1101StreetNW·Suite610·Washington,DC20005·2026265740

www.changetheequation.org

ACHANGINGLANDSCAPE:

PRESERVINGTHELEGACYOFCHANGETHEEQUATIONOnDecember6,2017,ChangetheEquation(CTEq),anon-partisan501(c)3organizationthatwaslaunchedin2010attheWhiteHouse,postedthefollowingmessageonitswebsite:

ChangetheEquationistakingacriticalnextstepinourefforttostrengthenSTEMeducation.Thecor-poratecommunityisgrantingourgame-changinginitiativesandsubstantialfundingtotwoorganiza-tionsthatarepoisedtotakeourworktothenextlevel.

WestEdwillleadSTEMworks,ournationally-recognizedinitiativetoidentifyandscalethemosteffec-tiveSTEMeducationprograms.WestEd,anonprofitresearchandserviceagencythatworkstoen-hanceteachingandlearningacrossallSTEMsubjects,hascollaboratedwithCTEqtoevaluateSTEMprogramssince2012.

EducationCommissionoftheStateswillleadandexpandVitalSigns,thenation’smostcomprehensiveandtimelysourceofstate-by-statedataontheconditionofSTEMeducation.Servingstatepolicymak-ers,EducationCommissionoftheStatesadvancesSTEMeducationbytrackingandanalyzingstateSTEMpolicies.

Since2010,ChangetheEquationanditsvisionarycorporatemembers:

Helpedinvestmorethan$4billiontoadvancequalityK-12STEMlearning;

Expandedthenation’sbestSTEMprogramstomorethan4millionyoungpeoplenationwide;

Equippedstateleaderswithstate-specificSTEMdatatoinformtheireducationpolicyandplanning.

WestEdandEducationCommissionoftheStatesareideallypoisedtostrengthenCTEq’sworkinstatesacrossthecountry.Asthe2016federalEveryStudentSucceedsAct(ESSA)placesmorecontrolovereducationwithstates,thetimingforthistransitioncouldhardlybebetter.

CTEqisceasingoperations,butourworkwillgoon.Wehopeyou’lljoinusincelebratingourworkasitmovesintothisexcitingnewphase.BookmarkthenewSTEMworksandVitalSigns,andusethemfre-quently!

TheannouncementofaplanneddissolutionofCTEqcaughtallbut‘insiders’bysurprise.Ouraccomplishmentswerewell-known,uniqueandhighly-regarded.Immediatereactionfrommanysourceswasdismay,concern,

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anddisbelief.Yettothoseofusontheinside,declaringvictoryaftermorethansevensuccessfulyearswhilesimultaneouslyrecognizingthatthechanginglandscaperequirednewstewardswasanaturalnextstep.

Withthebenefitof20/20hindsight,therewereseveralcluesthatCTEqwouldoptfordissolutionasthebestoutcome.Thispaperwilldescribetheorganization’saccomplishments,thereasonsfordissolution,andthemeasurestakentosecureCTEq’slegacy.Guidingeachstepwastheneedtopreserveresources,keepworkcur-rent,andrecognizethatthesuccessoftheworkwasmorecriticalthanthesurvivaloftheorganization.

GETTINGESTABLISHED

Recruitment:InthewakeoftheGreatRecession,theObamaadministrationlaunchedits“EducatetoInno-vate”campaign,whichwasdesignedtodeveloparobustpipelineofK-12studentswiththeskillsandenthusi-asmneededtosucceedinscience,technology,engineering,andmathematics(STEM).Manyjobsweregoingunfillednationwide,oftenbecauseofalackofqualifiedcandidatesinSTEM.Inthisenvironment,itwasonlynaturalthatagroupofCEOscametogetherin2010tocreateChangetheEquation,anon-partisan,nonprofitwithafull-timestaffdesignedtoleveragethebusinesscommunity’sinterestinK-12STEMlearning.CraigBar-rett(formerCEO/ChairofIntel),GlennBritt(CEO,TimeWarnerCable),UrsulaBurns(CEO,Xerox),AntonioPe-rez(CEO,Kodak),RexTillerson(CEO,Exxon-Mobil,CEO)andSallyRide(whosepost-astronautcareerfocusedonencouraginggirlsinscience)servedasCTEq’sfirstBoardofDirectorsandtogethertheyrecruitedover100oftheircorporateCEOcolleaguestojointhefledglingorganization.

Theirpitchwasstraightforward:

• TheUnitedStatesislosinggroundinSTEMproficiencyatatimewhenmanyoftheworld’sgreatestchallengesrequireaSTEM-trainedworkforceandcitizenry.

• Ournationisfailingtoengageyoungpeople—inparticular,low-incomeminoritystudents—inthesortofSTEMlearningthatwillenablethemtosucceedinpost-secondaryeducation,holdrewardingjobs,andparticipatefullyascitizens.

• AnewnationalcoalitionofAmerica'sleadingcompanies,allwithavestedstakeinsuccessofaSTEM-readyworkforceandaneducatedcitizenry,canaligntheireffortsaroundSTEMeducationtocreateasignificantlygreaterimpactthanwouldbepossibleforeachcorporationalone.

