This week, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced its first round of grants based on a new strategy to support networks of schools and districts working together to improve education outcomes of low income, African American and Latino students. Louis and John speak with Rick Miller, executive director of the CORE Districts, whose organization received a 5-year, $16 million grant to advance its work with eight California school districts, including some of the state’s largest. CORE is one of six California-based nonprofits to get about $40 million in Gates Foundation grants, out of $92 million awarded by the foundation this week.
Louis and John also discuss some of the key K-12 bills that have been sent to Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature or veto. They include a ban on for-profit charter schools and three measures to improve school safety.
For background, read these EdSource articles:
- In strategy shift, Gates Foundation to spend bulk of education dollars on ‘locally driven solutions’
- Gates Foundation’s new school initiative awards big grants to California nonprofits
- California lawmakers send school safety bills to Gov. Brown’s desk
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