New Report: Philanthropic Investment in Teachers and Teaching

Posted by on August 08, 2011

A new report from the University of Georgia and Kronley & Associates offers an in-depth review of foundation grantmaking in the 2000s. A key finding is the magnitude of philanthropic investment in teacher quality: Between 2000 and 2008, $684 million was directed toward teachers and teaching. Half of this funding came from ten foundations, and 60 percent was directed to 20 organizations. With $213 million in identified grants, Teach for America captured more than any other organization working on matters related to teachers and teaching. The report also traces the evolution of philanthropic activity reaching back 150 years, when individual philanthropists began establishing schools to train would-be teachers and to provide African American children with some educational opportunity. In reviewing foundation investments across decades, researchers found that issues today — teacher recruitment, training, evaluation, retention, and compensation — are recurrent. Foundations have repeatedly prompted critical questions about how practices and policies in these areas shape teacher efficacy. In part due to the persistence of challenges within the teaching profession, the report also raises questions about philanthropic practice. It suggests that foundations examine their commitment of time to particular initiatives, the nature and scope of their collaborations, and their use of rigorous evaluation to assess their work.

See the report: http://kronley.com/criticalcontributions.php

Related: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/27/walton-foundation-teach-for-america-walmart_n_910615.html