Inonlythreemonths’time,over100Fortune500companiesagreedtojoin.SuchreceptivitywasatestimonialtothestatureandpersuasivenessoftheBoardmembersamongtheirpeersaswellastothe‘fortuitousreality’ofaneconomyslowtorecover.Regardlessofindividualpoliticalleaningsorpreferencesregardingtheout-comeofthe2008Presidentialelection,thecompanieswelcomedparticipationtowardagoalthatmatchedtheirownneedsandthoseofthenewAdministration.Infact,asubstantialnumberofCEOsattendedtheSep-tember2010launchattheWhiteHousewithPresidentObamaandDr.JohnHoldren,DirectoroftheWhiteHouseOfficeofScienceandTechnology.

PledgestoJoin:Takentogether,CTEqwasenvisionedasatransformativeorganizationforcorporateinvolve-mentinSTEMeducation.Eachcompanyagreedto:(1)makeapubliccommitmenttoaligntheirK-12STEMeducationeffortswithotherCTEqpartners;(2)makeafinancialcommitmenttosupportCTEqforatleastthreeyears;and(3)recruitothercompaniestothecause.

Boardmembersgenerallypledged$750,000overthreeyears,whilemostcompaniespledged$75,000overthesameperiod.Ultimately,noneofthesemulti-yearpledgeswerelegallybinding,butcorporatestaffmembersfoundthemhelpfulasline-itemplaceholdersforfuturebudgetyears.

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CompaniesweremotivatedtojoinCTEqforavarietyofreasons:

• Mostmembersfundedprogramsdevelopedbyoutsidenonprofitsbutneededhelpjudgingtheeffec-tivenessoftheprogramorthe‘parent’nonprofit;

• AfewmembersdevelopedtheirownSTEMprograms,groundedintheiruniquecorecompetencies(whichwereoftendifferentfromthoseofotherCTEqpartners);

• SomemembersgavenonprofitsfundsandoversighttocreatenewK-12STEMprograms.Here,too,corporatestaffdidnotalwayshavetherelevantexpertisetoprovideknowledgeableoversight.

• AsmallnumberofcompanieshadnotyetdevelopedaportfolioofSTEMphilanthropyandwerelook-ingforadviceindoingso;and

• AsmallnumberofcompaniesexpressedreservationsabouttheirexistingSTEMportfolioandsoughthelpinreviewingandredefiningtheirphilanthropicefforts.

Despitethesedifferences,thecompaniespledgedtocentertheirworkaroundthreegoals:

1. BetterSTEMteachingatallgradelevels,withalargerandmorediversecadreofwell-preparedSTEMteachers.

2. Improvedlearningopportunitiesinsideandbeyondtheclassroomforallstudents,especiallyminori-tiesandgirls,toincreasestudents’preparednessanddeepentheirappreciationoftheexcitementandimportanceofSTEMlearningandcareers.

3. SustainedcommitmenttoaninnovativeSTEMagendabybusinessleaders,governmentofficials,STEMprofessionals,andothersthroughdata-baseddecision-makingandcollaboration.

ComingofAge:Evenbeforethefoundingcorporationsmadetheirrespectivepledges,theBillandMelindaGatesFoundationandtheCarnegieCorporationofNewYorkhadeachpledged$1.5millionoverthreeyears.SomeoftheCarnegiegrantpaidanattorneytoestablishour501c3statusandasearchfirmtoidentifypoten-tialstaffmembers.TheGatesFoundationsupportedastrategicplanninggroupthatdidsomeearlyworkenvi-sioningwhatthisnewentitymightdo.TheFoundationalsosupportedamajorprojectthatcrystallizedintheearlydaysofCTEq.TheS.D.Bechtel,JuniorFoundationprovided$150,000overthreeyears.Thisseedmoneywasinstrumentalinconvincingthefoundingcorporatememberstomaketheirownsubstantialcommitmentoftimeandmoney.TheBoardofDirectorsintendedthat,goingforward,thecorporatecommunitywouldfullyfundCTEq.Suchafiscalmodelwouldhelpensurethattheorganization’sadvocacyandactionswereconsonantwithcorporateneedsandperspectives.ThisdecisionenabledCTEqstafftosaythatCTEqspokeonbehalfofthebusinesscommunity.Consequently,theorganizationwasabletomakesomepronouncementsfromacorporateper-spectivethatindividualcompaniesmightnotmakeontheirown.i

Atthesametime,theBoardrecognizedthateachcorporatepartnerwouldultimatelyinsistonautonomyinmakingitsownphilanthropicdecisionsaboutSTEMlearning.Thisestablishedanintriguing,ongoingchallengeforstaff:recognizingtheindependenceofeachpartnerwhilealsourgingthemtoaligntheirdecisionstoasharedvisionforincreasingtheircollectiveimpactonSTEMlearning.

AnotherearlydecisionoftheBoardhadprofoundimplicationsforCTEq’sfinances:staffwasinstructedtomakeCTEq’sproductsfreelyavailableontheweb.BoardmembersdescribedthisdecisionascorporateAmer-ica’s‘gift’totheSTEMlearningenterprise,widelyavailabletoanyonewhomightfindtheresourceshelpful.

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ThosecontributingtoCTEqenjoyednospecialprivilegesbeyondaccesstoadvicefromCTEqstaffandprideofmembership.Thishadunintendedconsequencesfororganizationallong-termsustainability.

