Project Overview
Children learn at their best when schools consider their academic, social, and emotional needs. Yet many U.S. public school students do not have the opportunity to go to schools that address their robust needs. Black and Latino students in particular are more likely than their peers to attend schools that do not match their values or life experiences.
The Charter School Growth Fund (CSGF) identifies, funds, and supports talented education leaders who are launching and scaling public charter schools in communities with few high-quality public schools. CSGF supports these high-performing charter school operators so they can serve more students and expand their impact on young people from historically underserved backgrounds.
With the Charter School Growth Fund, I know I have people working with me who are aligned with me on wanting my scholars and my schools to succeed.
Dr. Charlene Reid, co-CEO of Excellence Community Schools (ECS).
How it Helps
People — especially leaders — are at the heart of change. That’s why CSGF helps strong school leaders create customized growth plans to further expand their impact. Some leaders may be in the process of replicating their high-performing public charter schools for the first time. Others may already be leading networks of charter schools and are taking on new challenges. No matter the next phase for these leaders and their schools, CSGF wants to ensure they have the funding, resources, and mentors they need to achieve their vision.
Rooted in the belief that all families should have access to great public schools that prepare them for long-term success, the CSGF portfolio schools serve K-12 students through a variety of focuses, including STEM, foreign languages, and social-emotional learning. More than 90% of the students in CSGF-supported schools are students of color, and more than 70% are students who qualify for free- or reduced-price lunch.
Research shows that students are more successful in learning and connected to their schools when their principals and teachers share their backgrounds. This is why CSGF prioritizes growing charter networks that are founded or led by people of color. To date, CSGF has supported more than 110 charter network founders of color. In approximately 80% of CSGF-supported schools, Black and Latinx students show proficiency at higher rates than other Black and Latino students in their states.
Over the next decade, CSGF plans to help the charter schools and networks in its portfolio grow to serve one million students, enabling more young people to attend high-quality schools.