As we begin 2026, NewSchools is focused on two things: following through on our commitments, and learning in real time from the work our ventures are leading across the field. Underlying that is what will never change: our responsibility to show up for education innovators with clarity, consistency, and trust.

This final year of our three-year strategy is an opportunity to deliver on what we’ve promised, and to reflect honestly on what the work has taught us.

In recent years, we’ve invested alongside educators navigating extraordinary complexity. That experience has sharpened our understanding of what it takes to lead through uncertainty, where systems are adapting, and where persistent gaps demand new approaches. The work ahead is about turning those insights into decisions that strengthen our impact over the long term.

Piloting New Work for a Changing Moment

As the education landscape continues to shift, we are piloting new work specifically targeting the gaps that innovators have named, aligned to our investment areas. These efforts are not about chasing trends. They are about testing approaches that respond to real needs, and learning quickly from what works and what doesn’t.

• Supporting strong new schools from design to launch. In our Innovative Schools portfolio, we’re supporting five aspiring charter leaders to develop strong academic and operational plans two years in advance of launch. This summer, we plan to support seven additional leaders preparing to open schools in partnership with HBCUs. Together, this work is sharpening our understanding of which early supports matter most as new schools move from vision to strong starts and ultimately, excellent outcomes.

• Identifying what works in AI-enabled learning tools. As interest in AI continues to grow, especially in areas like math tutoring, the field needs clearer guidance on how these tools can meaningfully improve teaching and learning. Through targeted research and classroom pilots, our Learning Solutions team is exploring how generative AI can be applied responsibly to strengthen instruction, support educators, and expand access to high-quality learning experiences. This work is helping us to better understand what distinguishes the tools that deliver strong results from those that don’t.

• Reimagining the teaching role for student success. Amid continued concerns about educator stress and burnout, our Teaching Reimagined team is spearheading the development of a framework for teacher thriving. This framework will apply research on teacher effectiveness, well-being, and working environment in a clear, practical approach. The framework aims to focus innovation on the conditions that enable teachers — and in turn, students — to thrive, guiding our investments and field-building efforts.

• Supporting organizations at strategic crossroads. Many education organizations are facing difficult decisions about sustainability and growth, others are exploring partnerships to strengthen their impact. Grounded in what we’re hearing from leaders across our portfolio, we are deepening our management assistance support to provide flexible capital and technical expertise to a pilot group of ventures, helping them assess their strategic paths. Success is measured not by the number of partnerships formed, but by whether leaders feel better supported to make decisions that strengthen long-term impact and sustainability.

Together, these pilots reflect how we are learning our way forward by making focused bets, testing our assumptions, and staying grounded in the realities educators and innovators face every day. We will advance this work while continuing to fund and support ventures that are building the future of teaching and learning. 

We are fortunate to be able to do this work with the support of flexible risk capital, including a significant gift from MacKenzie Scott. This funding allows us to invest earlier, stay alongside leaders longer, and take thoughtful risks at a moment when many promising ventures struggle to access the resources they need to grow. It also sharpens our responsibility to use these resources carefully and intentionally. We’re asking not just what we can fund, but where we can be most useful to the field.

Building What’s Next

All of this work points toward a shared imperative: to build what’s next in education.

We are considering where deeper bets may be needed, where partnerships can accelerate learning, and where our role should be to convene, connect, or support others. This means designing with purpose, choosing courage over comfort, and moving beyond reflection and into action. 

As we close out our current strategy and begin shaping what comes next, we’re eager to partner with educators, innovators, funders, and community leaders who are asking hard questions and creating practical solutions. We don’t have all the answers, but we are committed to learning alongside others, contributing our resources and perspective, and doing the work of building what’s next together.