The traditional urban public school system is broken. It cannot be fixed. It must be replaced. In this Reviews and Commentary piece, Andy Smarick argues that American public education cannot thrive until the existing urban school district is replaced by the charter ethic.
Measuring Man Bill Gates “In the past year,” writes Bill Gates in the Wall Street Journal, “I have been struck by how important measurement is to improving the human condition. Read more…
When it comes to re-imagining how America’s children can learn, Eli and Edythe Broad are among the nation’s most visionary philanthropists. Their investments range across the full spectrum of educational reform, from advocacy to personnel to technology. Take a look at our interview with Broad, in which he details progress on his efforts to dramatically improve American K–12 education.
For years, Betsy DeVos has been at the forefront of the educational-reform movement. Today, as chairman of the American Federation for Children, she is pushing to promote parental choice in American public education. In this feature interview, DeVos explains how she is working to make it possible for all of the nation’s parents—regardless of their zip code—to find the right school for their children.
Meet the K–12 reform donors who strategically balance charitable giving, legislative advocacy, and direct political engagement. Philanthropy editor-in-chief Christopher Levenick reports in this cover story from our Spring issue on K-12 giving.
Karl Zinsmeister breaks down the data on which Americans give most to charity, and why.
The Philanthropy Roundtable President Adam Meyerson illuminates misconceptions about “dark money.”
Meet Eli and Edythe Broad, winners of the 2013 William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership.
Howard Ahmanson’s golden touch.
Now in its thirteenth year, Birthright is coming of age.
Why donors should help our most talented students reach their full potential.
Reviews on two recent reads about school reform and data-driven philanthropy: Reign of Error and The Robin Hood Rules for Smart Giving.
Is blended learning the disruptive innovation of K–12 reform? Check out this preview from The Philanthropy Roundtable’s new guidebook “Blended Learning: A Wise Giver’s Guide to Supporting Tech-assisted Teaching” by Laura Vanderkam.
Five lessons for lasting impact from foundations that spend down.
American students are increasingly ignorant of American civics, notes Naomi Schaefer Riley. Fortunately, a few private donors have taken the lead in the effort to restore a healthy appreciation for the Founding principles.
Released in 2010, the Common Core Standards are the first set of shared, nationwide, grade-by-grade benchmarks for what students are expected to learn. Liam Julian details how philanthropists helped create a movement for national standards.
A tale of unconventional givers.
Today’s schools are inhospitable to many young males. Two books show us that this educational decay will mean worse things to come if we don’t restore excellence in the schooling of both sexes.
Handing down heritage in Canada and Israel, spending down by 2016.
A Texas couple create a new community to help women exit cycles of abuse.