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鈥淭his is a moment for difficult conversations,鈥� says Dr. Robert Blaine, who recently became senior executive of the at the (NLC). 鈥淲e鈥檝e lived too long with the legacy of policies that have been detrimental to society.鈥� As America鈥檚 19,000 cities, towns and villages recover from the health and economic consequences of the pandemic, his job is to help them acquire and deploy funding to improve children鈥檚 futures. There is a lot of work to be done.

Blaine is something of a Renaissance man. Born in a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C., he initially pursued a musical career, studying at the Eastman School of Music and becoming conductor for the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, but the field of higher education lured him away. He became dean of Undergraduate Studies and CyberLearning at Jackson State University, where, as a 2016 TEDxJackson Talk captures, he advocated for education reforms based on brain science.

鈥淭he students of today,鈥� he said, 鈥渉ave new experiences that have never been experienced by any other generation in the history of mankind. And those new experiences have created new neural pathways in those students. They literally think differently. But if you think about the way that we educate students today, it hasn鈥檛 changed since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.鈥�

The confluence of higher education and urban policy led Blaine to his next appointment, chief administrative officer of Jackson, Mississippi, serving alongside Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, and this experience prepared him for the role at NLC. It may seem like he鈥檚 strayed a long way from his musical roots, but he continues to draw upon his training, citing Leonard Bernstein鈥檚 description of the person holding the baton: 鈥淭he conductor is the least powerful person in the room, his instrument makes no noise, yet he must convince those with the power to conform to his vision. This is achieved by allowing each artist room for individual interpretation within the vision of the whole.鈥�

Extending the musical metaphor, Blaine describes a city鈥檚 strategic plan as the score and says that every community has to have a voice, forming a harmony out of disparate interests. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about providing a framework that allows for flexibility,鈥� he says.

Blaine notes that there hasn鈥檛 been an opportunity like this in a long time. 鈥淎usterity has been the pattern for more than a generation,鈥� he says. 鈥淣ow we have to figure out how to leverage this infusion of cash for long-term gain.鈥�

The institute he leads is providing technical assistance for cities that want to use ARPA funds to confront racial strife and build economic resilience. Blaine says there is much to be done for the 18,000 municipalities that have less than 50,000 people, which are 鈥渙ften overlooked and often vulnerable.鈥� Many lack the staff and knowhow to access grant funding, as well as historically disinvested communities in cities of all sizes.

The endeavor builds upon the , which focused on programs designed around the health of pregnant women and young children; school readiness; and stable, nurturing communities, including:

• Parent Caf茅s (Oakland, California), a six-week series of guided conversations among parents about the protective factors that keep their families strong
• The City of Learners Committee (Dayton, Ohio), comprising more than 70 community leaders who have committed to ensure that children receive a high-quality education
• The Parent Leadership Pathway (Boston, Massachussetts) a parent-driven approach to family engagement in early care and education programs
• The South Jersey Strengthening Families Initiative, which builds up public transit options in largely rural counties
• The Cradle to K Cabinet (Minneapolis, Minnesota) which focuses on eliminating race- and place-based disparities

Since at least the 1960s, Blaine notes, our cities have lived under 鈥�.鈥� Stories of blight and violent crime have predominated for so long that we don鈥檛 recognize the biases embedded in them. The alternative vision goes beyond specific policies and programs; it鈥檚 a new economic model focused on the inherent dignity of all residents. He embraces the ambition of this paradigm shift, saying, 鈥淭he greatest opportunities are embedded in the greatest challenges.鈥�

This story originally published on Early Learning Nation and is now archived on 蜜桃影视. Learn more here.