NewSchools Accelerator

NewSchools Accelerator
Name	NewSchools Accelerator
Formation	1998
Type	Nonprofit incubator and venture fund
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Region served	United States
Focus	K–12 innovation, charter schools, educational technology

NewSchools Accelerator NewSchools Accelerator is a nonprofit incubator and venture fund that supports startups and entrepreneurs in K–12 innovation. It has worked with charter networks, nonprofit organizations, philanthropic foundations, and venture investors to scale models in urban and suburban settings. Founded in the late 1990s, the organization connects founders to resources for growth across the United States.

History

The organization emerged amid debates involving Bill Gates, Broad Foundation, Charter Schools advocates, KIPP Foundation, and reformers active in New York City and Chicago during the 1990s and 2000s. Early partnerships included actors from EDUCAUSE, Carnegie Corporation of New York, The Rockefeller Foundation, Annenberg Foundation, and municipal reforms in Los Angeles and Boston. Leaders who influenced the field—such as figures associated with Teach For America, Relay Graduate School of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Stanford University—shaped early strategy. Over time, collaborations extended to networks including Achievement First, Uncommon Schools, Green Dot Public Schools, and policy organizations like U.S. Department of Education offices and state departments in California and Texas.

Mission and Model

The stated mission aligns with philanthropic models used by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, and Carnegie Corporation of New York to accelerate high-growth ventures. The Accelerator employs a cohort model similar to accelerators run by Y Combinator and Techstars, adapted for K–12 sectors served by charter management organizations such as Success Academies, Yes Prep, and Aspire Public Schools. Programming draws on research from RAND Corporation, American Institutes for Research, and policy analysis from Education Trust and Brookings Institution. Leadership has included alumni from McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, and executives formerly at IDEO and NewSchools Venture Fund.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs have included fellowship cohorts, seed grants, and growth-stage capital similar to initiatives by Echoing Green, New Profit, and XQ Institute. The Accelerator has supported startups offering products or services in partnership with operators like Charter School Growth Fund, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Digital Promise, and district partners such as Houston Independent School District and New York City Department of Education. Initiatives often leverage metrics used by Bloomberg Philanthropies and evaluation frameworks from What Works Clearinghouse and SRI International. Collaborations with technology providers have mirrored relationships seen between Google for Education, Microsoft Education, Apple Inc., and learning platforms used by Summit Learning and Khan Academy.

Impact and Outcomes

Outcomes reported include expansion of schools and products similar to scale patterns of KIPP Foundation, Uncommon Schools, and Teach For America alumni ventures. Evaluations reference studies from Harvard Strategic Data Project, University of California, Berkeley, Stanford Center for Research on Education Equity and Excellence, and University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. Portfolio organizations have sought adoption in districts like Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Chicago Public Schools, and Los Angeles Unified School District, echoing adoption curves seen with Socratic by Google and Edmodo. The Accelerator’s alumni have attracted capital from NewSchools Venture Fund, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Omidyar Network, and impact investors including Omidyar Network and Oak Foundation.

Funding and Governance

Funding sources have included major philanthropies such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and corporate partners like Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. Governance reflects nonprofit board structures comparable to NewSchools Venture Fund and Carnegie Corporation of New York, with oversight practices related to standards used by Independent Sector and Council on Foundations. Executive directors and board members have had ties to institutions including Harvard University, Stanford University, Columbia University, Yale University, and consulting firms such as McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critiques parallel debates involving charter movement proponents and opponents, echoing controversies associated with Betsy DeVos, Diane Ravitch, and policy disputes in New York State and California State Legislature. Critics have argued that accelerator models privilege market-oriented approaches similar to concerns raised around KIPP Foundation expansion, Success Academy practices, and privatization debates involving National School Boards Association. Concerns cited include alignment with investors like Walton Family Foundation and Broad Foundation, impacts in districts such as Detroit Public Schools Community District, Philadelphia School District, and New Orleans Recovery School District, and evaluation transparency issues reminiscent of disputes involving RAND Corporation studies and What Works Clearinghouse assessments.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in San Francisco Category:Education in the United States