The Secretary and the Chairman: A conversation with Arne Duncan and George Miller

Attendees at the NewSchools Summit 2010 were treated to a special conversation between Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Representative George Miller, and NewSchools CEO Ted Mitchell.  The lively conversation covered the topical Investing In Innovation Fund (application deadline is this afternoon!), Race to the Top funding, special education, financing college, teacher training, and much more. […]

Scaling Impact: Answering the Administration’s Call

Susan Colby of The Bridgespan Group took audience members on a brief history tour of the education reform movement while highlighting the significant media attention and success stories from the charter school movement. At each turn, Colby focused on the growth of the entrepreneurial sector in the past decade, drawing attention to their influence on […]

Entrepreneurial Leaders Honored for Contributions to Public Education

WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 12, 2010 – While more than 650 supporters of entrepreneurial change in public education gathered at its eleventh annual NewSchools Summit in Washington D.C. today, venture philanthropy firm NewSchools Venture Fund announced the recipients of its annual awards, including Entrepreneurs of the Year, Organization of the Year, Change Agent of the Year, and the Career Achievement Award.

Welcome Breakfast for First-Time Attendees

The NewSchools Summit 2010 got off to a great (and delicious!) start this morning with a welcome breakfast for first-time attendees. NewSchools partner April Chou welcomed the newest members of an ever-growing community of reform-minded education entrepreneurs, funders, and practitioners, and gave an overview of our hopes that this year’s Summit will provide them with an opprotunity […]

Paving the Way for College Success: Strategies for Increasing College Persistence and Graduation Rates

College SuccessToday, a college degree matters more than ever. In an increasingly knowledge-based economy, the number of jobs available to adults without at least some post-secondary education is declining rapidly, and the earnings gap between jobs requiring a degree and those that do not is widening. Increasing the number of college graduates not only has a positive impact on the lives of youth today, it can also help break the cycle of poverty for generations to come.

A New Take on Teaching (video)

April 22, 2010 — World Business: These days the word entrepreneur usually conjures up images of tech start ups and small businesses. However in the USA, a new type of entrepreneur has arisen over the past decade whose goal is to transform an ailing education system.

Federal Windfall for Education Must Spur Grant Makers to Act and Innovate

May 2, 2010 – Over the coming months, the federal government will take unprecedented steps to foster innovation in education and other areas that affect the lives of people in low-income neighborhoods. The goal of those efforts is to bring effective new ideas to the places where they are needed most urgently.

The flow of new government money will have an additional significant effect: a jolt of demand for rapid action by private grant makers.

Visit a DC charter school during the week of NewSchools Summit

While you are in the nation’s capital to join education entrepreneurs and other leaders at the NewSchools Summit 2010, see what this work looks like on the ground by visiting one of the city’s many outstanding public charter schools. DC Preparatory Academy, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, Friendship Public Charter School, KIPP DC, Maya Angelou […]

New 2010 Class of Fellows Named for Entrepreneurial Leaders for Public Education Program

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – March 3, 2010 – The Aspen Institute and NewSchools Venture Fund today announced the selection of the third cohort of the prestigious Entrepreneurial Leaders for Public Education Fellowship Program. These 23 accomplished leaders will join with fellows from the first two cohorts as participants in the program, which is designed to recognize and support exceptional entrepreneurial leaders who are committed to transforming public education.