Colleagues,
There are three fundamental ideas that drove us to organize this summit. 1) We believe that budget cuts have and will continue to challenge our ability to think and act in innovative ways, 2) As our social, cultural, political, and economic networks become more globally interdependent, the kind of education we provide for our students must equip them to operate in this changing world, and 3) To do so, we cannot adopt a laissez faire approach to innovation.
All of you work in different contexts, with different communities, families, and support services. Those of us in Watson are inspired by the work that you do and we are deeply troubled by the work that you cannot do because you lack the time or money. But what we have often left unspoken is that there may be good work to be done that is inconceivable because we have not cultivated a spirit of sustainable innovation in our respective spaces. This inability to perceive or unwillingness to dream of new possibilities is dangerous. It is what prevents some of our young people from imaging life beyond their impoverished circumstances and it is what prevents some of us from taking productive risks—the kinds of risks that make education more meaningful and relevant.
So, by the end of this day, we hope that you have taken this time, this precious time, to think. There are people from school districts, community agencies, and the university in this room. There have to be ways that we can work better together. By the end of the day, we hope you are inspired to extend our collaborative relationships. The time is now—we have to collaborate, to connect, to become unwavering allies.
---Donyell