BECOMINGINDISPENSABLE

GainingStature:AproliferationofSTEMnonprofitsbeganin2010-2011,includingCTEq.ThePresident’sinter-estinSTEM,theprospectofpublicandprivatefundsavailableforSTEM,andwidespreaddissatisfactionaboutthenarrowpipelineofSTEMtalentgaverisetothesenewgroups.

CTEqhadtodefineitsuniquenichetocorporateAmericafromthestart.Metricsincludeditemssuchas:(1)thenumberofCTEqmembersreportingthattheyhadchangedorimprovedtheirinvestmentsinSTEMeduca-tionduetomembership;(2)thenumberofmembersreportinginformalsurveysthatCTEqaddedvaluetotheirorganizations;and(3)thenumberofhigh-qualityopportunitiesfordirectmemberengagementviacom-mittees,face-to-facemeetings,webinars,andmediaopportunities.ThesemetricsprovidedtheblueprintforCTEq’ssubsequentwork.

ImprovingInvestments:CTEqenlistedthehelpofaboutadozencompaniestodevelopDesignPrinciplesiiforeffectiveSTEMlearningopportunities.Wesoonlearned,however,thatcompanies,especiallythosenotamongthetwelveparticipants,wantedmorethanjustprinciplestoguidetheirwork.Whatemergedinresponsetothisneedwasalistofprogramsthatmetthehighbardescribedintheprinciples.CTEqcreatedSTEMworksasasearchableonlinehonorrollofprovenSTEMeducationprograms.ProgramsoptedtosubmittheirevidenceofeffectivenesstoaprocessestablishedbyCTEq.Afterathird-partyevaluationofthisevidence,programswereeitheradmittedtothehonorrollorgivenprivatefeedbackonhowtheycouldstrengthentheiroffering.WestEd,anonprofiteducationresearchandevaluationfirm,wasCTEq’spartnerthroughout,butespeciallyinthethird-partyevaluationphase.

CTEqstaffhelpedinterestedcompanyrepresentativesfamiliarizethemselveswithSTEMworksanditsgrowinglistofprograms.Thisefforttookseveralformsovertheyears,butitsgoalwasalwaystoencouragecompaniestoinvestmoreoftheirphilanthropicdollarsintoeffectiveprograms.AsnotedamongCTEq’saccomplishments,corporatefundingallowedanadditional4millionyoungpeopleacrossgradesK-12tobenefitfromSTEMworksprograms.BecausewepositionedCTEqasachangeagent,ourmetricwasforadditionalyouth;wedidnotcountthenumberofyoungpeoplewhowerealreadyinSTEMworksprogramsduetopreviouscorporatein-vestments.

CTEq’sBoardfocusedonincreasingthenumberofyouthreachedbyexcellentprogramsinthehopesofraisingtheSTEMliteracyofallhighschoolgraduates.Nonetheless,notallCTEqpartnercompaniesoptedtosupportSTEMworksprograms,whichwasoccasionallydisappointingbutalsonotsurprising.And,despitethegeneros-ityofthecorporatecommunity—whichinvestedroughly$4billioninSTEMeducationoversevenyears—itsoonbecameclearthatCTEqneededtouseitsmembers’influenceasfutureemployersofAmerica’syouthtosecurepublicdollarsaswell.CTEqformedpartnershipswithseveralstates,eachtailoredtoastate’sindividualgoalsandcircumstances,toencouragethescalingofSTEMworksprograms.STEMworks’groundinginaschol-arly,unbiasedselectionprocessgavepartnerstatesconfidencethattheSTEMworksprogramstheysupportedwouldprovideastrongreturnoninvestmentofpublicdollars.OutreachtostatesandtopotentialnewSTEMworksprogramscontinuesevennowunderWestEd’saegis.

Sinceitsinception,STEMworkshashelpedcompanies,states,andindividualsmakesmartinvestmentsintheircommunitiesbyevaluatingandcatalogingprogramsthatmeetrigorousandresults-drivendesignprinciples.Withthependulumreturningtostate-basededucationaldecision-makingaswellasongoingconcernabouttheSTEMliteracyofournation’shighschools,thevalueofSTEMworkswilllikelyincrease.

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AddingValuetoMembers:Inadditiontomakingphilanthropicinvestments,companiesshowtheirsupportforvariouscausessuchasSTEMeducationbylendingthemameasureoftheirgravitas.CEOsoftenhaveabullypulpitintheirspeeches,socialmedia,andin-personmeetings.Educatorsandpolicymakersresponsiblefored-ucationpayattentiontoCEOs’viewssinceemployersaretheleadingcustomersoftheK-16enterprise.

ItwasnotunusualforcorporatestafftosendanurgentSOStoCTEqstaffaskingforhelpincraftingC-Suitecommunications.Therequestwasusuallyforsomedatarelevanttothelocationofanexecutive’sremarksorascontextforsomepointinthoseremarks.AlthoughCTEqstaffwasgladtohelpinthese‘emergency’situa-tions,wealsoprovidedasteadystreamofSTEMeducationinformationthatcompaniescoulduseintheircom-municationseffortsasneeded.ThisdemandforSTEMeducationdatawascentraltoCTEq’ssecondmajorproduct.

