Policy Update: Race to the Top – District Key Info
NewSchools Policy Director Ben Riley discusses the latest information on the Department of Education’s finalized Race to the Top – Districts competition. Ben discusses how the final rules will affect the education entrepreneurial community. Check out Ben’s previous policy updates on the latest Race to The Top – District competition here and here.
Educreations Announces $2.2mm Series A from Accel Partners & NewSchools Venture Fund
Over 50K teachers and 12K schools using Educreations to “flip the classroom” and provide personalized learning Educreations, the creators of the Educreations Interactive Whiteboard app, announced today the completion of a $2.2 million Series A financing round from Accel Partners and NewSchools Venture Fund. The financing will enable the company to expand its rapidly growing mobile learning platform and […]
STEAM-powered engine to Mars
After watching NASA’s rover Curiosity land safely—and with unbelievable panache—on the Martian surface late Sunday evening, I heard a shock jock on a local sports radio show bemoaning the attention the mission was garnering. “I guess I know this is a big deal to some people, but I think we’re going overboard here,” he said. […]
NewSchools Partner Jordan Meranus to Lead Ellevation
Contact: Joe Ventura, (415) 615-6862/ [email protected] OAKLAND, CA – July 31, 2012 – NewSchools Venture Fund CEO Ted Mitchell congratulated NewSchools Partner Jordan Meranus on his move to lead Ellevation, an innovative education technology startup. Ellevation helps teachers, schools and districts improve their service to students who are learning English. Ellevation will help a significant and […]
Talking leadership with Joanne Weiss, Arne Duncan’s chief of staff at the Department of Education
Joanne Weiss is chief of staff to Secretary Arne Duncan at the U.S. Department of Education. She joined the department in 2009 as senior adviser to the secretary and director of the Race to the Top program, designed to encourage and reward states making system-wide, comprehensive education reforms. Previously, she was partner and chief operating officer at NewSchools […]
Race To The Top Innovates Backwards, Education Venture Nonprofit Says
When U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan opened the Race to the Top competition to individual school districts two weeks ago, he said he wanted to spur innovation “at the classroom level and the all-important relationship among teachers and students.” Now, a coalition of 16 education startups and policy organizations, herded by the nonprofit NewSchools Venture Fund, […]
Policy Update: Race to the Top—Selection Criteria
NewSchools Policy Director Ben Riley is back with another policy update on the Race to the Top: District grant competition. This week, Ben focuses on the selection criteria the Department of Education will be using to pick winning applications.
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 […]
Summit 2012 News Highlights
Summit 2012 was a day full of inspiring content, honest self-examination, and many constructive conversations. Many Summit attendees were moved to document the day. Here’s a roundup of some of the highlights: A Simple List to Improve Public Education, Joseph DiSalvo New And Notable At NewSchools 2012, Alexander Russo Getting Smart coverage of NewSchools Summit, […]
Education > Poverty
You might not recognize the names of the headliners at Summit 2012. No, I’m not referring to Howard Fuller, Roland Fryer, or even Rahm Emanuel. I’m talking about Donaldo, Juan, Paris, and Javon: students whose stories were featured throughout the day in video, photographs, and the written word. These students, like nearly 15 million other […]