Turn around a failing school, or start a new one? Yes.

In 2005, Shoemaker Middle School in tough west Philadelphia was a place the police knew too well. Its violence rate was staggering: 8 assaults for every 100 students, including attacks on teachers and a police officer. So, when a pair of beat cops strolled by in the fall of 2006 and found the school silent, […]

News roundup: lotteries, turnarounds, graduation, and other venture highlights

With the school year coming to a close, a variety of recent pieces have reflected on several entrepreneurial organizations’ successes while also being clear about the challenges that lie ahead: Harlem Success Academy Students Outscore Peers, in Education Week (school operated by Success Charter Network) On a related note, don’t miss the new documentary The Lottery about families […]