Families for Excellent Schools

Families for Excellent Schools
Name	Families for Excellent Schools
Formation	2011
Type	Nonprofit advocacy group
Headquarters	New York City
Leader title	Founder
Leader name	Whitney Tilson
Region served	United States

Families for Excellent Schools

Families for Excellent Schools is a New York City-based nonprofit advocacy organization focused on school-choice initiatives and K–12 reform in the United States. Founded in 2011 amid debates over charter school expansion, collective bargaining, and accountability, the group engaged parents, elected officials, and education entrepreneurs to shape policy and public opinion. Its activity intersected with municipal politics, state legislatures, and national campaigns, drawing attention from media outlets and civil society actors.

History

Families for Excellent Schools was founded in the aftermath of high-profile education reforms in New York City during the mayoralty of Michael Bloomberg and the chancellorship of Joel Klein. Early operations overlapped with campaigns such as those involving Michelle Rhee and StudentsFirst, as well as organizations like NewSchools Venture Fund and The Broad Foundation. The group's organizers worked alongside parent leaders who had participated in small schools initiatives and charter school petitions that followed decisions connected to the Chancellor's District and Panel for Educational Policy. Families for Excellent Schools became prominent during the 2013 and 2014 municipal cycles, engaging with figures including Bill de Blasio, Christine Quinn, Bill Thompson, and John Liu. The organization also interfaced with statewide debates involving the New York State Senate and the tenure policies shaped under governors like Andrew Cuomo.

Mission and Programs

The organization stated goals aligned with parent empowerment, school accountability, and expanding high-quality charter school options. Programs included parent organizing, voter mobilization, and informational campaigns modeled after practices used by groups such as Stand for Children and Teach For America. Families for Excellent Schools ran outreach in communities served by large districts including New York City Department of Education and aimed to influence local bodies such as the Community Education Council and the United Federation of Teachers bargaining environment. Training for parent leaders paralleled advocacy toolkits promoted by national actors like The Walton Family Foundation grantees and issue-advocacy coalitions tied to education reform networks.

Advocacy and Political Activity

Families for Excellent Schools engaged in political advocacy through ad campaigns, grassroots canvassing, and endorsements during municipal elections. The group's activity interacted with New York City electoral politics, featuring media placements near venues related to Mayoral elections in New York City, debates at institutions like City Hall, and commentary in outlets covering figures such as Rudy Giuliani, Bill de Blasio, and Michael Bloomberg. The organization coordinated with policy advocates associated with think tanks like the Manhattan Institute and foundations that had previously supported reform agendas tied to No Child Left Behind Act discussions. Its political expenditures prompted scrutiny from campaign finance overseers including the New York City Campaign Finance Board and reporting in national publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

Funding and Donors

Funding for Families for Excellent Schools included contributions from philanthropists and foundations active in school-reform philanthropy. Supporters were reported to include individuals and entities connected to networks such as Bloomberg Philanthropies, Edmund de Rothschild family-linked donors, and foundations comparable to Carnegie Corporation of New York and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in scale of interest, though distinct in specific giving. Corporate and philanthropic funding for education reform has often involved actors like Eli Broad and the Walton Family Foundation, and Families for Excellent Schools’ fundraising occurred amid that broader funding ecosystem. Financial transparency debates involved regulators such as the Internal Revenue Service and state charity bureaus.

Controversies and Criticism

The organization attracted criticism from teachers' unions, community activists, and some parent groups. Opponents included the United Federation of Teachers and advocacy coalitions represented at rallies near venues tied to City Hall and New York City Department of Education hearings. Critics charged that tactics resembled those used by national reform proponents like Michelle Rhee and organizations such as Democracy Alliance-affiliated groups, raising concerns about outside influence on local school governance similar to controversies around charter school expansion in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Detroit. Media coverage by outlets including The New York Times, New York Daily News, and The City highlighted disputes over messaging, donor disclosure, and relationships with political campaigns.

Impact and Evaluation

Assessments of Families for Excellent Schools’ impact vary across stakeholders. Supporters pointed to increased parent engagement in school governance and contributions to debates on accountability, measuring influence alongside policy shifts initiated by figures such as Michael Bloomberg and Andrew Cuomo. Researchers and evaluators from institutions like Columbia University and New York University have studied related reform effects, examining measures used in analyses of charter schools and campaign influence in municipal education policymaking. Opponents and some academics argued that measurable outcomes on student achievement and equitable resource allocation remained contested, echoing evaluation debates seen in studies of No Child Left Behind Act outcomes and Race to the Top program assessments.

Category:Education advocacy organizations in the United States