The Philanthropy Roundtable’s 2013 National Forum on K–12 Philanthropy
Co-hosted by Communities Foundation of Texas and Conference of Southwest Foundations
Education reform can continue to thrive in 2013 and beyond, but not without bold, informed leadership in philanthropy. Join us in Dallas, Texas, as we explore innovative ideas for developing strong school leadership, funding effective early childhood education, engaging middle class families in reform, and improving schools of education. Connect with leading donors and experts to discuss top strategies for funding city-wide education transformation, supporting digital learning efforts that bolster existing K-12 investments, redesigning education systems to focus on options and results, and more. Be a part of the conversation as we build the ideas and relationships that make breakthrough philanthropy in K-12 education possible.
Speakers Include:
- Tonya Allen, vice president of program and COO, Skillman Foundation
- Amy Anderson, senior director, Donnell-Kay Foundation
- Gigi Antoni, president and CEO, Big Thought
- Kerri Briggs, director for education reform, George W. Bush Institute
- Ken Bubp, executive vice president, the Mind Trust
- Denis Calabrese, president, Laura and John Arnold Foundation
- Matt Candler, CEO, 4.0 Schools
- Matthew Carr, senior research officer, Walton Family Foundation
- Brent Christopher, president and CEO, Communities Foundation of Texas
- Sarah Cotner, founder, Montessori for All
- Chris Coxon, chief program officer, Educate Texas
- Kathleen deLaski, president, deLaski Family Foundation
- Bruce Esterline, vice president for grants, Meadows Foundation
- Pete Geren, president and CEO, Sid W. Richardson Foundation
- Kevin Hall, president and CEO, Charter School Growth Fund
- Neerav Kingsland, CEO, New Schools for New Orleans
- Ed Kirby, deputy director, K–12 Education Reform, Walton Family Foundation
- John Kirtley, chairman, Step Up for Students
- Tony Lewis, executive director, Donnell Kay Foundation
- Leo Linbeck III, president and CEO, Aquinas Companies
- Tom Luce, chairman, National Math and Science Initiative
- Mike Miles, superintendent, Dallas Independent School District
- Eva Moskowitz, founder and CEO, Success Academies Charter School
- Rosemary Perlmeter, CEO and co-founder, Teaching Trust, and founder, Uplift Education
- Nina Rees, president and CEO, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
- Victoria Rico, chairwoman, George W. Brackenridge Foundation
- Marguerite Roza, director, Fiscal Analytics Unit at Georgetown University, and senior research affiliate, Center for Reinventing Public Education
- Andy Smarick, partner, Bellwether Education Partners
- Fred Smith, president, the Gathering
- Sara Martinez Tucker, president and CEO, National Math and Science Initiative
- Kate Walsh, president, National Council on Teacher Quality
- Todd Williams, executive director, Commit!
Schedule:
Tuesday, April 9
8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Site Visits*
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School Stop 1: Select one option below
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Option 1: Math, Engineering, Science and Technology Academy (METSA) at R. L. Turner High School, Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD
Theme: How can district schools offer open enrollment, high quality STEM education? -
Option 2: Reasoning Mind at the J. Erik Jonsson Community School
Theme: How can donors provide quality personalized math education for all students?
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Option 1: Math, Engineering, Science and Technology Academy (METSA) at R. L. Turner High School, Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD
- School Stop 2: Uplift Education, featuring an interactive demonstration with the Teaching Trust
*Roundtrip transportation will be provided from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
2:30 p.m.–2:45 p.m. Buses depart Ritz Carlton Hotel for George W. Bush Institute
3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. An Afternoon at the George W. Bush Institute: Cultivating Skillful School Leadership Through Smart Philanthropy
Welcome remarks
Discussion Panel: How Philanthropy Can Support Strong School Leadership
Excellent schools cannot exist without empowered, talented leaders. Yet nearly half of all principals leave the profession after five or fewer years, and much of the work to develop effective leadership falls to programs that train principals in outdated practices. A 2012 MetLife survey revealed that principal job satisfaction, which hovers below 60 percent, is at its lowest point in a decade, perhaps owing in part to the fact that 75 percent of principals feel their jobs have become too complex. Bold new programs and leaders, however, are working to provide world-class preparation for the modern-day principalship. How can donors bolster efforts to find excellent future principals and train them to become exceptional academic and organizational leaders for today’s schools?
