote, protect and improve Texas public education through advocacy and public policy. Anette and Jennifer met when both worked for Raise Your Hand Texas as Community Ambassadors, and enjoy working to build stronger support for Texas public education in their various roles.
Read MoreLinda Pitner has long been a community leader in Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle, serving others in her various professions, her volunteer work, and as an elected official. Linda and Anette served together on the Amarillo ISD school board, and, of course, worked together with the efforts of Panhandle Twenty/20, as well as a number of other nonprofits. She has been a go-to sounding board for Anette, both for her excellent judgment and her wide and deep knowledge about the intersection of the public sector, politics, and, of course, education.
Read MoreAs Dr. Donna Beegle says, “Fight poverty, not the people who live in it.” Donna first brought her work to Amarillo with Panhandle Twenty/20 in 2010. Growing up in generational poverty, Donna uses her passion and knowledge to help communities understand poverty and how to modify efforts inside of our institutions to better serve those in need.
Read MoreDavid Anderson of Hillco Partners shares his knowledge of many years of inside experience beginning as a teacher to a now long-time lobbyist. If anyone knows Texas Education policy and practice, and history, it's my friend David. Thanks for your wisdom and dedication! And enjoy the wind whistling through the windows on this chilly day in Austin!
Read MoreDr. Michelle Smith, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Raise Your Hand Texas, shares her perspective on public education, with experience that ranges from her time as a classroom teacher to being a lobbyist at the Texas Legislature. As she says, the best policy is made in the middle of the room. With a shout-out to Leadership Women!
Read MoreRepresentative Four Price, House District 87, talks about his work in the Texas Legislature, the impact the data from Panhandle Twenty/20 had on him, about his chairman positions, and how the Texas House has changed over time. Topics besides education include interim charges, opioid and substance abuse, and mental health. Thanks, Four!
Read MoreGary Pitner, former Executive Director of the local Council of Government, the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission, talks about the importance of planning ahead, working together, and the need to make sustained investments over time to address a community's challenges.
Read MoreAnette and Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart have worked together since 2003, and they review some of their Panhandle Twenty/20 journey together here. Dr. Lowery-Hart is president of Amarillo College, which has won two national awards in 2019 for the poverty reduction efforts which grew out of this Collective Impact work. Read more about the work of Amarillo College in The Atlantic and The Hope Center.
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