How Philanthropy Can Help Schools Deliver on the Promise of a Historic Investment 

By Erin Harless, Senior Manager, Research and Learning, and Nour Abdelmonem, Senior Analyst, Learning Solutions The public education sector sits at a crossroads. On one hand, school districts have access to unprecedented resources — $190 billion through the Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund — to help students and educators recover from the pandemic. At the […]

Council of Parents, Students, and Innovators Selects Grantees to Receive $1.5 Million Investment for Racial Equity

NewSchools’ Racial Equity Council has selected a group of innovators to receive $1.5 million in funding. These innovators are disrupting racial inequities and advancing the wellbeing and achievement of students in Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities.  Whether it’s ensuring students have access to mental health services or culturally relevant curricula, the selected organizations — all […]

Trends Emerging From Our First 62 Investments in 2021

By Frances Messano Here at NewSchools, we kicked off 2021 with the launch of a new three-year strategy, focused on four investment areas: Innovative Public Schools, Learning Solutions, Diverse Leaders, and Racial Equity. Our team is energized by the tremendous response from education innovators and leaders across the country. As we analyzed data from the […]

Repost from Medium.com – Is My Child Getting What He Needs in School?

Last weekend, we celebrated my son’s seventh birthday. After we finished singing both versions of “Happy Birthday” — the traditional one and Stevie Wonder’s version — I watched him make a wish and blow out the candles. In that moment, I made a wish for him, too. I’m the mother of three wonderful children — each with a separate set of […]

Why I Love February… Black History starts with Diverse Leaders in Education

This blog is also cross-posted on Medium. Have you ever heard the adage, “If you can read this, thank a teacher”? During February, Black History Month, we pay special attention to the contributions of Black Americans, and many of those contributions would not have been possible without Black educators. It has become a tradition at NewSchools […]

Announcing the NewSchools Ignite: Early Learning Cohort

We’re thrilled to announce the 15 winners of the NewSchools Ignite Early Learning (PreK-2nd Grade) Challenge who collectively were awarded $1.5 million in grant funding as a part of our accelerator program. You can learn more about the work this cohort is doing by clicking on the links for each organization below. AppleTree Institute for […]

Live From Summit 2017: The Opening Plenary

The opening plenary was simulcast on Facebook Live. We hope you were able to listen, but if not…no worries! We’ve got a recap for you. Jahari Shelton, a tenth grader from Washington, D.C., was the first voice we heard this morning at NewSchools Summit 2017. And, if you don’t know who he is, you should. […]

Announcing our NewSchools Invent 2017 Cohort…and the Fantastic Journey to Find Them  

Two years ago we launched NewSchools Invent. We wanted to invest in teams of educators who are reimagining learning, and looking to launch innovative public schools in school districts and charter networks. To create the future they want for themselves, we believe young people need a strong academic foundation along with other important mindsets, skills […]

Looking Back on 2016 – Check out Our Highlights Video!

By Mark Boone, Chief Development Officer This has been quite a year, and a very memorable one in many ways. Around the country, student voices became more prominent on a range of issues – academic, social and political. States began working on plans under a landmark new federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act, […]

What Would You Do With $4 Billion?

  Now, I don’t want to name drop.  So, let’s just say a “well-known education philanthropist” posed a fascinating question to our CEO early this year.  He asked what she would do to improve education with about $400 million a year for the next 10 years.  Stated differently, he was asking what she would do […]