When I started third grade, my mom enrolled me in a new school. Her decision to change my school, I believe, fundamentally changed how I viewed myself as a student and set me on a path to envision my life beyond the underserved community where I grew up. The school opened up a whole new world for me. It was the first time I felt known by my principal and that I mattered to my teachers – that I felt seen and heard. For the first time I had access to a library of books to read and learn from. I had science class each day and access to art, music, and computer technology classes. The school was definitely innovative for the time and is one of the reasons I have been able to achieve many of my goals.

At NewSchools, we want all students to achieve their most ambitious dreams and plans. We believe that every student should attend a school led by diverse, mission-driven, and caring educators who ensure they not only make strong academic progress, but also learn important mindsets, skills, and habits like self-awareness, intellectual curiosity, and growth mindset — which emerging research shows are correlated with long-term success. We believe that environments like these will be places where students feel they belong and deepen their understanding of themselves and others different from them.

That’s why today, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re supporting 9 new, innovative schools that are opening their doors to students this fall. These investments totaling nearly $4 million will support more than 4,000 new seats at full capacity.

• Academy for Advanced Learning – Aurora, CO
• Alma Fuerte Public School – Pasadena, CA
• Grimmway Academy Shafter – Shafter, CA
• Growth Public School – Sacramento, CA
• Ignite Achievement Academy – Indianapolis, IN
• LEAD Charter School – Newark, NJ
• Oxford Day Academy – East Palo Alto, CA
• Purdue Polytechnic High School – Indianapolis, IN
• Rooted School – New Orleans, LA

In addition to these schools, hundreds of innovative schools like these have launched in the last few years and early results are encouraging – especially the degree to which they support higher achievement for students who start the furthest behind.

Each year about 1,500 new public schools are launched, 67 percent charter and 33 percent district, giving all governance structures a chance to design schools that are built for student needs today and designed to prepare them for the future.

I cannot help but be excited about these new schools and what they will do for students, their families and their communities. My hope is that the thousands of students arriving at these 9 schools, and others like them, are full of the same hope and amazement that I had as a seven-year-old in a new school back in 1995. Years from now, I am confident these schools will set their students up to achieve in college, career, and life.