JustasSTEMworkshelpedinterestedpartiesmakesenseofthewidearrayofSTEMprogramsseekingtheirsupport,CTEq’srobust,state-by-stateVitalSignsiiireportshelpedcorporateAmericamakethecaseinsupportofSTEMeducationbyplacingrelevantdataontheconditionofSTEMeducationattheirfingertips.Thesere-ports,whichpresentmorethan50indicatorsforeachstateinthecountry,providetherichest,mostcompletestate-by-stateinformationonK-12STEMeducationeverassembled.Theycombinepubliclyavailabledatawithnewdatagleanedfromnewsourcesorreanalysisofdatainexistingsources.ThedataareavailableinbriefPDFreportsaswellasinaninteractivewebsitethatallowsvisitorstoexplorestate-by-statedatainmoredepth.ThesedatailluminatecriticalareasofneedinSTEMeducation,whichhelpedourcorporatepartnersbettertargettheirinvestmentsinSTEMeducationandtheiradvocacyforchange.Withoutsacrificingaccuracy,VitalSignsreportsareconcise,persuasive,andvisual,becauseourcorporatepartnershadneitherthetimenorexpertisetodelveintotraditionaleducationresearch.Inadditiontothestate-by-statedata,CTEqalsoproducedperiodicbriefs,oftenonworkforceissuesfromanationalperspective.OurSTEMtisticswereinfographicsandcompellingdatapointsthatcouldbeeasilysharedviasocialmediaorinsertedintoPowerPointpresentations.CTEqVitalSignsdatahavebeencitedbydozensofnationalandstatemediaoutletsacrossthecountry,andnationallegislators,statelegislators,CEOs,andatleasttwogovernorshaveusedthemtoadvocateforgreaterfocusonSTEMlearning.WhileVitalSignssucceededinraisingthealarm,theyofferedfewpolicyrecommen-dationscompanies(orothers)couldfollowtoaddresstheproblemsidentifiedinthedatabeyondsupportingspecificSTEMworksprograms.Thisdecisionreflectedtheunderstandablereluctance—especiallywithpublicbacklashtoCommonCore—ofthecorporatecommunitytotakestrongpolicystands.Notsurprisingly,someofthebiggestfansofVitalSignscamefromtheeducationcommunity,whousedthemtosupporttheirownwork,especiallyoneducationpoliciesthatcouldaffectSTEMlearningforaverylargenumberofstudents.Alt-houghscalingupprogramswasappropriateforcompanies,changingstatepolicythatcouldtouchallK-12stu-dentslivinginthatstaterequiredanenlargedsetofpartners.DirectMemberEngagement:CTEqassignedastaffmembertheprimaryresponsibilityofoutreachtoeachofourcorporatepartnerstoengagetheminourwork.AlthoughtheCEOofeachcompanywastechnicallythemember,aclearmajorityofCEOsdesignatedliaisonstointeractdirectlywithCTEqstaff.Overthesevenyears,memberengagementtookmanyforms.Wehostedtwomajorconvocations;organizednumerous“STEMSalons”onpressingissueswithpresentationsthatinvitedaudiencequestionsand

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involvement;producedamonthlynewsletterforawideaudience;organizedmanywebinarsonspecialtopics;createdrelevantcorporatesub-committeestoadviseusonSTEMissues;andcreatedalivelysocialmediapres-encewithtensofthousandsoffollowerstoshareimportantinsightsfromourresearchandheraldthegoodworkofourcorporatepartnersinSTEMeducation.These,ofcourse,areexamplesofbroadoutreachtoourmembership.Someliaisonsrespondedwithenthusiasm;othersdidnot.Forallliaisons,itwasclearthatCTEqwasmerelyoneamongmanyoftheirresponsibilities.

WealsoworkedwithindividualliaisonstoacquaintthemmorefullywithSTEMworksandVitalSigns.SeveralpartnerssoughtstrategicadvicefromCTEqstaffabouttheirphilanthropiceffortsoverseveralmonthsandaskedforintroductionstospecificSTEMworksprogramsortoothercompaniessupportingspecificprograms.Notsurprisingly,naturalattritionamongtheCEOsandliaisonshadprofoundimplicationsonCTEq.NewCEOsdidnotnecessarilysharetheirpredecessors’passionforK-12STEMlearning,nordidtheyfeeltheneedtorallyaroundtheObamaadministrationseveralyearsafterCTEq’slaunch.EveniftheyoptedtocontinueafocusonSTEM,theysometimespreferredmovingforwardontheirown.Still,STEMworksandVitalSigns—readilyavail-ableontheweb—becameresourcestohelptheirstaffaccomplishtheirphilanthropicgoals,evenforcompa-niesthatoptednottobecomemembers.CTEqstafflearnedthatsomecompaniesthatneverjoinedCTEqwouldonlyfundSTEMworks-certifiedprograms.Theypreferredtoinvestalltheirfundsdirectlyinvettedpro-grams.ManyappointedliaisonswerechampionsforCTEq,makingthecaseinternallyforcontinuedsupport.Theyalsohadtorespondtocompanychanges.Astheirchainofcommandturnedover,theirresponsibilitieschangedorevenmovedawayfromSTEMeducationentirely.Addtothischurnthenaturalattritionofliaisons.WeoftenfoundourselvesmakingthecaseforCTEqtonewliaisonswhowereexperiencingtheirownsteeplearningcurveaboutanewposition.WheredidthisleaveCTEq:ThenumberofcorporatepartnersprovidingsupporttoCTEqdeclinedoverthelifeoftheorganization.Staffsucceededinrecruitingnewmembers.ButclearlythemodelofsustainingCTEqsolelyoncorporatecontributions—anexplicitlystatedgoaloftheBoardfromtheearlydays—wasnotlikelyviable.Withanuncertainfuture,weimmediatelymovedtoconserveCTEqresources.Naturalstaffattritionenabledustoreducethesizeofouralreadysmallstaff,fromseventofive,whichimmediatelysavedmoney.Nearthesametime,theOverdeckFamilyFoundationexpressedinterestingivingagranttoCTEqtoexpanditsSTEMworkseffortstosecurestatepartnerships.ThiswasthefirsttimesinceCTEq’slaunchthatfundingfromasourceotherthanacompanywasusedtosupportourwork.Overdecksoonbecameagoodthoughtpartneraswell.Together,cost-savingsandfundraisinggaveusasolidfundbalanceofmorethan$2million,enablingremain-ingstaffto:(1)rallymorefunders—corporate,public,andprivate—insupportofSTEMworks,(2)ensurethatmorecorporateinvestmentstargetedactualareasofneed,(3)helpmoreSTEMlearningprogramsmeasureuptorigorousprinciplesforqualityandimpact,and,mostimportantly,(4)figureoutanorganizationalpathfor-wardthatdidnotdependprimarilyoncorporatedonations.

