A Shifting Landscape: How Innovative Schools Are Moving Forward

DaVinci Connect HS

By Antonio Tapia, Senior Associate Partner, Innovative Public Schools I have lived in California for 20 years and experienced my fair share of earthquakes. When the ground under you starts shaking, you don’t think about how you might reinforce your home or rebuild its foundation. You check on your kids and pets and take cover. […]

How One School Built Systems to Support its Most Vulnerable Students

By Antonio Tapia, Senior Associate Partner, NewSchools Venture Fund Photo: Neil Thomas As we wind down the most unconventional summer most of us have ever experienced, the nation’s attention has predictably shifted to the reopening of schools. Depending on your region, schools in your area are getting ready to implement a hybrid model or prepare […]

Eight Reasons I’m Hopeful for Racial Justice and Equity

By Antonio Tapia, Senior Associate Partner, NewSchools Venture Fund Image via KPFA My daughter, Samira, and hundreds of other young people were protesting the death of George Floyd at Oakland Technical High School some weeks ago. Despite the risk of contracting COVID-19, she ultimately decided that she needed to have her presence felt, and her […]

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 […]