Dear John,

In 2017, 50CAN undertook the development of a new strategic plan that laid out a framework for change focused on recruiting significantly more people into the work of education advocacy, equipping them with a suite of best-in-class tools and resources and helping them set and achieve ambitious policy wins that would meaningfully improve the education system for millions of children.

Now, in the wake of the large-scale disruptions resulting from the pandemic, it is critical that we ensure these plans for the future address the challenges and opportunities of this new reality. 

That’s why one of my first tasks as 50CAN’s new Chief Operating Officer has been to work with our team to update this strategic plan to better capture the needs of students at this current moment alongside our aspirations for the future of American education.

We’re excited to share that evolution with you today.

Over the next two years, we plan to leverage our unique position as a bipartisan education advocacy organization with a bold nationwide vision, strong and diverse local leadership and the know-how to secure the policy wins needed for a more resilient, dynamic and creative education system to emerge. 

The need for the education system of the future has never been greater. We welcome your most candid feedback on this plan and look forward to conversations over the coming months on how we can work together to make it a reality.