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SECURINGCTEQ’SLEGACYSeekingadvicefromtheSTEMcommunity:WithCTEqatacrossroads,weaskednearly25peoplerepresentinganarrayofrelevantperspectivesfortheirconfidentialideasaboutpossiblenextstepsforCTEq.Threeoptionsemergedfromtheseconversations:

• ReinventCTEqwithanewSTEMmissionthatdidnotnecessarilyrelysolelyonbusinessengagementorcorporatefunding;

• AcquisitionofCTEqbyanorganizationseekingentry/expansioninSTEMlearningandassignCTEq’sIPassetsandsomestafftothispartnertoensurecontinuityandqualitycontrol;

• DeclareMissionAccomplishedwithalegacy‘communicationscampaign’aboutCTEq’saccomplish-ments,andassignCTEq’sinitiativestoappropriate,interested(c)3organizations.

ManyintervieweesmentionedCTEq’suniquenessandsaidtheywouldregretthelossofthecorporatevoiceinSTEMeducation.TheyalsomadeclearthatCTEq’soriginalvisionandmissionwerestillrelevant,timelyandunfinished.PeoplespokeoftheongoingneedfornewsourcesoffundingforSTEMworksprograms,suggestedthatmoreSTEMeducationprogramsneededhelpmeasuringuptoqualitystandards,andemphasizedtheim-portanceofcorporateAmerica’sneedforSTEMtalentaspartofthenationalconversation.WealsoheardthatmostexistingSTEMnonprofitsalreadyhadfullagendasthatbenefited,inpart,fromCTEq’sleadershipandvi-siononSTEMworksandVitalSigns.OneortwopeoplealsowonderedifitwastimeforCTEqto‘declarevic-tory’sinceithadaccomplishedallthatitcoulddoasanorganization.ArmedwiththeseinsightsandcommittedtomaintainCTEq’sbusinesscredibility,CTEq’sBoard,inthesummerof2016,encouragedstafftoexplorepotentialpartnerswhomightacquireCTEq,andwhatthatmightmean.

TheBusinessRoundtable:CTEq’sBoardwasintimatelyfamiliarwiththeBusinessRoundtable(BRT),alargerorganizationthanCTEq,whichregularlyconvenedCEOsfrommanybusinesssectors.ThisactiveengagementofCEOsheldgreatappeal,asdidthepotentialofabroadercorporateaudiencetosupportSTEMworkspro-gramsandtomakeuseoftheVitalSignsdatainadvocacyefforts.TheBoarddirectedstafftoexploreBRT’sinterestinacquiringCTEq.

BRTstaffwereintriguedbythepossibilityofaclosepartnership.Sellingpointsincludedadditionalstaffdedi-catedtoeducationissues,helpwithSTEMworksandVitalSignsforinterestedBRTmembers,andcoordinationamongbusinessorganizationstoexpandimpactandconserveresources.BRTwasalsointerestedincreatingfromscratchananalogousREADINGworksandVitalSignsdataforreading,usingthesamemodelthatCTEqhaddevelopedforSTEM.

AMemorandumofUnderstandingwasdrafteddescribingapartnershipbetweenBRTandCTEq.Notaformalacquisition,perse,butanarrangementthatwasmutuallybeneficialandfocusedonK-12education.However,despiteseveralmonthsofexploration,amajorleadershipchangeatBRTbeforetheMOUwassignedresultedinanindefinitelypostponeddiscussion.

WiththeBRToptionoffthetable,staffbegananewtoexplorepossiblenextsteps.

GrantingCTEq’sassets:JustastheBoardoriginally‘gifted’theSTEMeducationcommunitywithfreewebac-cesstoourmainassets—STEMworksandVitalSigns—werealizedthatthebusinesscommunity’slegacytothebroadcommunityshouldbethecontinuationofthesetwopowerfultools.Thebusinesscommunity’sinsightsandprioritieshadshapedthem,andbusinessresourcescouldlaunchtheseinstrumentsinnewhomesbettersuitedthanCTEqtothecurrenteducationalenvironment.

