News

University of Michigan strives to lead the way in rethinking colleges of education

PHILADELPHIA, PA. – Here’s a irony: University of Michigan, one of the nation’s premier research universities, is a national leader in pushing teacher-training programs out of the realm of theory to put considerably more emphasis on practical. hands-on experience.And it’s a change that’s badly needed, several experts agreed at the annual convention of the  Education Writers Association, which is being held this week in Philadelphia.Ted Mitchell, president of the NewSchools Venture Fund and former […] Read more

Social Entrepreneurs Honored for Contributions to Public Education

NewSchools Venture Fund announces 2012 honorees for Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards at annual convening of education innovatorsOakland, CA – May 7, 2012 – Dedicated to honoring the individuals making a difference in the lives of students in low-income communities across the country, not-for-profit venture philanthropy firm NewSchools Venture Fund announced recipients of its annual awards, including Entrepreneur of the Year, Organization of the Year, and Change Agents of the Year Award. NewSchools presented […] Read more

High school coder gets $3M for his gradebook software, 10-years later

Classroom-management software company Engrade has closed a $3 million round of funding, just ten years after its creation by a high school student.Company founder Bri Holt developed an online gradebook in 2003, while he was still a high schooler. While I was chasing boys and trying to pass algebra, Holt was developing software that would eventually lead to a business. He now serves as the chief technology expert for Engrade.[Read the full story at […] Read more

Engrade Grabs $3M From Wireless Generation Co-founder To Help Teachers Manage Their Classrooms

As a high school student in 2003, Bri Holt found himself increasingly frustrated by the fact that there was no easy way for he and his classmates to view their grades online. So, being familiar with the wizardry of web development, Holt decided to build his own, laying the foundations for what would become Engrade. While Holt went on to other projects, over the next seven-odd years, his simple, free online gradebook slowly […] Read more

Engrade Raises $3M to Unify Classroom Management into Single Platform

Santa Monica, CA—May 2, 2012—Engrade, which offers a comprehensive suite of online classroom management tools, announced today that it has closed a $3 million round of funding. The round was led by Rethink Education and joined by NewSchools Venture Fund, as well as individual investors Greg Gunn, Zac Zeitlin, and Richard Chino. The funding will allow Engrade to serve significantly more educators by expanding its academic and outreach teams and strengthening its […] Read more

Social Entrepreneurs Try to Offer Solutions to K-12 Problems

Competition for financial backing is intense…“These people are fueled by passion, drive, and commitment, and we can see evidence of their work all over the educational landscape,” Jennifer Carolan, the seed fund co-director at the NewSchools Venture Fund, based in Oakland, Calif., said of social entrepreneurs. “They’re making meaningful social change—we often say they’re trying to scratch their own itch—and putting pressure on the existing entrenched system to start doing the same.”The […] Read more

Innovators, political leaders to headline NewSchools-Aspen Institute Summit 2012

 Silicon Valley event to highlight ideas that are changing education Contact:  Joe Ventura, (415) 615-6862/ jventura@newschools.orgOAKLAND, CA, April 18, 2012— Sen. Michael Bennet, Rahm Emanuel, Harvard’s Roland Fryer, and Dave Goldberg of SurveyMonkey will be among the 115 speakers at the nation’s leading event focused on education innovation in low-income communities. The NewSchools Venture Fund-Aspen Institute Summit takes place May 2 at the Marriott San Francisco Airport in Burlingame, California. NewSchools and Aspen Institute […] Read more

Goalbook – Social IEPs for everyone? Actually, yes

Goalbook could revolutionize how we approach differentiated instruction and outcome-based education.Four of my five kids have been on IEPs (Individual Education Plans) at one point or another. Two of them still are and I have little doubt that my youngest will be too once she hits school. She’s only two, but she’s already dropping her s’s just like her brothers did. I don’t have a problem with this. To be honest, everyone […] Read more

Potential Benefits for Education Startups Seen in U.S. Bill

Congress last week passed a bill that makes it easier for startup companies to raise capital and go public, two oft-cited barriers for new ventures looking to enter the education market.….A ‘New Resource’Formal and informal mechanisms are already in place for early-stage companies to raise money. In education, the NewSchools Venture Fund, based in San Francisco, for instance, invests in companies that may be too risky for venture capitalists. It is financed […] Read more

LearnZillion, One of the Scrappy Startups Making D.C. a Hotspot

A new Washington, D.C., incubator, The Fort, debuted its first cohort of startups today. TechCruchnotes, “The program, which gives founders anywhere from $25,000 to $100,000 in seed capital, was lured to the area from nearby Arlington thanks to a $100,000 grant from D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray.”The D.C. metro area is home to many of the first gen eLearning giants: Blackboard, Connections, Discovery, Kaplan, and K12. Later this month Mayor Grey will visit […] Read more