A New York youth activist weighs in: Keep Brodkin heading DYCF

January 7, 7:30 AMSF Education ExaminerCaroline Grannan

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the SF Education Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

I

Richard Murphy is president of Youthline America. He served as New York City’s Youth Commissioner from 1990-94, and prior to that founded the nationally known Rheedlen Foundation, now known as Harlem Children’s Zone. This commentary was previously posted on Beyond Chron.

Mon Dieu !

Margaret Brodkin leaving DCYF?
I’d sooner believe France sold the Eiffel Tower to Dubai.

I first met Margaret Brodkin at a national conference in Washington in 1993: She spoke on her Advocacy Work; I spoke on Youth Work in New York City, where I was serving as Commissioner of Youth Services.

Over the last 15 years, I have worked with and observed Margaret take the leadership to replicate and build on New York City’s youth work, specifically with Beacon Schools and the Youthline. Significantly, the coming National Beacon conference is taking place in San Francisco because San Francisco’s Beacon Schools are considered the country’s strongest. Likewise, as Youthline America begins to build a national Youthline, our business plan requires the San Francisco Youthline as an anchor.

When Margaret first spoke to me about working on the “inside” for Mayor Newsom, I was enthusiastic, knowing her skills for organizing were rooted in solid administrative practices.

The first four years have confirmed Mayor Newsom’s bold choice. Together, the Mayor and Margaret and her colleagues have provided the country a vision and many concrete examples of how a 21st Century city needs to reimagine itself for all its citizens.

So why is there talk of Margaret leaving DCYF? In speaking with Margaret, she is uncharacteristically quiet; only saying she’s not leaving government.

Here’s my take:
Mayor Newsom and Margaret could be planning for life after the their city jobs expire. Perhaps they are thinking how to leverage the current work and their national connections into new jobs for themselves in Sacramento or DC???

Here’s my recommendation:
For Margaret: Stay where you are.
For Mayor Newsom: Become a national voice for San Francisco’s innovative children, youth and family work from which all of America can learn and be inspired.

To paraphrase Thoreau, “If you(both) stand in one place(doing great work), eventually the whole world comes round.

Richard Murphy, President
Youthline America