Giving Compass' Take:

• Education Forward DC is an organization that sponsors school development and is part of the NewSchools Venture Fund that Maura Marino designed. The idea behind Education Foward DC is that it will help improve the quality of DC public schools. 

• How will this organization help public schools with things like funding? Is there room for collaboration with private organizations, charities, other or philanthropists? 

• The DC public schools are already a strong network, currently using LEAP models to advance student achievement. 

Education Forward DC organizes and sponsors new school development and improvement in the nation’s capital.

Maura Marino developed the concept as a partner at NewSchools Venture Fund, a national leader in education entrepreneurship (see feature). She borrowed ideas from three dozen other EdReform quarterback organizations (also called harbormasters) many of which members of Education Cities.

Education Forward DC seeks to advance quality and equity in public schools. The big goal is to double the number of underserved students in Washington, DC who are college and career ready, with a particular focus on at-risk and special education students.

When DC adopted Common Core State Standards, Marino saw struggling schools benefit from the ability of a startup UnboundEd, getting folks together and look at teacher practice as it applies to personalization. The experience helped convince her that networks led by support organizations can play an important role.

Maura anticipates that more philanthropic funding will flow through quarterback organizations like hers supporting innovative new schools as well as efforts to scale proven models.

Education Forward is dedicated to growing high-quality schools in DC. Marino and her team think they have a shot at being a city that guarantees every student access to an excellent education.

Read the full article about moving DC schools forward at Getting Smart