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Edfundersresearch.com: A Case Study on Moving Philosophically Diverse Funders to Common Priorities

Philanthropy New York has released of a case study produced by an external researcher documenting the formation, challenges and ultimate success of the Edfundersresearch.com – an unusual funder collaborative that brought together funders for and against charter schools, funders with different views of testing and accountability, and funders with vastly different approaches to supporting education reform to identify and advance shared priorities. 


Linda Darling Hammond



Our “Listening Sessions” aimed to provide an opportunity for practitioners to come together and talk frankly about how they are meeting the challenges they face daily and to inform funders and policymakers about their perceptions, needs and insights from the ground. 

WNYC SchoolBook

Opinion: Focus on What Works in NYC Schools

Education leaders and funders discuss Mayor Bill de Blasio's appointment of School Chancellor Carmen Farina, and highlight six priority areas to channel public and private investments to achieve the best results for students. Read the full article here. 

Initiative Overview & Summary of Research

This document includes an overview of the Education Funders Research Intiative, six priorities for the next mayor of New York City, and a summary of the research. The first two white papers were released on October 8 at an event co-sponsored by WNYC SchoolBook. The third white paper was presented at our panel and discussion on Novemeber 21. To watch the live-streamed event, click here.

Implementing Common Core: Is NYC On the Right Track?




Is New York City on track to ensure that the new Common Core standards will address academic achievement gaps and build skills like problem solving and persistence that also are crucial to college and career readiness? What steps should the next administration take to ensure this happens?


Since establishing its first school in Newark, N.J. in 1997, Uncommon Schools has expanded to five cities. Now a charter management organization, Uncommon Schools operates 38 schools in three states. It serves nearly 5,000 students at 20 schools throughout New York City. The organization and its supporters cite Uncommon’s unique culture as essential to its success. Key aspects of that culture are a longer school day, with double-periods for math and reading and writing, and an extended school year.

Assessing College and Career Readiness




Are we using the right indicators to assess college and career readiness in New York? What other or additional measures should be used?  

  • What competencies other than academic skills should the system measure? How?
  • Is algebra 2 a good proxy for determining college and career readiness or an artifact that should be replaced by a measure that has more meaning for adults in the 21st century?
  • What kinds of measures would be most appropriate for ELLs?


Six Priorities for the Next Mayor and Chancellor (Video)

Click here to watch the November 21 EdFunders white paper release and panel discussion, held at the Ford Foundation.

WNYC SchoolBook

Six Things the New Mayor Should Do for NYC's Schools

Education leaders and funders outlined what they see as the top priorities facing the next mayor and schools chancellor, including literacy help, more support with college planning and using a wider range of performance measures than test scores. Read the full article here.

Capital NY

Another, Less Hypothetical, Set of Education Priorities for De Blasio

Bill de Blasio has been inundated with proposals for how he should run the city's schools -- from free lunch for every child to a hundred new charters to a hundred new community schools -- but now that he's announced a transition team, some of those proposals are suddenly far less hypothetical. Read the full article here.