The Philanthropy Roundtable
 K-12 Breakthrough Group May 2008 
Profile Welcome to the K-12 Philanthropy E-Newsletter
Highlighting Breakthroughs in K-12 Education Philanthropy
Amazing breakthroughs are occuring in K-12 education in America, but many more are needed. The Philanthropy Roundtable is pleased to bring you this e-newsletter, a way to stay updated on your donor peers and their philanthropic breakthroughs in K-12 education. We hope you enjoy the content and, as always, we look forward to your feedback.

Profile Donor Spotlight: CityBridge Foundation
Getting It Right from the Start: Pre-K in our Nation's Capital
How effective can a school be if its students arrive so far behind? asks Katherine Bradley, president of the CityBridge Foundation. She and CityBridge are delivering great schools great students by creating high-quality early education programs. Students, teachers, best practicesthey target them all and stay focused doing it.
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Article Growing Up Fast
Will Houston's Charter School Expansion Revolutionize Urban Education?
by Jay Mathews
Houston is thinking big. In the Bayou City, philanthropists are leading a Texas-sized effort to dramatically grow KIPP and YES Prep, two of the nation's most successful charter school networks. Their goal: within ten years, to serve 30,000 students annually. If they succeed, 15 percent of all Houston public school students will be in schools with an amazing record of sending low-income students to four-year colleges. How are funders ensuring that growth doesn't diminish quality? And what are the implications for large urban school districts nationwide? Jay Mathews of the Washington Post investigates in the new issue of Philanthropy.
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Article Disruptive Innovation
Does Clayton Christensen's theory apply to K-12 education?
Is Harvard business professor Clayton Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovation relevant for K-12 education? Christensen calls for a child-centric approach based on customization over standardization. In his view, schools must adopt a modular architecture, and computer-based learning (CBL) is one way to do it. But schools have “crammed” CBL technology into classroomssimply adding more of the same education software. Instead, Christensen asks philanthropists to help CBL take root in a new model, allow that to grow, and change how schools operate. Two K-12 donors respond.
Commentary Donor Response: Gisele Huff, Jaquelin Hume Foundation
It's time to change our approach
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Commentary Donor Response: Dennis W. Cheek, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Where Christensen gets it right and wrong
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Article Which City Will Lead the Nation in Education Reform?
Cast your ballots!
Top philanthropists nominate America’s future education reform leaders—a surprising mix of cities, states and entrepreneurial forces. Will Houston, Chicago, New Orleans or your city achieve the most impactful education breakthroughs?
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Commentary Donor Response: Paul A. Herdman, Rodel Foundation of Delaware
A View from Delaware: Why should cities have all the fun?
City-led reforms are necessary but insufficient to “accelerate the progress of American students in the global brain race,” says Herdman. He tells why states must lead the way to real, lasting change.
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