A look back at 2022 at CPRL

In 2022, CPRL developed 65 future leaders in K12 education, supported dozens of school systems and education organizations, and launched a campaign to catapult forward our efforts to ensure each and every student has access to exceptional learning opportunities.

Editor's note:

This holiday season, give the gift of exceptional learning experiences for every public school student.

This is a critical moment in K-12 public education. More students are performing below grade level in reading and math than at any time in decades, especially students of color and those whose families face economic hardship. Mental health issues abound, and district and school leaders are struggling to hire and retain great teachers and other staff. Americans are losing faith in democracy and the public institutions that nurture it. 

Our nation’s health, our democracy, requires us to act. While central to these challenges, public institutions must be at the heart of solutions. CPRL is acting everyday, partnering with school systems, education organizations, educators, leaders, communities, families and students to push beyond status quo approaches and create systems that allow for everyday learning and change. 

CPRL brings an innovative research-driven approach to dismantling educational inequities. Our experts in law, education, research, policy, and business partner with education leaders and communities to redesign school systems in ways that help them flex in the face of challenges. Our unique approach, captured in Leading Through Learning, helps school systems continuously identify and learn from challenges, engage stakeholders on the ground, and make big and small changes to better meet the needs of every young person, family, and staff member that walks through the school doors. 

It’s not enough to make change project-by-project, which is why CPRL is also training the next generation of equity-focused education leaders. Based at Columbia Law School, we give  graduate students across professional disciplines, including law, education, policy, data science, and business, tools, skills, and experiences that help them contribute to the remaking of public institutions. 

Developing future education leaders while supporting the education sector in designing and implementing new forms of flexible governance that empower families, educators and schools to choose solutions that work for their students – that is CPRL’s formula for helping public schools get ever better. 

Hear former U.S. Secretary for Education John B King, Jr.’s call to support CPRL. 

Here’s how we did that in 2022:

  • Developed 65 future education leaders, from 22 graduate programs at 15 universities across the country, who now join our community of 600+ leaders who have completed CPRL’s program since 2011 – of whom, about 40% work for nonprofit, mostly education-focused organizations; 20% work for schools, school systems or state or federal agencies; and many help lead top tier law firms and consulting practices.
  • Supported alums with one-on-one mentoring, career support and guidance, and networking opportunities. Some alums became CPRL clients. 
  • Shared essential tools and resources with the field
  • Completed 26 projects, supporting school systems and education sector leaders, expanding our reach to 223 entities since 2011 through research, policy, and legal expertise on teacher and leader pipelines, stakeholder engagement, school integration, networks, educational equity, and school choice. Highlights include
    • Facilitating NYC Public Schools’ Literacy Advisory Council of diverse educators, community members, literacy experts, students and parents who are guiding the rollout of the City’s new literacy initiatives 
    • As part of Lawrence Public Schools (MA) ongoing turnaround effort after being designated by the state as “chronically underperforming,” CPRL is helping the district design and implement a performance management framework that will help the district provide more effective and ongoing support to schools.  
    • Supporting the New York State Education Department’s school integration professional learning community by providing assistance to nine districts to advance districtwide integration plans. 

And we have big plans for the future. By 2026, we will 

  • Graduate 100 future leaders per year
  • Engage a more racially and economically diverse cohort of leaders, by doubling to 50 the university-based professional programs across the US that partner with CPRL, focusing on state schools and HBCUs and creating a generous scholarship fund.
  • Complete 50 consulting projects each year
  • Provide you and all our CPRL alumni direct alumni programming, expanding opportunities for you to connect with fellow alums, learn about career opportunities, and receive mentoring and coaching from experts on our team.
  • Raise $20 million to support this expansion – our Campaign is more than halfway to its goal! 

Join CPRL’s movement and become part of ensuring that every public school student has access to the learning opportunities they need to thrive in college, careers, and community life. 

Make a donation. Become a partner. Work with us. Learn more and spread the word. 

 

December 21, 2022