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SecurelylaunchingtheminnewhomesrequiredCTEqtogivethoseorganizationssubstantialfinancialgrantsalongwiththeassetsthemselves.Goodintentionsandinterestbypotentialgranteeswouldnotsuffice;CTEqneededtoprovidefundsenablinganewhometosustainanassetforayearor(preferably)morewhilesimul-taneouslyimplementingabusinessmodeltosustain(andlikelyimprove)it.Therefore,CTEqundertooksev-eralfurthercost-cuttingmeasurestopreserveCTEq’scapital.Onestaffmembertookajoboutoftownandanotherreceivedaseverancepackagewhenherpositionasmemberliaisonwasnolongerneeded.Oursmallstaffwasdowntothree.Wealsogavetherequiredsixmonthsofnoticeonourofficespacelease,knowingthatwecouldtelecommutethereafter,ifnecessary.

Whatwouldanewhomelooklike?First,CTEq’sarticlesofincorporationrequiredthatinthecaseofdissolu-tion,allremainingpropertyandassetsoftheCorporationbegiventoentitieswhosemissionincludedstrengtheningK-12STEMlearning.Second,CTEq’saimtoensurethatallhighschoolgraduatesareSTEMlit-eratecouldbestbeservedbyanorganizationwithanationalfootprint.Third,anewhomemustbehighlyre-garded,especiallybythosewithresponsibilityformakingdecisionsaboutK-12education,alongwithasolidfund-raisingrecordandprospects.

Usingthesethreesignposts,CTEqstafftalkedwithnonprofitswethoughtmightbeinterestedinsecuringtheIPtooneorbothofourassets.Duringthisperioditwasveryimportanttoustomaintainconfidentialityaboutourplans,evenaswecontinuedourwork.WehopedtomanagetheeventualnarrativeaboutCTEq’slikelydis-solution,andtherewereactivitiesalreadyinthepipelinethatwouldenhanceourassetsandcontributetothebroadSTEMeducationcommunity.Wedidn’twantrumorsaboutdissolutiontointerferewiththereleaseofnew,strongCTEqinformation.WekeptVitalSignsdataup-to-date,releasednewVitalSignsbriefs,continueddiscussionsaboutnewstateSTEMworkspartnerships,usedvibrantsocialmediatoshinealightonSTEMworksprogramsandeffectiveSTEMlearningpolicies,andmaintainedeffortstohelpexistingSTEMlearningprogramsimprovetheirproduct.

Wehadin-depthphoneconversationsandmeetingswithpotentialgranteestogaugetheirinterestandthenaskedeachtorespondinwritingtoquestionsabouthowtheywouldsupportCTEq’svisionforthefutureoftheassets.Wewrote,forexample:

• TheSTEMworksgranteeshouldbeabletomaintainSTEMworks’scurrentstrengths—improvingdesignandimplementationofSTEMprograms,curatingeffectiveprogramsforinterestedfunders,andhelp-ingstatesestablishROIfortheiruseofpublicfunds—whileexpandingitsreachandimpact.iv

• TheVitalSignsgranteeshouldbeabletotakeadvantageofitsdevotedfollowingofSTEMeducationadvocateswhovalueitsstraightforwardvisualpresentationofcompellingandup-to-datedata,evenastheymovetoengagealargeraudienceofeducators,businessleaders,stateandlocalpolicymakerswhocouldincreaseitsimpact.Finally,theidealhostorganizationwouldtakeVitalSignstothenextlevelthroughstrategiessuchasaddingnewdata,information,functions,oroutreachstrategiestoin-creaseitsimpact.

Questionstopotentialgranteescenteredonfourcriteria:(1)theorganization’svisionforthefutureoftheas-setandthewaysinwhichitcouldservetheirmissionandintegratewithexistingwork,(2)theorganization’sabilitytoreachcriticalaudienceswiththeasset,(3)theorganization’splantosustaintheasset,and(4)theorganization’sconnectiontothebusinesscommunity.

TherewasconsiderableinterestfromseveralviableorganizationsforoneorbothofCTEq’sassets.Althoughonegroupeventuallywithdrewfromconsiderationduetotimingandotherobligations,CTEqhadthehappy

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prospectofagoodnumberofcompetitiveproposals.Whennecessary,weaskedeachpotentialgranteetoclarifycertainaspectsofitsproposalbeforewebeganevaluatingin-depthwhattheyhadsubmitted.

MakingtheDecision

Wefoundourselvesinanenviableposition,withsufficientresourcestomakesizeablegrantsthatwouldsus-taineachassetformorethanayear,andstrongorganizationsvyingfortheassetseachwithadeepapprecia-tionofthevalueandvitalityofCTEq’slegacy.Weneededathoughtfulprocesstomakethebestselection.

Tojudgetheproposals,CTEqstaffdevelopedarubricbasedonourquestionsandourknowledgeofthestrengthsandpotentialofeachasset.Weknew,forexample,thattheprocesstoreviewprospectiveSTEMworksprogramslikelyshouldbestreamlinedtoconservetimeandmoney.VitalSignsdidnotincludepol-icyrecommendationstohelpturnaroundunsatisfactorydataoutcomesaboutSTEMlearning.Whenitcametostateinfluence,thebusinesscommunityfocusedmostlyonpoliciesrelatedtotheircorebusiness.Butwide-spreadchangeinSTEMeducationprobablyrequirednewpoliciesthatcouldbebasedonVitalSignsdata.

