Earlier today, United Way co-hosted “Diplomas Now: Investing in Innovation for L.A.’s Students” at William Jefferson Clinton Middle School for the purposes of exploring a historic investment of federal and private funds to turn the city’s lowest-performing schools around.

Leading experts in the field of education including Dr. Robert Balfanz, Co-Director of the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University and creator of the Diplomas Now model, and LAUSD’s Chief of Intensive Support and Intervention Donna Muncey were in attendance.

Having already been piloted in Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, Miami and now Los Angeles, the Diplomas Now program is addressing the nation’s high school dropout crisis by using key performance data to identify at-risk youths and provide them with the academic tutoring, peer mentoring, case management and customized curriculums they need to succeed.

Among other things, the two-hour event featured a brief panel discussion on the ins and outs of this unique approach to student intervention and how it will increase the District’s 56% graduation rate as well as its impact on struggling campuses like Clinton Middle School.

According to Dr. Balfanz, “Diplomas Now is helping kids overcome the pull of poverty and disengagement with a model that is welcoming and inclusive – but strategically so. In order to bring its evidence-based practices to scale, we have to build a strong network with external partners like United Way and draw from the wealth of talent which exists in L.A. to really push things forward.”

For more information on how you can support United Way and Diplomas Now’s efforts to boost student achievement, please contact lruben@unitedwayla.org or mollyann@unitedwayla.org.

104 leaders representing the public, private, nonprofit, business, government, faith and philanthropic sectors have since signed on in support of this joint initiative between United Way of Greater L.A. and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

Of the 51,000 men, women and children currently living on the streets of Los Angeles, 12,556 are chronically homeless and 9,141 are veterans of the military.

Research shows the traditional public assistance model – which struggles to manage homelessness rather than end it – operates at a cost of $875 million per year while also placing a huge burden on local law enforcement, criminal justice and healthcare systems.

According to the Task Force’s detailed blueprint for change, however, a strategic reallocation of existing resources would not only save $280 million annually but provide all affected individuals with access to permanent housing and a network of supportive services designed to keep them off the streets for good.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Home for Good plan, please click here.

Gretchen and Bruce Willison

“My wife Gretchen and I been involved with United Way as Tocqueville Society donors and volunteers for decades because we believe a community coming together to focus on its biggest challenges and opportunities best leverages its resources and talents. United Way is uniquely positioned to galvanize our community and its caring people, and to professionally analyze investments and direct funds to achieve the best results for creating pathways out of poverty.”

Bob Hahn, center, with David Bruhn, Winnie Chan, Paul Vasquez and Raffi Svadjian, past and present recipients of his scholarship at USC School of Pharmacy. Photo by David Balfour

K. Bob Hahn, Tocqueville Society Member, has been a United Way supporter for sixty years! His service and support of United Way in Los Angeles dates back to 1966. Prior, he was involved with United Way in Cleveland and Grand Rapids. Bob has been influenced and motivated by his own life and achievements, particularly a donor’s generosity that enabled Bob to receive his education through scholarship. He is a strong believer in teaching economics and giving back to others in his community. He is particularly passionate about United Way’s Creating Pathways Out of Poverty plan that supports Education, Financial Stability, and solving Homelessness in Los Angeles County.

Thank you Mr. Hahn for being such a loyal supporter of our efforts to improve lives by creating pathways out of poverty!

Alongside United Way’s President and CEO Elise Buik, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa officially announced the start of the annual Greater L.A. EITC Campaign at a press conference last Monday.

The joint initiative between United Way, the City and County of Los Angeles, State Controller John Chiang’s Office and the IRS is part of a national effort to help low to moderate-income families attain financial stability by securing an estimated $2 billion in refunds for qualified taxpayers.

By claiming valuable credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, a working family with three or more children may be eligible to receive up to $5,751 for the 2011 tax year – the equivalent of nearly two months of income.

According to Elise Buik: “The EITC is a vastly underutilized benefit – with 20 percent of taxpayers leaving $300 million on the table. In the meantime, the cost of food and housing is on the rise and wage growth is virtually nonexistent,” she said. “This year, we want to increase participation in the program by 10 percent which means almost 50,000 local residents will get free tax assistance to claim the money that is rightfully theirs.”

 Those who are interested in starting 2012 off on solid financial footing should follow these three simple steps:

1.      See if you qualify for VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance)…

The program is open to all working individuals and families who earned a combined household income of 49,000 or less in 2011.

2.      Choose from more than 150 convenient locations…

Call (800) 906-9887 or visit FreeTaxHelpLA.com to find a tax preparation site near you.

3.      Get your refund faster…

In order to expedite the process, remember to bring the following items to your tax appointment:

• Photo ID
• Social security card
• W-2s, 1099s and other tax-related documents
• Voided check or account statement with bank routing numbers
• Your spouse (if married and filing jointly)

Read the press release.

Check out the photo gallery.

Too many children in Los Angeles aren’t getting the education they deserve. Currently, only 56% of LAUSD students graduate from high school on time and far too many are left unprepared for college.

The rally featured comments from city leaders including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy, Executive Director of Communities for Teaching Excellence and UWGLA Board Member Yolie Flores as well as Corri Ravare, Executive Director of Families That Can.

Villaraigosa told parents that they play a critical role in improving public schools: “Great schools will only come when parents are engaged and demand results,” he said. “Every child in every neighborhood deserves access to an excellent education.”

 ”We have some great public schools in L.A. but we don’t have enough of them. Our children can’t wait,” Corri Ravare added.

 ”It is the responsibility of all educators in this city to ensure that every one of its students receives a quality education and graduates from high school college-prepared and career-ready,” Deasy said. “At LAUSD, we are charting a bold course to achieve that goal which includes school choice, performance management and new tools to measure educator effectiveness.”

Former LAUSD Board Member Yolie Flores joined the event in support of parents and highlighted the need for quality teachers.

 ”Parents and students know their rights. They know that a quality education requires an effective teacher in every classroom,” she said. “We’re gathering here to demand better policies that ensure effective teaching so that every student can and will succeed.”

 The rally was coordinated by Families That Can, a statewide organization of charter school parents, in partnership with community organizations like United Way of Greater L.A., Families In Schools, Alliance for a Better Community, Communities for Teaching Excellence, EdVoice and Democrats for Education Reform.