Live From Summit 2016: Newark Beyond the Headlines

Jen Holleran of Startup: Education, moderated a thought-provoking session exploring some of the inherent conflicts – fiscal, facilities and enrollment policies – that result from creating a system of diverse school options.  The panelists that joined her were: Christopher Cerf, Newark Public Schools Superintendent Mashea Ashton, Newark Charter School Fund’s CEO. In addition, the speakers discussed […]

Live From Summit 2016: Jeopardy!

Debbie Veney, Director of Communications for NewSchools Venture Fund, kicked off a lively discussion about the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), using a fun, game-show style competition and Q&A. The games participants included: Alyson Klein, Assistant Editor for Education Week Michael Watenpaugh, Superintendent of San Rafael City Schools  Shavar Jeffries, National President, Democrats for Education Reform The session focused on […]

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: Rapid-Prototyping to Address Critical Student Needs

This interactive and innovative workshop was led by Rich Crandall, Director at Intentional Futures, and formerly an Associate Partner at NewSchools Venture Fund and the K-12 Lab Director at the Institute of Design at Stanford. The session gave entrepreneurs the opportunity to think about the critical student need areas identified by NewSchools and how to […]

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 […]

NewSchools Announces Winners of Math Challenge

Today we’re excited to announce the winners of our second NewSchools Ignite challenge,  focused on Middle & High School Math. These entrepreneurs address one or more of the critical needs voiced by teachers and students, with products that create rich experiences where students can learn math conceptually through real-world content, employ elements of collaboration, access […]

Launching NewSchools Catapult: Invent 2016!

In July 2015 we launched NewSchools Catapult, a program to invest in and support education entrepreneurs launching new schools with innovative instructional models. We recently announced NewSchools Catapult 2015, a cohort of 14 trailblazing district and charter schools that are reimagining PREK-12 education by personalizing learning and giving students greater agency over their experience. Innovation takes many […]

New Talent to Support Our Strategy

A couple of weeks ago we shared an infographic about our strategic direction over the next few years. New folks are joining the team with the background and skills we need to invest in and support entrepreneurs in our priority areas. Here’s an up to date look at new members of our innovative schools and […]

NewSchools’ Strategy at a Glance

Over the past month, we have been sharing a couple of the pillars of our strategy going forward.  The infographic below captures our vision, rationale and approach in a more visual way.  We’re excited to share it, and even more excited about the work ahead. A quick note: in addition to these strategic focus areas, […]

Investing in Tools & Services that Support Innovative Schools

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been sharing some information about our investment strategy at NewSchools. In a January 13 blog post about innovative school models, I acknowledged we’re at the beginning of our work as an investor in schools that put more power in students’ hands and tailor learning to their individual needs. Then […]