EdAllies Celebrates 5 Years of Being Your Eyes & Ears
Letter From Our Board Chair
Like you, I care deeply about the quality education our kids receive and the care with which it is delivered. I want to know the barriers they face and the best solutions to remove them. But, the engine of everyday life makes it difficult or impossible for parents to keep up with the ever-changing information landscape. That’s where EdAllies comes in.
In 2021, EdAllies celebrated a milestone: five years as one of Minnesota’s most trusted voices in education policy and advocacy. From the steps of the Capitol to community coalition meetings to the classroom, that’s five years of being your eyes and ears on all things impacting the quality of education our students receive. Five years of elevating the voices of those who, historically, have been left out of the conversation. Five years of partnering with students, parents, educators, community organizations, and policymakers to work toward our shared vision of a Minnesota where every student succeeds.
Last year was no different, as advocacy efforts led to major wins that kept diverse and effective educators in the classroom and student-centered policymaking on multiple issues. We produced critical research and looked for the most promising solutions, providing recommendations to advance equity and opportunity. We heard from students and educators whose bravery to tell their stories directly led to change.
EdAllies even leveled up on our commitment to being your eyes and ears with a creative series of weekly video updates that quickly and understandably broke down the most important news in education policy for you.
The last five years have reinforced one thing: We cannot do this work alone. Thanks to you, our community of advocates, organizational partners, and generous supporters, we have been able to advance our mission. We want to deepen our relationship with you as we focus our eyes forward and put our ears to the ground for the next five years and beyond. Because the closer we work together, the closer we will be to changing what is to what should be for our kids.
Thank you.
Karn Engelsgjerd
EdAllies Board Chair
Our Mission
EdAllies partners with schools, families, and communities to ensure that every young Minnesotan has access to a rigorous and engaging education. We advance policies that put underserved students first, remove barriers facing successful schools and programs, and foster an inclusive conversation about what's possible for students.
Advancing equity
Removing barriers
Changing the conversation
Our Core Values
Equity•Inventiveness•Humility•Honesty•Courage
2021 Feature Stories
EdAllies Celebrates 5 Years!
EdAllies set out to be a locally-led nonprofit relentlessly bringing kids' needs to policy conversations and fighting to ensure equity is at the center of decisions that impact students across the state. We took a moment to pause, reflect on what we’ve accomplished, and take stock of the most urgent unmet needs as we recommit to our next five years. We are grateful for the generosity and vision of supporters who have made this work possible, along with the many students, parents, educators, partner organizations, and critical advocates who consistently worked alongside us to fight for the needs of Minnesota’s students.
Take a moment to watch our reflection video, looking back on our achievements and forward to our goals for the next five years!
School Lunch Shaming Ban & Healthy Hunger-Free Schools Fellowship
Our partnership with the Healthy Hunger-Free Schools Coalition, led by Hunger Solutions, Second Harvest Heartland, General Mills, and Children's Minnesota, to work toward establishing universal school meals for all Minnesota students, led to major progress and change for students.
At the start of the COVID pandemic, as a country, we decided to feed all students, no questions asked. The waivers that established a temporary right to a school meal for all students expire at the end of the 2021-22 school year. And we know the damaging impact hunger has on students’ learning, health, and overall well-being.
In coalition with our Healthy Hunger-Free Schools partners, EdAllies fought to end lunch shaming at the Capitol, and we won. As a result, schools can no longer deny meals to students simply because they cannot afford to pay, nor can they punish them for having lunch debt such as banning them from participating in graduation ceremonies or extracurricular activities and stamping their hands. No child should be shamed for their family's inability to pay an outstanding balance. It's a win for equity. It's a win for students.
Additionally, through our EdFellows program, EdAllies brought on two fellows, local parents and advocates Ruth Davis and Reggie Evans, to support our community outreach and grassroots efforts to engage with families and students to become advocates and advance the critical issue of universal access to school meals.
For more information, check out these related stories:
EdAllies responded nimbly to the needs of students, playing a watchdog role to track leadership from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), advocating for a student-centered response at the Capitol, and giving families tools to advocate at the local level. We convened a coalition of more than a dozen organizations to make recommendations to the Commissioner and Governor on the most equitable, student-centered investment of COVID relief funds and brought some of these ideas to legislators. At the Capitol, we helped secure language to ensure students with disabilities receive individualized COVID-19 recovery interventions.