Wewerelookingfororganizationsthatdemonstratedagilityandthoughtfulnessinthedescriptionoftheirplans.Specifically,forSTEMworks,wewereinterestedineachorganization’s:(1)abilitytopersuadekeystateSTEMleaderstoadoptSTEMworks,(2)visionforthefuture,includingcost-savingsideasforthereviewpro-cess,(3)fund-raisingcapability,(4)STEMreputation,and(5)staffcapacity.ThelistforVitalSignswassimilar,butalsotailoredtowardassessinganorganization’s:(1)track-recordforgettingheardbystateleaders;(2)vi-sionforthefutureofVitalSigns,(3)fund-raisingcapability,(4)STEMresearchcapability,especiallyineasy-to-digestformats,and(5)positioningasopinionleaderinSTEMlearning.

Withidentifyinginformationremoved,CTEqstaffreviewedandscoredtheproposalsinthefallof2017.ItwasclearthatWestEdofferedthebestplanforSTEMworks,andEducationCommissionoftheStatesforVitalSigns.Representativesfrombothorganizationswerethrilledwithourselection,andCTEq’sattorneysentdraftMOUstoeachtoinitiatethelegaltransferoftheIPandfundingviaagrantagreement.

TIMINGISEVERYTHING

Twonewvoices,thatofWestEdandECS,hadtobeconsideredasweundertookadelicatesequenceofstepsdefininghow,whenandtowhomtocommunicateCTEq’simportantdecision.Eachorganizationhaditsownconstituency,itsowncommunicationchannelsanditsowngovernanceproceduresthatdeservedrespectandconsideration.Withthefuturesuccessoftheassetsatstake,thethreeorganizationsreadilyconvergedonaplantonotifypeopleofthegrantsandtotrytocontrolthenarrativeaboutthechanges.ThatitalsomeantthedemiseofCTEqwassecondary.Wequicklyagreedonthecontoursofthegrandfinale.

• Onamutuallyagreed-upondayandtime,CTEq,WestEdandECSwouldsendabroadcastemailtotheirrespectivemailinglistsannouncingthegrantsandturnoveroftheIPs.

• Onthatsamedayandtime,CTEq’swebsitewouldtransitiontothemessagethatopenedthispaper,whichincludedhyperlinkstothenewsitesforSTEMworksandVitalSigns.WestEdandECSwouldsim-ultaneouslypublishthepagesassociatedwiththehyperlinks.

• CTEqhadasmalllistofspecialfriends—suchasformerBoardmembers,statepartnersandSTEMworksprogramdirectors—whowouldbenotifiedafewhoursinadvance.

• Withthankstoourcorporatepartners,CTEq’slegacyandcontributionswouldcontinuetothrive.Accomplishingthisvisiontookseveralsteps,deftagility,andorganization.

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LegalIssues:Thereweremanymovingpartstocoordinate,butthetimelinefromCTEq’sperspectivewasdrivenbytwoprimaryconsiderations.First,wewantedtoensurethatCTEqwasdissolvedbytheendofthecalendaryear,sothatour990TaxFormfor2017wouldbeourlast.Infact,wepre-paidourauditorforhisworktocompleteour990intheearlypartof2018.ThatmeantallbankaccountshadtobeclosedandallfinalpaymentsmadeandclearedbeforeDecember31,2017.Second,tomaximizetheamountofthegrantgoingtoeachorganization,weagaininstitutedcostreductions.Withoutrentandoverhead—wewerenowtelecom-muting—ourbiggestlineitemwasassociatedwithsalaries.Whenoneemployeedecidedtomoveoutoftownforanotheropportunity,theremainingtwostaffmembers—myselfasCEOandtheCOO—resolvedtohaveeverythingdonebymid-December.CTEq’sattorney,whosepracticecentersonnonprofits,cautionedusaboutthemyriaddetailsthatwewouldbefacing.Shecertainlyspokethetruth,asIsoonlearned!Butfortunately,shealsoremainedbyoursideaswetackledissuesasdiverseasnotifyingthreedifferentbureaucraticofficesoftheDistrictofColumbiagovern-mentthatwewereshuttingourdoors,vtonegotiatingthefinalcontractswithourgrantees,toensuringthattheBoardtookthenecessarystepstodissolvea501c3,amongmanyothers.Wealsopre-paidtheattorney’sfirm,basedonherbestestimateoftheoutstandinglegalwork.Iamalmostcertainthattheestimatedidnotfullycoverthetimeneeded.Eachgranteehaditsinternalprocesstoacceptthegrantandsignthegrantagreement.Onemovedforwardimmediately;theother,duetopersonnelissuesunrelatedtothegrant,movedmoreslowly.Theimmediateimpactwasanunfortunatetimedifferentialinthetechnologytransfer.Untiltheagreementwassigned,itwasprematuretogiveourgranteesaccesstoadministrativesitesforVitalSignsandSTEMworks.YeteachgranteeneededaccesstothosesitestobegintheworkofincorporatingSTEMworksandVitalSignsintotheirownre-spectivewebsitesaestheticallyandtechnically.Ofcourse,everyoneworksontheirownscheduletogetthingsdone!Wedippedintoourreservoirofpatienceduringtheprocess.FinancialIssues:Wedecidedtopaythegranteesintwoinstallments:onewhenthegrantagreementwassigned,andthenanamountgreaterthanorequaltothefirstinstallmentonthedayofthepublicannounce-ment.Althoughtheballparkamountforeachgrantwasclear,theexactdollarsandcentswerenot.Thepossi-bilityofunanticipatedexpensesledustobecautiousinemptyingourbankaccountprematurely,althoughfor-tunatelywefacedfewsuchexpenses.Wealsohadtomakecertainthatthelastcheckclearedourbankac-countbeforewemovedtocloseit.Itwasalladelicatedance.Thesamewastrueforalloutstandinginvoices.Ourbookkeeper,forexample,wasgoingtotransferCTEq’sQuickbooksrecordstotheauditorforthe990.Notonlydidweneedtopayherfirminadvance,wealsohadtogetthefinalchecksintoourrecordsandpaidbythebank.Thedesignerwhohelpedwiththefinalwebsiteposting,alongwiththetechnicalfolkswhoworkedwithourgranteesonthetechnologytransferallneededtobepaid.Verycarefulrecordkeepingandinformedestimateshelpedtremendously.Tasksthatsoundedeasyprovednottobe.Closingourcorporatecreditcardforexamplemusthavetaken4or5differentphonecalls.Endingourrelationshipwiththecompanythatwroteourpaychecks,butnotuntilthefinalpaycheckshadbeendistributedrequiredawell-thoughtouttacticalapproach.Itwasallworthwhile,however,becauseourcarefulbudgetingyieldedbiggergrantsforSTEMworksandVitalSignsthanwehadanticipated.

