The National Urban League has listened and responded to the needs of communities around the country for more than 100 years, working today with 93 affiliates to improve the lives of more than 2 million people annually. Yesterday, I had the honor of closing a town hall session at their annual conference in Baltimore.

The Urban League has long been a leading national advocate for great schools for children.

It knows how central a great school is to every American family, especially those living in poverty. It recognizes the role that inspiring educators play in rewriting the playbook of what’s possible for our young people. And it believes that change – the kind that genuinely alters life possibilities for children and families living in poverty – doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

We value our strong partnership with the National Urban League. We learn from their leaders – Urban League President Mayor Marc Morial and Erika McConduit-Diggs of the Urban League of Greater New Orleans – a clear truth about our work: A conversation about strong schools is also a conversation about strong communities.

In New Orleans, the Urban League is applying their decades of work helping people access resources and information for good jobs, affordable housing and a great education for their young people. Last year alone, they helped parents of more than 3,000 students find and select the best public school for their child through their Parent Information Center.

We’re inspired by the work of the Urban League and other partners, and will support more conversations about what makes communities stronger — conversations that lead to action, and action that leads to better schools and futures for all our children.