- Leo Linbeck III, president and CEO, Aquinas Companies
- Mike Miles, superintendent, Dallas Independent School District
- Rosemary Perlmeter, co-founder, Teaching Trust
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Kerri Briggs, director of education reform, George W. Bush Institute (moderator)
Cocktail reception at the George W. Bush Institute
5:30 p.m.–6:15 p.m. Buses depart for Ritz Carlton ever 15-20 minutes
Wednesday, April 10
7:45 a.m. Breakfast Roundtable discussions
Attendees have the option of dining and discussing one of the following topics:
Table 1: Educating children in military families
- Sara Martinez Tucker, president and CEO, National Math and Science Initiative
Table 2: The San Antonio Story: Rapid Growth of Quality Options
- Victoria Rico, chairwoman, George W. Brackenridge Foundation
Table 3: Christian-Based Education Philanthropy
- Fred Smith, president, The Gathering
Table 4: How Tax Credit Scholarships Enhance School Choice
- John Kirtley, chairman, Step Up for Students
Table 5: Arts Education That Bolsters Academic Performance
- Gigi Antoni, president and CEO, Big Thought
Table 6: How to Continue Improving the Charter Sector
- Nina Rees, president and CEO, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
Table 7: Measuring and evaluating investments in K-12 philanthropy
- Matthew Carr, senior research officer, Walton Family Foundation
Table 8: Classical liberal arts education for today’s students
- Dan Scoggin, founder and CEO, Great Hearts Academies
Table 9: Merging Montessori and no-excuses education
- Sarah Cotner, founder, Montessori for All
Other table discussion options TBA
8:45 a.m. Welcome and overview of program
9:00 a.m. Mission Possible: How Charter Schools Can Start-Up, Scale, and Succeed
Success Academy Charter Schools, the Harlem-based organization that Eva Moskowitz founded in 2006, has quickly risen to become one of the top providers of high quality education for low income students anywhere in the nation. Perhaps more than any other charter school leader, Ms. Moskowitz has translated her student’s academic success—two of the ten highest-performing schools in New York City are in her network—into a highly effective effort to enhance parent choice, increase community engagement, and promote school accountability. Through top-notch organizing and engagement, Ms. Moskowitz has helped reshape the discussion about charters, choice and outcomes for low-income students in New York City and across the nation. We’ll discuss Ms. Moskowitz’s recipe for creating such a rich and rigorous education, and how philanthropists can utilize successful charter schools to improve education for all children.
- Eva Moskowitz, founder and CEO, Success Academy Charter Schools
- Kevin Hall, president and CEO, Charter School Growth Fund (moderator)
10:15 a.m. Breakout Discussions
Please choose one discussion to attend.
Breakout Topic #1: Can collective impact efforts transform education in a city?
What is the best way for donors, non-profits, schools, and communities to work towards breakthrough results in a city’s educational landscape? Collective Impact suggests that much closer alignment of these various groups, coupled with an agreed upon set of goals and a desire to discover best practices, is the answer. This movement is growing rapidly: the Strive Cradle to Career Network alone has nearly 90 current or future member cities, each of which is looking to philanthropy to help build out a robust Collective Impact effort. Yet this form of collaboration is still fairly new and presents a number of pressing questions. We’ll explore just how far collaboration can go in improving education, and examine the proper role of a philanthropist in citywide education efforts.
- Tonya Allen, COO and vice president of program, Skillman Foundation
- Chris Coxon, chief program officer, Educate Texas
- Todd Williams, executive director, Commit!
- Ken Bubp, executive vice president, the Mind Trust (moderator)
Breakout Topic #2: Total Redesign: Creating a Responsive, High-Quality School System
Think your only option for reforming public education is to nibble around the edges? Not anymore. Growing frustration among education reformers with the slow pace of progress in school districts—funding has more than doubled since 1970 while results have largely stagnated—has led some to push for a new, far less centralized system of public schools. Marked by greater autonomy, improved budgeting, and enhanced choices for parents, this new system focuses on providing a broad portfolio of options. Can funders really translate this audacious and challenging idea into successful action? We’ll examine current reforms in New Orleans and discuss if transformation of school systems can be accomplished with fidelity in cities across the nation.
