Answering the Administration’s Call: Stepping Up and Scaling Impact

September 7, 2010

This report highlights key takeaways from the 2010 NewSchools Summit and Community of Practice Event, which took place in Washington, DC on May 11- 12, 2010. Before a crowd of more than 600 participants, federal policy leaders came together with education entrepreneurs to describe what is possible in public education, and confront the political and operational challenges ahead.

The Summit offered a singular opportunity to reflect and trade views on a remarkable intersection of entrepreneurial work and policy change. Education entrepreneurs and their supporters heard a call from the Administration to prove its big “bet” on the capacity of social entrepreneurs to drive innovation in underserved American communities. “We live in a different time, a time of great opportunity, but a time in which we have to step up,” NewSchools CEO Ted Mitchell reminded the audience.

Also included in this report is coverage of our Community of Practice event, which takes place each year on the day before the main Summit event and brings together portfolio ventures and select practitioners to investigate common challenges and share effective practices. This year’s Community of Practice event focused on the use of technology as a tool for “supercharging” student achievement.