The business community has made good on a promise to raise $100,000 to help the school district attract and retain great teachers.
Jeff Klaus, the education chair of the Regional Leadership Council, was recruited this summer to help raise money from the private sector to support the city’s ambitious school reform drive. The reform effort aims to close the achievement gap by 2015, cut the dropout rate in half and ensure every student can go to college.
Klaus was tasked with drumming up $100,000 to help fund a study by a New York City-based group called the New Teacher Project. The mayor hired the experts for $200,000 in July. The group is spending four months in New Haven surveying teachers and principals and drawing up recommendations on how to: recruit, orient, train, develop, measure and reward teachers.
City officials announced Wednesday that the business community has come through on its promise: 15 businesses and institutions have come up with the $100,000.
Klaus called the New Teacher Project’s work “a very important early part of the mayor’s overall school reform plan.”
“We wanted to support that part of it and really get the momentum started,” he said.
Another $100,000 will be raised privately by the New Teacher Project itself.
City spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga hailed the collaboration as a “historic partnership between city, schools and businesses for school reform.”
Officials plan to unveil more details at a press conference at 10 a.m. Thursday.
Some previous stories about New Haven’s school reform drive:
• Useful Applause: Duncan, AFT Praise City
• Reformer Moves Inside
• After Teacher Vote, Mayo Seeks “Grand Slam”
• Will Teacher Contract Bring D.C. Reward?
• What About The Parents?
• Teachers, City Reach Tentative Pact
• Philanthropists Join School Reform Drive
• Wanted: Great Teachers
• “Class of 2026” Gets Started
• Principal Keeps School On The Move
• With National Push, Reform Talks Advance
• Nice New School! Now Do Your Homework
• Mayo Unveils Discipline Plan
• Mayor Launches “School Change” Campaign
• Reform Drive Snags “New Teacher” Team
• Can He Work School Reform Magic?
• Some Parental Non-Involvement Is OK, Too
• Mayor: Close Failing Schools
• Union Chief: Don’t Blame The Teachers
• 3‑Tiered School Reform Comes Into Focus
• At NAACP, Mayo Outlines School Reform
• Post Created To Bring In School Reform
• Board of Ed Assembles Legal Team