The sponsor’s role: fund the HSe4Metrics platform
We call on leading corporations and every federal agency to conduct due diligence and sponsor the free-access HSe4Metrics platform—a societal innovation and true U.S. force multiplier.
Only one sponsor is needed.
A federal agency as the sponsor
An immediate reason for every federal agency to conduct sponsorship due diligence and seriously contemplate sponsorship is the nation’s NAEP results.
Broadly speaking, the leadership of every federal agency holds an obligation to support U.S. K–12 students in excelling on both NAEP assessments (reading, writing, math, and core subjects) and other critical performance metrics.
The Department of Labor (DOL) is a textbook example. It may recognize that unleashing nationwide K–12 student performance would tap into the vast reservoir of the sidelined demographic—those currently destined to languish at the bottom of NAEP assessments. Logically, rescuing that cohort could hypothetically double the number of students graduating with the education needed to become trainable employees—or to pursue higher education and other opportunities. A proactive DOL may also understand that the free-access HSe4Metrics platform should be made available as early as possible in a young person’s life—ideally starting 10 to 15 years before high school graduation.
Alternatively, after decades of failure by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) to elevate national K–12 student performance—evidenced by roughly 50% of U.S. students failing to reach basic proficiency in reading and writing—Congress could choose a different path: rewriting the DOE’s founding legislation.
Central—perhaps singular—mission. Such legislative reform could—at the discretion of Congress, and to whatever degree it chooses—make K–12 student performance the department’s central mission, fully separate non-core functions, and hold the Secretary of Education accountable under a rigorously enforced K–12 performance contract (see U.S. Department of Education link).
Legislative flexibility: The sponsoring agency and the funding sponsor need not be the same federal entity. Although a relegislated U.S. Department of Education (DOE) may be the most logical agency to house the HSe4Metrics platform, the funding sponsor could be a different agency—such as the Department of Labor (DOL), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), or another.
High-risk, high-impact innovation. The federal government routinely funds high-risk, high-impact innovation (DARPA, NIH, space program, semiconductor research, etc.).
A major corporation as the sponsor
Differentiation. Perhaps think of a sponsorship of the HSe4Metrics platform as a path to brand differentiation to an extent not possible any other way.
Every giant corporation has reasons to stay relevant—and strong reasons to sponsor the nationwide HSe4Metrics platform. (As an aside: the platform’s HSe4Metrics name is merely a temporary placeholder and could be of strategic branding interest to a corporate sponsor.)
And keep an open mind: if sponsorship cost seems prohibitive, that should be no obstacle to creative thinking—simply ask a federal agency to form a public–private partnership and provide the funding. Moreover, with or without such a partnership, the sponsorship cost may be insignificant relative to the potential enhancements in key corporate metrics, including free cash flow, brand equity strength, and sustained shareholder value creation.
Together, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) obligations, high-profile sponsorship visibility, the transformation of tens of millions upon tens of millions of students’ lives, expanded market share, and improved margins for the sponsoring corporation offer potential value to shareholders that may be unmatched.
In a letter to JPMorgan shareholders, CEO Jamie Dimon highlighted a $30 billion commitment to a JPMorgan initiative aimed at advancing societal good—a figure that likely stunned many of his CEO peers, who are more comfortable at $30 million. Dimon urged major corporations to follow his lead, while also cautioning that the outcome of true innovation is inherently uncertain.
Dimon did not mention Xerox, but the cautionary tale is worth recalling (see the Jamie Dimon link). On the desk of Xerox’s CEO once sat an industry-changing innovation—complete with patents and a working prototype. Yet rather than take the leadership risk to implement it, Xerox passed. The company fell from market dominance into decline and ultimately into bankruptcy.
Click Procter & Gamble (P&G) to explore how a corporate sponsorship scenario might unfold.
If a presentation team is needed, a $5 fundraising campaign is possible
For example, if a presentation team is unable to work pro bono, but submits a cost schedule to assist in securing a sponsor, HSe4Metrics could launch a temporary fundraising campaign to retain the team.
Once the presentation team has completed its job and a sponsor is secured, the temporary fundraising campaign would end.
Sponsorship considerations for a government agency
A corporation’s sponsorship decision may ultimately come down to a cost–benefit analysis.
In evaluating whether to sponsor the HSe4Metrics innovation platform, potential sponsors will consider several key factors: the cost of sponsorship, the platform’s K–12 mission, its contribution to the public good, the corporation’s responsibility to its shareholders, and the potential benefits the sponsorship may deliver to those shareholders.
Tax Status. The conversion of HSe4Metrics into a 501(c)(3) private foundation—currently being handled pro bono by one of the nation’s top 100 law firms—has not yet been finalized. While this designation may be irrelevant to a government sponsor, it could serve as a motivating factor for a corporate sponsor.
Sponsorship considerations for a publicly traded corporation
A corporation’s sponsorship decision may ultimately come down to a cost–benefit analysis.
In evaluating whether to sponsor the HSe4Metrics innovation platform, potential sponsors will consider several key factors: the cost of sponsorship, the platform’s K–12 mission, its contribution to the public good, the corporation’s responsibility to its shareholders, and the potential benefits the sponsorship may deliver to those shareholders.
Tax Status. The conversion of HSe4Metrics into a 501(c)(3) private foundation—currently being handled pro bono by one of the nation’s top 100 law firms—has not yet been finalized. While this designation may be irrelevant to a government sponsor, it could serve as a motivating factor for a corporate sponsor.
PROPRIETARY PROTECTIONS FOR THE SPONSOR
For a sponsoring corporation, HSe4Metrics maintains a strict nondisclosure policy covering the platform’s innovations, including its design and operation. In this context, protecting the sponsor also serves to safeguard the interests of the nation and its K–12 students.
Key code: 201