Achieve Escambia has quietly shut down its nonprofit and has asked United Way of West Florida to take over the initiative. And if you’re wondering what we learned from this expensive, well-intentioned effort—you’re not alone.
An Uncomfortable Conversation
That’s the uncomfortable question Pensacola needs to answer.
We’re excellent at launching initiatives. We gather community leaders, unveil glossy mission statements about “cradle to career” success, and celebrate partnerships with balloons and t-shirts. We love the theater of collaboration. What we don’t love—what we actively avoid—is honest evaluation.
Achieve Escambia operated for years with the promise of using data to drive positive change in education outcomes. The organization brought together business leaders, educators, and nonprofit partners under one collective impact umbrella. They hosted meetings. They published dashboards. They talked about kindergarten readiness and college access networks…