Reducing Bias in Virtual Teacher Hiring

By Antonio Tapia, Senior Associate Partner, NewSchools Venture Fund It wasn’t too long ago that we sat around a table and asked teacher candidates questions in a face-to-face interview. We offered them coffee, took them around the classrooms, and introduced them to the teaching staff before settling in to get to know them. Since the […]

The People There in the Beginning: Why Investing in Diverse Leaders Matters

Guest Post by Aaron Walker, Founder/CEO of Camelback Ventures   “Always remember the people who were there in the beginning.” This advice was given to me more than three years ago when Camelback Ventures was just an incomplete idea.   Today, having touched the lives of more than 24 diverse entrepreneurs, I know I can never forget. […]

Investing in Black and Latino Senior Education Leadership as a Key Lever for Change

Guest Post by Amanda Fernandez, Founder/CEO of Latinos for Education   One short year ago I decided to take a big leap of faith – I left my job to launch Latinos for Education, a new non-profit organization. I had a vision for creating an intentional approach to recruiting, retaining and advancing Latino leadership in education, […]

Live From Summit 2016: Diversity & Inclusion: What, How and Why Now

Cameron White, Associate Partner at the NewSchools Venture Fund, led a discussion that shed light on the problem with traditional, homogenous teams, explained possible strategy options and discussed why now is the time for companies and organizations to establish diverse strategies. Joining him as panelists were:  Michelle Molitor, (FREE, Fellowship for Race and Equity in Education) […]

Live from Summit 2016: Telling it Straight: Educators and EdTech

Eva Gonda Green, Associate Partner of NewSchools Venture Fund led and moderated a session focusing on purchase and pilot decisions by schools. She was joined by two edtech decision makers: Stacey Wang, Director of Personalized Learning at Oakland Unified School District and Elena Sanina Senior Manager of Blended Learning at Aspire Public Schools. The panelists examined how […]

Live From Summit 2016: Partnership Strategies with Supes and Tech Decision Makers

Moderated by Doug Roberts, Founder and CEO of Educational Solutions Consulting, this session featured five superintendents and technology decision-makers: Susan Enfield (Highline Public Schools) John Krull (Oakland Unified School District) Randy Bridges (Florence School District One) Richard Carranza (San Francisco Unified School District) Stan Rounds (Las Cruces Public Schools) The speakers explored strategies for edtech developers […]

The “friends and family round”: Reflections on the Camelback Ventures Bay Area summit

I attended the Camelback Ventures Bay Area summit on November 12 & 13. Camelback Ventures supports education entrepreneurs creating social impact. Their summit focused on ensuring fellows have access to professional development and opportunities to connect with one another and supporters. During the summit, Aaron Walker, Camelback’s founder, shared an overview of the organization, some […]

How to Win the Education Talent Game

Few educators would disagree with the statement that top talent is mission critical for achieving great results for students. Yet the public education sector—school districts, charter organizations, nonprofits, intermediaries, government agencies, and foundations—chronically underinvests in developing highly effective and diverse system leaders.  With the pace of innovation increasing and complexity on the rise, why is […]

DC Education Innovation Fellowship: Teachers as Innovators

Together with the CityBridge Foundation in Washington, DC, NewSchools launched the Education Innovation Fellowship program in 2013.  This yearlong program introduces teacher leaders to the most promising innovations in personalized learning and offers them opportunities to pilot personalized learning models in their schools.  The Fellowship program includes local and national school visits, workshops, seminars, guest […]