Just as bold leadership and collaboration built Houston into a world-class city, the same collective action can transform our public education system, says Houston Endowment President and CEO Ann Stern
Houston Endowment President and CEO Ann Stern urged supporters of public education to draw inspiration from Houston’s history as they work to build a better future for the region’s children. The message was clear: Just as bold leadership and collaboration built Houston into a world-class city, the same collective action is needed today to transform our public education system.
As keynote speaker at Teach for America Houston’s Ignite Potential luncheon, Stern reflected on the legacy of Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones, who founded Houston Endowment in 1937 with a commitment to opportunity. While the Jones’ left no specific instructions for how the foundation should approach its work in the future, she said, their actions made their values clear.
“The Joneses spoke a lot about opportunity. They wanted everyone to have the opportunity to thrive. So it makes sense that education was the first place they put their philanthropic efforts,” Stern said. The foundation began by funding scholarships to students with an eye toward access for all: men and women, Black and white students alike.
But Jesse Jones was more than a philanthropist — he was a builder, Stern said. He shaped Houston’s skyline, expanded access to affordable housing, and led efforts to build the Houston Ship Channel, a project that transformed the city’s economy. Amid the Great Depression, he served as Chairman of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, helping the nation rebuild its way out of the crisis and saving homes and businesses.
“The bold actions that Jones took helped build the future of our city, our state, and our nation,” Stern said.
Today, as Stern pointed out, we face a different kind of crisis — one in public education.
The Houston region’s demand for teachers is the highest in the state, employing 82,000 educators — more than Louisiana and Mississippi combined. School districts struggle to recruit and retain teachers who are fully prepared for the classroom. Meanwhile, student achievement is falling short: Fewer than half of third-grade students are reading on grade level, and less than a third are proficient in math. And too many young people leave high school without a clear path to post-secondary success, limiting their future opportunities.
But just as Jones saw opportunity in times of challenge, Stern said, we, too, have the chance now to build something transformational.
“Today, when it comes to the future of our city, our state, and our nation, we are the builders,” Stern said. “We have the opportunity to take bold action, to work together and build a public education system that gives all our children the opportunity to thrive.”
She pointed to promising innovations across the region, including Teach for America, which has evolved since its founding to build a generation of leaders who advocate for public education, and Brazosport ISD’s teacher apprenticeship program, which allows aspiring educators to earn certification while gaining mentorship and hands-on experience at no cost.
“We know of promising interventions and innovations … We need to do them, share them, scale them, fund them.”
But real transformation will require leadership from across the community, Stern said. “It will take a coalition of strong civic leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors; from across education, business, philanthropy. From families of current students. From everyone who cares about the future of our region.”
Stern closed with a reminder from history: The Houston Ship Channel was once an unthinkable idea — a deep-water port 50 miles from the coast — but today is described as “the port that built a city.” Jesse Jones saw the potential, Stern said, brought together a coalition of leaders, secured funding, and got it built, transforming Houston’s future.
“Our time demands a different kind of bold vision: yours,” Stern said. “You see the potential of our students — the people who will lead Houston into the future.”
“You know that the true strength of Houston lies not in its structures, but in the young women and men within its bounds who are dreaming about their futures. By investing in them, by empowering them, we will build a brighter future for all.”