The world of K-12 education philanthropy has been so polarized for so long that it can be hard to imagine things might ever be different. In Column A, you've had funders who believe that the system, while in need of serious improvement, is worth saving overall; and in Column B, you've had those who believe the system needs to be blown up and rebuilt. The latter approach has gained considerable traction over the years, with mega-funders led by Walton and Broad pushing charters and new mechanisms of accountability to remake K-12. A central focus of the ed debate has been on choice, competition, and teacher quality.
But just maybe we're now entering a new, less polarized period of discussion on K-12, as more funders turn their attention to learning. Last month, we reported on the rise of personalized learning as a major focus of the Gates Foundation, and its careful work to explore the merits of this idea through research. We've also written about a number of other new learning efforts by funders.
Read the entire article on the Inside Philanthropy website.
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