Our Insights
We are part of a vibrant ecosystem of diverse organizations, movements, and institutions. Because this work is bigger than any one of us, we learn and lead alongside our partners.
How an Expanded Definition of Student Success Drives Learning: Three New Insights
JASON ATWOOD
Even as the shadows of the pandemic recede and schools invest heavily in recovery efforts, students across the country continue to navigate an array of obstacles. Supporting their academic, social, and emotional development remains paramount. At NewSchools, we invest in the design of new schools with joyful learning environments …
How Generative AI Can Engage and Empower Students
Cameron White
Uncertainty about the future of K-12 education has ignited a debate: Should schools prioritize research-based instruction or an engagement-first strategy that centers student enthusiasm and curiosity? Framing these choices as a binary overlooks the important synergy achieved …
A Cognitive Scientist Turns a Personal Struggle into a Mission for Inclusive Learning
Ten years ago, Antoinette Banks was in Los Angeles navigating the educational system for her daughter with autism and ADHD. Her child, often seen through the lens of labels, was in reality brimming with untapped potential. Confronted by a system that struggled to see beyond these …
Education Fuels Progress: Our 2024-26 Strategy
FRANCES MESSANO
In America, it remains all too predictable who gets a fair shot at life. Our education system should be a gateway to opportunity, yet it often acts as a barrier. While there’s no shortage of committed leaders and bright spots in communities across the country, we have yet to move the baseline for everyone …
Building better and braver coalitions is just the beginning
FRANCES MESSANO
Earlier this month, my organization, NewSchools, gathered venture leaders, staff, funders, and supporters from every chapter of our history to celebrate twenty-five years of impact. Weeks later, I’m still smiling from the many inspiring moments shared with the people who have been closest to our work …
Investing in a Bright Future For All Students: 2023 Trends
FRANCES MESSANO
I’m thrilled to announce that NewSchools this year is investing $25 million in 102 ventures. These visionary teams are designing solutions with support from their communities. They are listening to students, parents, and educators and working to make education more engaging and relevant for all learners …
Leading at the Edge: A Story 25 Years in the Making
Danielle Kristine Toussaint
NewSchools is in good company this year among peers in philanthropy and education who are celebrating milestone anniversaries or signaling deeper shifts in their strategy by announcing brand refreshes …
Why We’re Leading with Optimism, Imagination, and Ambition in 2023
Frances Messano
It’s an exciting and challenging time to step into the CEO role at NewSchools. For the past eight years, I’ve been an executive leader in the organization and I’ve had the opportunity to …
Results from 2022 – What We Measured and Why it Mattered
Frances Messano
From the beginning, NewSchools has pioneered new ways of funding innovation in public education. Today, I’m as convinced as ever that venture philanthropy still has a powerful role to play …
Empowering students with learning differences: What we’ve learned in our first year of investing
Erin Stark
As a sibling of a person with severe disabilities and special educator for 20 years, I know firsthand the power in fully seeing our youth and providing them with their fundamental …
Rewriting the Rules: How to Make Teaching More Diverse, Rewarding, and Sustainable
Mia Howard
Finding and keeping diverse and talented teachers is a growing challenge in many parts of the country. Years of disrupted schooling, political and cultural battles, and school shootings have taken a toll on …
An expanded definition of student success should guide the pandemic-era learning recovery
Jason Atwood
Across the country, educators, policymakers, and innovators are urgently working to help schools recover from the academic and mental health impacts of Covid-19 and pandemic-related …
4 Inclusive Practices to Improve Grantmaking with Communities
Natalie Wilson
As a Black mother raising a brilliant Black girl who attends a public middle school, I came to this work because I wanted more for all children, especially those furthest from opportunity. I wanted to be at the table …