When one of my former adult ESL students told me her daughter was attending Belle Haven Elementary School, my heart sank. I knew that Belle Haven is part of the Ravenswood City School District and based on what I thought I knew about the district–As an educator, I’ve always been curious about the district given its unique challenges–I assumed that the likelihood of this little girl succeeding academically was about as likely as my getting a Pulitzer for writing about inspiring people. But when I went online to learn more about the district, I discovered something extraordinary: it receives almost 20 percent of its budget–about $10 million for the 2024-2025 school year–from the local non-profit Ravenswood Education Foundation (REF). Clearly Silicon Valley movers and shakers had gotten behind a school district that I had dismissed as a lost cause. This story is about the successful public/private partnership between the Ravenswood City School District and REF, the partnership’s impact on Ravenswood students, and the two visionary leaders spearheading the effort. If you’re curious about how this little girl fared, but aren’t that interested in the partnership, just jump to the postscript at the end of the story!
Author Archives: Elizabeth Weal
I’m a former journalist, teacher, marketing communications writer and the founder of local non-profit Upward Scholars. I’m writing this blog because I want to share the stories of people who inspire me and who I hope will inspire you. If you know of anyone who would make a compelling subject for this blog, or you’d like to be notified when I publish a new blog, about every two weeks. please email me at elizabethweal2@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you!