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ArchivingRecords:Wewerejudiciousaboutwhattosave,beingcarefultopreservearecordofourworkandaccomplishmentsandselectfinancialdocuments.Weshreddedyearsofbills,bankstatements,defunctcon-tracts,andotherpaperworkthatfilledmanyfiledrawers.Becausewepaidmostofourbillsonline,wehadanelectronicarchiveoffinancialtransactionsandsupportingdocumentsthatwaseasytobackuponasingleCD.BecauseourmostimportantlegacywereSTEMworksandVitalSigns,webackedupalltheelectronicfilesthatcontainedcriticalfinancialandprogrammaticinformationonthesetwoinitiatives.Thisinformationwillhelpbothinitiativesprosperintothefuture.

Fortunately,bothgranteeshiredmyCTEqcolleagueasaconsultanttoensureasmoothtransitionforeachini-tiative,andwemadeclearourwillingnesstobethoughtpartnersiftheywouldfindithelpful.TheBigDay:MycolleagueandIeachhadalistabout30peoplewewantedtoreachouttoindividually.Thiswasdoneelectronically,butthenoteswerepersonalized.Althoughlaborintensive,thegratifyingresponsesmadeitworthwhile.Peopleappreciatedourthoughtfulness,especiallyinourthanksfortheirspecialcontribu-tiontoCTEqovertheyears.WeanticipatethatthesepeoplewillcontinuetovalueanduseSTEMworksandVitalSignsgoingforward.POSTSCRIPTIntheensuingfourmonths,WestEdandECShaveenthusiasticallyabsorbedSTEMworksandVitalSignsintotheirrespectiveoperations.Theirfutureisbright.IamveryproudofCTEq’saccomplishments,goingfromastart-uptoaviable,highly-functioningorganizationinashortperiodoftime.ButperhapsIamevenprouderoftheintegritythatguidedourdecisiontodissolve.Wecouldhavecontinuedforatleastanotheryear,buttheworkitselfmighthavesuffered.Bymakingthepro-activedecisiontodissolveandplaceourinitiativesinotherorganizations,wewereabletoensurethattheini-tiativesweworkedsohardtobuildcontinuetoadvanceCTEq’smissiontoproduceSTEMliteratehighschoolgraduates,eveninCTEq’sabsence.

iPerhapsthebestexampleofindividualcorporations’reluctancetotakestandsoneducationpolicyissuesemergedwhenCTEqadvocatedfortheMathematicsCommonCoreStateStandardsandNextGenerationScienceStandards.Politicalre-sistancetobotheffortsmademanycompaniesreluctanttorallyaroundthempublicly,buttheywelcomedCTEq’seffortstoprovideawell-reasonedvoiceaboutthevalueofthesehighstandards.iiThisisahyperlinktoWestEd,thenewhomeforSTEMworks,atthedissolutionofCTEq.ThematerialisnowbrandedforWestEdbutpayshomagetotheoriginalworkdonebyCTEqwithnosubstantivetextchanges.iiiThisisahyperlinktoEducationCommissionoftheStates,thenewhomeforVitalSigns,atthedissolutionofCTEq.ThematerialisnowbrandedforECSandincludesECS’collectionofresearchalongwithcompilationsofrelevantstatepolicyaroundSTEMlearning.ivWefeltakeenresponsibilitytohonorexistingrelationships,sowecalledoutsevencurrentstatesthatalreadyhadfor-ward-lookingplanstomaintaintheirpartnershiparoundSTEMworksandweconfidentiallylistedotherstatesthatex-pressedsimilarinterestsbuthadnotmovedtoaformalpartnership.vEvenwithofficiallettersfromlocalgovernmentacknowledgingourdecisiontodissolve,Icontinuetoreceivecorre-spondencecitingCTEqfornon-complianceonthisorthat.Ourattorneyrespondsonourbehalfprobono.Thewheelsofbureaucraciesmoveslowly!