New York City
mom Lisa Belzberg believes that the condition of our public schools is the
civil rights issue of today. As founder and executive chairperson of PENCIL
(Public Education Needs Civic Involvement in Learning), a non-profit
organization that unites leaders in business and education, she is devoted to
getting the two groups working together to effect change on the society as a
whole.
Having attended public schools in her native Canada,
Belzberg notes that unlike in the United States,
there isn’t a plethora of private school options. Therefore public school is
the norm for most Canadian children, regardless of race, class or religion. “In
no way do I think my school was the best in terms of facilities or teachers,
but it was most certainly a very equalizing force that everyone in town went to
the same place and was invested in the school the same way,” she says.
That kind of community commitment buttresses PENCIL, which
she originally launched in 1995 anchored by a Principal For A Day initiative to
help recruit corporate contacts. In the program, prominent New
York business leaders visited city schools to meet
with faculty and parents and brainstorm ideas for collaboration. PENCIL has
since grown into a yearlong alliance with over 400 active partnerships.
Participating companies span just about every industry imaginable and include
well-known firms such as Jet Blue Airlines, Citigroup, Estee Lauder and Warner
Music Group. Belzberg stresses that PENCIL’s partnerships are not meant to have
individuals from the private sector telling the schools what to do. Instead,
they are meant to foster a collaborative environment in which both parties can
develop innovative solutions to the school’s issues, which in the past have
included things like developing faculty leadership opportunities, fundraising
guidance and enhancing curriculum.
Belzberg points out that many last well beyond the minimum
one-year commitment and identify other issues to tackle. “Assuming we’re
nurturing it properly, the partnership can go on forever. The circle expands,
getting deeper and more significant,” she says. An example of one such
partnership is between Bushwick Leaders
High School in Brooklyn
and JPMorgan Chase. Partners since 2006, JPMorgan was able to help create a new
computer lab for the school, complete with laptops for students and Internet
access. They also worked with the school to develop financial literacy seminars
for parents in English and Spanish.
The numerous meetings, fundraisers and school visits it
takes to keep PENCIL thriving keep Belzberg on the go. She admits that like
most working parents, she balances the demands of her professional and personal
lives at the expense of sleep. However, she feels fortunate to have a job that
lets her be present for her family (her three children and three stepchildren
range in age from 11-24) when they need her. “I love being there to do homework
or when they have something on their mind and need to talk,” she says.
To Belzberg, being present also means sharing her work with
her kids, but keeping the blackberry away from the dinner table. “I bring my
work home because it’s very important that my kids understand what I do, the
values that I hold.” she says. “I used to say that the best thing for us would
be if we could go out of business. I no longer believe that. I feel that every
city should have an understanding of the importance of public/private
partnership in education.”
For more about PENCIL, visit pencil.org.
And When
She’s Not Saving Schools…She’s Saving Your Wardrobe!
We’ve all had it happen before—you’re headed out the door
with a minute to spare, only to look down and find that you’re wearing your
three-year-old’s oatmeal on your favorite blouse. It’s why Lisa Belzberg and
business partner Erin Pace have created a simple way for parents to protect
their clothing. They call it Koobli, a functional
unisex machine washable garment. “I wanted something I could take off, throw on
and be totally present when I was with my kids,” Belzberg says. Visit koobli.com for more information.
