Back to School for NewSchools
Excited to announce 19 new schools that launched this fall!
By Frances Messano, Senior Managing Partner, NewSchools Venture Fund
I’ve always loved the start of the school year. When I was a little girl, I was so excited to get my new outfits each fall. I combined that with a new backpack, scented markers and fresh notebooks. Shoot…that made me feel like anything was possible! Today, I’m still excited about the new school year, and I am even more convinced that possibilities are limitless. Together with my colleagues at NewSchools Venture Fund, we made investments in 19 brand new schools that opened this fall.
The schools launching this fall with support from NewSchools are:
• University Charter School, Livingston, AL
• Latitude 37.8, Oakland, CA
• DC International School, Washington, D.C.
• Digital Pioneers Academy, Washington, D.C.
• Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys, Washington, D.C.
• Future Public School, Boise, ID
• pilotED, Indianapolis, IN
• Urban ACT Academy, Indianapolis, IN
• Bricolage Academy, New Orleans, LA
• High School of Commerce, Springfield, MA
• Achievers Academy Early College Charter School, Trenton, NJ
• Altura Preparatory School, Albuquerque, NM
• Comp Sci Hi, New York, NY
• Zeta Charter School — Bronx, New York, NY
• Zeta Charter School — Inwood, New York, NY
• Ignite Middle School, Dallas, TX
• Solar Preparatory School for Boys, Dallas, TX
• Impact — Puget Sound Elementary, Seattle, WA
• Willow Public School, Walla Walla, WA
And these schools are not just new. They are different. The teams of educators who conceived the new schools in our portfolio understand most schools were built for a different time and purpose. They are keenly aware that students in 2018 need skills their counterparts in 1918 couldn’t have imagined. These educators also understand that parents today and a century ago want the same thing for their children — a good life, full of choices and the preparation and support it takes to achieve their most ambitious dreams and plans.
The school leaders in our portfolio embrace an expanded definition of student success — which we define as strong academics combined with important mindsets, habits and skills. Their schools are using new approaches to ensure students’ learning experiences are more personalized — tailored to their individual needs, skill levels and interests.
This is the highest number of school openings we’ve had in a single year since launching the Invent portfolio in 2015. The schools are in a total of 12 states, ranging from the deep south and the Pacific Northwest to the eastern seaboard and the mid-west. It is our most geographically diverse cohort and includes a mix of district and charter schools. In this portfolio, we also have the most racially diverse group of school leaders in our history.
I couldn’t be more excited. I’m excited for the schools, but most of all I’m excited for the students. Full of hope and promise, they are entering schools specially created to meet their needs and prepare them to live the lives they want to lead.
If these new schools are inspiring to you, maybe it’s because you’ve been thinking about opening a new school yourself. If so, we should be talking. NewSchools’ Invent portfolio is accepting ideas for new, innovative schools right now. Applications are open until November 26. Maybe next year one of the new schools we announce will be yours. Anything’s possible!