When we found out that Minnesota would receive $1.3 billion in federal stimulus funds for K-12 education, we knew it was critical that community stakeholders have the opportunity to provide input on how MDE would spend $132 million of those funds on statewide needs. The opportunity was just too big to miss. Questions regarding a plan for tracking progress toward COVID recovery, addressing gaps, and community feedback loomed large.
Before MDE submitted its plan, EdAllies organized a live-streamed town hall with a coalition of partners to elevate community needs directly to decision-makers. Community stakeholders had the chance to hear directly from Commissioner Heather Mueller about MDE’s vision and plans for how to invest in COVID recovery for students. Questions and feedback from this town hall helped guide MDE’s decision-making as they finalized their plan.
As a trusted voice in the education policy ecosystem, Executive Director Josh Crosson was interviewed by several news outlets. He shared EdAllies’ trademark, student-centered insight, with recommendations for using COVID-19 relief funds. [Read MinnPost's Coverage]
Along with a coalition of key stakeholders, including the Minnesota Association of Charter School Authorizers, the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools, and Great Minnesota Schools, EdAllies was a leader in advancing new legislation to strengthen accountability for charter school authorizers in Minnesota—and it passed. To ensure quality, charter schools have an extra layer of accountability through “authorizers,” who review school performance and ensure they are meeting their mission. MDE oversees these authorizers—but that oversight process had significant room for improvement. Now, Minnesota is setting better guardrails for school authorizers by creating a clearer timeline for authorizers on corrective action, restricting what authorizers on corrective action can and cannot do, improving school-authorizer relationships, and raising the overall expectations around quality in the sector. This law is one of the largest advancements in improving charter school quality in over 30 years.
Bringing An Equity Lens To College And Career Readiness
Every Minnesota student should graduate from high school with the preparation and tools to succeed in college and career. In 2021, EdAllies released a new research brief looking specifically at whether we’re providing effective support to ensure low-income students, English Learners, and students with disabilities have access to rigorous, college-aligned coursework. Our research highlights notable access gaps, and the brief includes concrete recommendations for change.
The 2021 report builds off our first-of-its-kind 2020 report highlighting the egregious gaps in rigorous coursework access and success facing students of color. These combined reports show a reality that college-level and standards-aligned courses are simply not made available to many Minnesota students, which leads to K-12 and post-secondary achievement gaps.
Throughout the year, we advocated for recommendations from our research, building traction around two key issues. First, we elevated successful efforts around the country to increase access to rigorous coursework by creating automatic enrollment systems. Second, we advocated to improve Minnesota’s World’s Best Workforce System by adding a critical indicator identifying whether students are on track to graduate at the end of 9th grade. This research-backed measure would promote early intervention for students most at-risk of falling behind. Both of these ideas garnered significant interest among policymakers, laying the groundwork for action in 2022.
Education policymaking happens fast, and too often, behind closed doors. So, where does this leave families, students, and educators with a stake in these decisions? We aim to be a conduit, bringing light to a too-often opaque and exclusive process and connecting community members to opportunities to inform change. In 2021, we did this in spades, with two full-time policy experts tracking not just what decision makers were saying, but also helping demystify “why” and “what was next.”
In addition to a series of candid events on happenings at the Capitol, we also served as a liaison between several coalitions back to state agencies and launched a highly successful weekly video series—Capitol Update.
When it comes to education policy, we know that people have limited time. They can't spend hours reading through documents and sitting through hearings—they need to know what's going on and how to take action.
That's where we come in. Our various communications strategies, including the Capitol Update, are on-ramps for people at whatever their capacity is to engage with what can be an intentionally opaque process. Some people have time to read a blog or an email, others can do an action alert, and some people just have the capacity to watch a 2-minute video.
In 2021, we embraced that reality and created videos, both through specific series and in topical form, reaching tens of thousands of Minnesotans. These efforts received praise for helping demystify education policy in Minnesota and provide weekly Cliff Notes from the Capitol at a signature rapid pace.
Advancing Pathways For Teachers Of Color And Teachers From Diverse Backgrounds
Having high-quality teachers that reflect the students they serve has been a central focus of our work. We advocated for policies and practices in teacher preparation, licensure, and retention that reflect best practices, are aligned to equity and student achievement, and that provide fair pathways to the classroom for diverse educators.
Sometimes in advocacy, advancing change is only the first step. Successfully implementing our state’s new teacher licensure system requires intentional work to understand how it is working, who it is helping, and where further improvements are needed. With the help of passionate educators, students, and our organizational partners, EdAllies worked to understand and elevate the experiences of Tier 1 and Tier 2 teachers, along with the schools and students who need them, to help maintain and improve these vital licensure pathways.
