Moskowitz and Meyer discuss improving rural education at New York convening

The recent panel discussion at the Let’s Get Ready! New York Convening featured significant contributions from Eva Moskowitz, founder and CEO of Success Academy Charter Schools, and Noa Meyer, Board Chair at rootEd Alliance. The panel focused on improving education and supporting rural communities with specific emphasis on better educational systems, parental engagement, and data-driven approaches.

Eva Moskowitz highlighted the need to reimagine public education, emphasizing a joyful learning environment and accountability in educational outcomes. She described the Success Academy's whole-child educational approach, which involves academics, music, dance, sports, and coding. A critical element of this approach is educator professional learning, with Success Academy offering 13 weeks of teacher support. Moskowitz stated, “Our goal is to have intellectually, self-confident and self-directed students who are well educated, and that broad goal can be accomplished not only through academics.”

Noa Meyer provided insights into rootEd Alliance’s efforts to address challenges in rural communities such as poverty and homelessness. The organization promotes economic mobility by placing college and career advisors in rural high schools. Meyer explained, “We as an organization are completely agnostic about what that best fit is, anything from military service all the way to four-year college works for us, and everything in between.”

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee inquired about educational improvements, prompting Moskowitz to advocate for multi-faceted solutions, emphasizing the need for parental engagement in education. Moskowitz suggested actions like reducing absenteeism, monitoring homework, and encouraging parental participation in school events. She stressed viewing parents and students as customers, not a captive audience.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy asked Meyer about rootEd's operational model. Meyer cited public-private partnerships as key, using philanthropic funding to explore and partner on successful educational models with government, focusing on metrics like college and career opportunities.

During a discussion led by NGA Chair and Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Moskowitz underscored metrics for student success such as attendance, homework completion, and test scores. Meyer highlighted the unique challenges of rural communities, advocating for localized solutions and community engagement.

The meeting wrapped up with a lightening round on public-private partnerships, data collection enhancement, and simplifying educational paperwork while maintaining essential data sources. Attendees were encouraged to stay informed through the Let’s Get Ready! initiative.