Ruffner Page, on behalf of McWane, had the honor to serve as the Co-Chairman of the Yes We Can! Birmingham initiative which is a grassroots effort to improve the Birmingham City Schools. Organized in 2007 by the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, the community initiative has attracted a broad cross-section of community and neighborhood leaders, parents and grandparents, teachers and aministrators, business people, clergy and ordinary citizens - all committed to making our schools better.

A celebration was held at Vulcan Park on Saturday, September 27, 2008, and the Community Agreement was turned over to the Birmingham City School Board. Ruffner Page in his speech stated, "I am so pleased to play a part in and support this historic movement by the citizens of Birmingham to come together in a chorus with a common voice calling for reform of this important school system. All the parents of Birmingham's schools are asking for is what we all want in life and at work: Safe and drug-free places to learn; a learning climate welcoming everyone; accountability at all levels including teachers, counselors and administrators; curriculum that broadens the mind and the children's ability to be productive as adults; reclaim parental responsibility for the children's eduction; and fair distrubiton of school resources and better communication. This can be done as I saw the results of such a reformation in the Mobile school system four years ago. All of Alabama's businesses are becoming more sophisticated in this global economy. This means it is imperative that we educate our young people so as to prepare them for THEIR FUTURE. Not OUR past. This requires all of us, parents, teachers and administrators to modernize our teaching and skills training. As parents working today, we see what is required to be a successful supervisor, manager, skilled tradesman, entrepreneur, business owner, salesman or woman. The children are not getting what they need to achieve their hopes, goals and dreams. But I believe parents can give them these by continuing to sing from this unified chorus to make sure the children have a prosperous successful future as adults in our community."

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