Despite clear signs that the new tiered licensure system is working to increase teacher diversity and welcome experienced and effective educators into Minnesota schools, the Minnesota Legislature again considered bills that would eliminate licensure pathways for these experienced, effective, and diverse Tier 1 and Tier 2 educators. Legislators heard extensive feedback from educators, school leaders, and even students about the negative impact of the proposed roll-backs to tiered licensure. Preserving the tiered licensure system is a huge victory that ensures that Minnesota doesn’t go in the wrong direction on teacher licensure by protecting teachers of color and pathways into the classroom.
We also advocated for policy that would help recruit and retain teachers of color and teachers in shortage areas. First, we continued to support innovation in teacher preparation by providing technical assistance and policy support to the state’s emerging alternative teacher preparation programs, focusing on programs that remove barriers, increase teacher diversity, and address shortage areas. Second, we worked to identify and elevate state policy strategies that would help districts retain teachers in high-need areas during layoffs. We worked with legislators to explore options like allowing retention of teachers in designated shortage areas—which in some cases includes underrepresented teachers of color. This helped elevate the retention conversation at the state and local level. One area of progress was the Increase Teachers of Color Act, spearheaded by our partners in the Coalition to Increase Teachers of Color and American Indian Teachers, elements of which were adopted in the final state budget.
Watch Educators Speak Out at the Capitol
For more helpful context, take a look at these related blogs:
"When we change who's telling the story and how the story is told—we change what's possible."
- Adrienne Vitt
Through EdVoices, we help community members weigh in on the education challenges and solutions that matter most to them—and in the way that works best for them. It has quickly become an entry point—where community members become advocates.
Some EdVoices contributors are writers, others are artists, some have a lot to say on just one education issue, while others want to cover many topics through a series of contributions. But above all, we believe that to improve local conversations on education and, ultimately, student outcomes, the voices of those most impacted—students, families, and educators—need to be front and center. In 2021, EdVoices didn’t just put these voices front and center in print; participation in this program led to several contributors bravely elevating their commitment to advocacy by giving voice to the issues that impact their lives – providing testimony at the Capitol, like these passionate contributors.
For 5 Years (and Counting) Our Partners Recognize the Value We Bring
For five years running, we are humbled that our close partners have given us top marks, while articulating the unique value our work brings to kids and their families, educators and advocates, and other hardworking organizations in the education justice ecosystem.
Across five years of Partner Surveys, when responding to the statement:
“EDALLIES IS A VALUABLE PARTNER.”
Our partners graded us a generous
4.6 out of 5.0, with
92% of respondents agreeing
or strongly agreeing with the statement.
Having this survey as part of our annual learning and evaluation framework is critical for organization, because if we are not providing value to our community of partners, we do not deserve to exist.
Then:
“EdAllies has been a valuable partner in a few ways. Primarily as an information and education source on issues that impact those of us who work in education. Secondly, EdAllies has sought out our engagement on many issues in genuine and authentic ways.”
- 2017 Partner Survey Respondent
Now:
“EdAllies is a partner with their pulse on education Equity in the state. I feel if they're in the room and I can't be, I know they will make sure the voice and needs of BIPOC students and families are center.”
- 2021 Partner Survey Respondent
Partnership Highlight: Box Tops for Education
We were thrilled to be featured as part of Box Tops for Education's public commitment to advance equity by investing in organizations working to reduce the negative consequences of racism and unconscious bias in the classroom!
To all of our partners… THANK YOU!
Our Team & Supporters
Staff
Josh Crosson
Executive Director
Andrea Roethke
Managing Director of Strategy and Operations
Citlaly Escobar
Capital Pathways Intern
Daniel Hodges
Development Manager
Bethany Israelson
Operations Manager
Krista Kaput
Research Director
Jennifer Loon
Senior Policy Fellow
Matt Shaver
Policy Director
Adrienne Vitt
Strategic Communications Director
Board
Karn Engelsgjerd, Chair (July - Present)
Holly Kragthorpe, Chair (January - July)
Tashonda Williamson, Treasurer
Flor Treviño Frey
Ginya Davis
Simone Hardeman-Jones
Ann Johnson
Michael O'Connell
Lew Remele
Roberta Walburn
This is How We Fight – Together
Thank you to all of our partners who advocated for students on many fronts during the 2021 legislative session—from ensuring pathways to the classroom for the diverse teachers our kids need to stronger guardrails for charter school quality.
