BENTONVILLE, ARK., Oct. 24, 2013 – In order to recognize individuals successfully empowering parents with the choice of high-quality educational options, the Walton Family Foundation announced its latest group of Education Reformers to Watch today. Having invested more than $1 billion in education reform to date, the foundation is the largest donor to initiatives that support parental choice and competition within education.
Each quarter, the foundation recognizes four individuals who are creating and advocating for high-quality educational options for parents. Education Reformers to Watch honorees may direct a $10,000 grant from the Walton Family Foundation to a nonprofit education reform organization of their choice.
“This quarter’s four education reformers to watch are building an environment where parents and students are empowered to choose from multiple, high-quality, publicly funded educational options,” said Ed Kirby, deputy director of the foundation’s K-12 education reform initiative. “These individuals are executing big and bold strategies to help families gain the power to choose high-quality schools.”
The Education Reformers to Watch for the third quarter of 2013 are:
- Darryl Cobb, Charter School Growth Fund
- Al Fan, Charter School Partners
- Deborah Levitzky, National Academy of Advanced Teacher Education
- Dr. Meg Palisoc, Synergy Academies
As a Partner at the Charter School Growth Fund (CSGF), Darryl Cobb invests to expand in high-performing public charter schools. To date, CSGF has committed more than $185 million to support the creation of new seats for low-income and minority students around the country. This year, they will launch an emerging Charter Management Organization Leaders Fund to support talented entrepreneurs of color to expand their impact and serve more students. Cobb plans on directing his $10,000 grant to Urban Prep Academies and Umoja Student Development Corporation.
Al Fan, executive director of Charter School Partners (CSP), works in partnership with other organizations to close the achievement gap in Minneapolis by growing high-quality charter schools. Charter School Partners launched its first cohort of CSP Fellowship-led, high-impact charter schools in August 2013, with the opening of ARCH Academy, West Side Summit and Hiawatha Leadership Academy – Northrop. In the future, CSP plans to expand advocacy efforts with Charters 2.0 and the expansion of the CSP Partner Schools Program. Fan plans on directing his $10,000 grant to the Charter School Partners.
Deborah Levitzky, founding director of programs for the National Academy of Advanced Teacher Education (NAATE), creates impactful professional development opportunities for top-tier educators to help them enhance their ability to influence and develop peer educators. This year, NAATE plans to increase the number of teacher leaders they serve to further strengthen the capacity of schools and fill the void in educational and professional learning opportunities. Levitzky plans on splitting her $10,000 grant with NAATE, The Center for Public Schools, and Exalt Youth.
As co-founder of Synergy Academies, Dr. Meg Palisoc created a K-12 educational model that is successfully preparing students from low-income communities for success in college and career. Synergy’s elementary school students, on average, perform better than nine out of 10 of their California peers. Because of their success, Meg and Synergy are sharing best practices and allowing others to observe firsthand their academic and cultural approach, so that other schools can achieve similar results. Palisoc will direct her $10,000 grant to Synergy Academies.
Past Education Reformers to Watch include Darrell Allison, president, Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina; Executive Director of the Philadelphia School Partnership Mark Gleason; Jason Kloth, deputy mayor of Indianapolis, Indiana; Lisa Macfarlane, director of Washington State Education Reform Now/Democrats for Education Reform; Myrna Castrejon, senior vice president of governmental affairs, California Charter Schools Association; Kole Kneuppel, co-founder, Schools That Can–Milwaukee; Mike Magee, co-founder, Rhode Island Mayoral Academies; and Scott Pearson, executive director, DC Public Charter School Board.