- Marguerite Roza, senior research affiliate, Center for Reinventing Public Education
- Andy Smarick, partner, Bellwether Education Partners
- Neerav Kingsland, CEO, New Schools for New Orleans
- Tony Lewis, executive director, Donnell Kay Foundation (moderator)
11:35 a.m. Donor Small Group Discussions
These sessions are designed to be issue-oriented and discussion-based. Please choose either one small group discussion (limited to 25 participants) or the entrepreneurship session (not capped).
Topic: Schools of Education
- Kate Walsh, president, National Council on Teacher Quality
The Big Question: In light of the National Council on Teacher Quality’s forthcoming U.S. News and World Report review of schools of education, how can funders drive substantive changes in the programs that train and prepare most teachers?
Topic: Early Childhood Education
- Bruce Esterline, vice president for grants, Meadows Foundation
The Big Question: As philanthropic focus on early childhood education grows, what is working to improve outcomes for early learners? How can philanthropy expand geographic pockets of excellence and seed high quality early childhood education options nationwide?
Topic: Promoting Education Professions: Career Switchers and Newcomers
- Kathleen deLaski, president, deLaski Family Foundation
The Big Question: To fuel a growing and increasingly competitive education reform movement, organizations must attract new talent from disparate sectors. What can be done to promote education as a promising career path, and how can we get mid-career “switchers” into education jobs?
Topic: Cultivating Education Entrepreneurs (not capped at 25)
- Amy Anderson, senior director, Donnell-Kay Foundation
- Matt Candler, CEO, 4.0 Schools
The Big Question: As schools around the nation begin to adopt blended learning and rethink education, how can donors use incubators, accelerators, design competitions, fellowships, and similar opportunities to support promising leaders who will launch the next great K-12 idea?
12:30 p.m. Closing Luncheon: What’s Next in Education Philanthropy
Every effective education philanthropist has a plan to move them toward their ultimate goal—how will your plans and strategies fare during the next five years of reforms? Join some of the sharpest minds in education for a conversation about essential opportunities and pending challenges in philanthropy, including critical education policy and program needs. As donors wrestle with scaling successful organizations, seeding new ones and shaping policy, what is a funder’s best bet for achieving real impact in the half decade to come?
- Denis Calabrese, president, Laura and John Arnold Foundation
- Ed Kirby, deputy director of K–12 education reform, Walton Family Foundation
- Tom Luce, chairman, National Math and Science Initiative
- Brent Christopher, president and CEO, Communities Foundation of Texas (moderator)
2:45 p.m. Closing Remarks
Conference adjourns
Meeting Location:
Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Dallas
2121 McKinney Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75201
(214) 922-0200
Registration:
Click here to register for this event.
Please visit our logistics page to learn about transportation options to this event.
Accommodations:
Participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodations. Note: The block of rooms set aside at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Dallas is close to capacity for this event. Please review the additional accommodation information below.
Overflow Hotel
Note: The hotel is located across the street from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Dallas.
Rosewood Crescent Hotel
400 Crescent Court
Dallas, Texas 75201
(214) 871-3200 or (800) 654-6541
The room block at the Rosewood Crescent Hotel has ended. Please contact the hotel directly for availability and rates.
This solicitation-free event is open to individual donors, private foundation trustees and staff, and corporate giving staff who annually distribute at least $50,000 in charitable donations. There is no fee to attend. For more on attendance qualifications, click here.
For additional information about the content of this program, please contact Dan Fishman, director of K-12 programs at dfishman@philanthropyroundtable.org or at (202) 822-8333.
The Roundtable helps donors achieve dramatic improvements in K–12 education and supports philanthropists who want to positively reform school districts, charter schools, independent and religious private schools, and other education options. At Roundtable meetings, you can expect:
- Intellectually challenging, solicitation-free meetings with donors from across the country
- A forum to share and debate strategies and lessons learned
- Updates on the latest developments from the field from experienced philanthropists and expert practitioners
- Visits to some of the top high-achieving schools to witness firsthand how these institutions provide an excellent education for America’s most underserved students