56
meetings with legislators
25
Formal letters written on legislation
66
Total testifiers before 6 different committees
251
Grassroots action takers sent …
6,822
emails
Supporters
Foundations and Corportations
3M
Advance Consulting
Briva Health
DailyPay
Douglass Brandenborg Family Foundation
The Box Top Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation
The Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation
F. R. Bigelow Foundation
Frey Foundation
General Mills Foundation
GHR Foundation
Great MN Schools
Graves Foundation
The Joyce Foundation
McKnight Foundation
The Minneapolis Foundation
Mortenson Family Foundation
Ciresi Walburn Foundation for Children
WEM Foundation
Valley Community Food Co-op
Individuals and Family Funds
Idil Abdull
Zachary Abrams
Adriana Alejandro Osorio
Albright Foundation
Almira Arnold
Anonymous
Craig J. Alexander Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation
The Julie and Doug Baker, Jr. Foundation
Steven Baker
Paul Baranay
Naomi Becker
Lauren Bell
Elizabeth Besser
Tyler Bethke
Chad Borseth
Nicollette Brady
Joanne Brockington
The Daniels Family Foundation
Richard Campion
Mariel Carozza
Stuart Chmielewski
Alana Christopher
Lauren Clyne Medley
Joan Coates
Lydia Connolly
Brenna Connors
Nicole Cooley
Cheryl Coombs
Matthew Crnobrna
Joseph Crnobrna
Brad Crnobrna
Josh Crosson
John Crosson
Leland Culver
Athena Currier
Erin Daly
Ella Daniels
Amanda Demeules
Lola Dorsogna
Karn Engelsgjerd
Emory Erker-Lynch
Stephanie Farrell
Jeffrey Feldman
Grace Ficara
Molly Flannagan
Katie Fuller
Keely Gage
Maryanne Gehrenbeck
Gunderson Family Foundation of The Minneapolis Foundation
Patti Haasch
Joshua Habtwold
Indra Halvorsone
Afua Harris
Mary Henke-Haney
Daniel Hodges
Arlene Howell
Maren Hulden
Bethany Israelson
Flora Ivins
Adam Johnson
Bernadeia Johnson
Kathleen Juhl
Celia Kaplan
Krista Kaput
Nora Kaye
Amber Kerrigan
Lisa Key
Ariana Kiener
Deanna Kilgour
Holly Kragthorpe
Emma LaBelle
Lauren Lemos
Jenifer Loon
Anne Mahle
Olivia Malone
Geoffrey Marsi
Carolyn Martinez
Katherine May
Kayla McBride
Kellen McClain
Hannah McCord
Bayla McDougal
Dick and Joyce H. McFarland Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation
Alice McGee
Lauren Clyne Medley
Lori Meyer
Lynnell Mickelsen & John Bellaimey
Andrew Minck
Hailey Modi
Alissa Movern
Joseph Nathan
Michael O'Connell & Sue Hayes
Edward Oliver
Tim & Sandra Penny
Stephanie Phillips
Piper Family Fund II of The Minneapolis Foundation
Nicole Rapson
Remele Family Fund
Ashley Reyes
Maeve Riley
Elsy Rodriguez
Andrea Roethke
Ben Ruxin
Gabriel Sandholm
Lily Sears
Yaakov Segal
Daniel & Stacy Sellers
Karen & Richard Sellers
Matt Shaver
Alexis Shaw
Rachel Simone
Jelly Sinclair
Soran Foundation
Smikis Foundation
Emily Sroga
Morgan Stanley
Oron Stenes
Jennifer Stern
Jacob Street
Emily Stroga
Bryan Sullivan
Erin Tao
Nicole Tenorio
Bo Thao-Urabe
Mark Therrien
Marlena Thompson
Morgan Tomsche
Paul Tucker
Sophia Tzougros
Katharine Vancil
Elena Vidas
Adrienne Vitt
Roberta Walburn
Amy Walstien
Rebecca Weaver
Janet Weber
Joseph Wenger
Aliana Whelan
Ben and Mary Whitney Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation
Varsenik Wilson
Amy Zylka
2021 Financials
Functional Expenses
Program
72%
Management & General
16%
Fundraising
12%
Statement of Financial Position
Statement of Activities
Statement of Financial Expenses
What's next?
We have been hard at work on our 2022 campaigns, from recruiting and retaining the diverse and effective teachers students deserve to ensuring all students are ready for college and career to providing opportunities for those most impacted by Minnesota’s education inequities to guide our work, tell their stories, and demand justice in education.