WASHINGTON, D.C. – National Alliance for Public Charter Schools president and CEO Nina Rees announced that Walton Family Foundation will be inducted today into the National Charter Schools Hall of Fame for contributions to the parents and students of the public charter school movement:
“By empowering parents to demand and choose high-performing schools for their children, the Walton Family Foundation is helping to drive a bold transformation of our nation’s public education system,” said Nina Rees, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. “Following John Walton’s legacy, the Walton Family Foundation is at the forefront of expanding parental choice to bring about equal opportunities for all students in public education. It will be my true honor to officially induct the foundation into the Charter Schools Hall of Fame today at the 2013 National Charter Schools Conference.”
Driven by the urgent need to improve K-12 student achievement in the United States at every level, the Walton Family Foundation has invested more than $1 billion to date in initiatives that expand parental choice and equal opportunity in education. The foundations core strategy is to infuse competitive pressure into Americas K-12 education system by increasing the quantity and quality of school choices available to parents, especially in low-income communities.
“As hundreds of thousands of parents are empowered to choose a high-quality charter school for their children, the charter school movement is a dramatic example of how we can redefine American public education,” said Ed Kirby, deputy director of the K-12 education reform focus area at the Walton Family Foundation. While much progress has been made over the last 20 years, we must continue to further create and expand these innovative educational options.
As more parents have the ability to choose quality schools for their children, a competitive dynamic is emerging that is inspiring the broader school system to improve, transforming public education in our nation. The foundation is one of the first philanthropic organizations to identify public charter schools as a way to drive choice and innovation across the public school system. The largest private supporter of charter schools, the foundation has invested more than $300 million to directly support the creation of nearly 1,500 charter schools across the country.
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools each year honors a very special group of individuals and organizations as new inductees to the National Charter Schools Hall of Fame. This honor recognizes individuals and organizations for their contributions in the following areas: pioneering efforts in the development and growth of charter schools; commitment and contributions to charter schools and education; innovative ideas and successful implementation of those ideas; and inspiration to others in the charter school movement.
As 2013 inductees, the Walton Family Foundation along with Lisa Graham Keegan, CEO of the Education Breakthrough Network, and Linda Moore, founder of the Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School, will join a select group of 20 other members who have been honored since the Charter Schools Hall of Fame was established. The new inductees will be officially honored at today’s General Session of the 2013 National Charter Schools Conference in Washington, D.C.
Each year this conference brings together thousands of charter leaders, teachers, advocates, policy makers and education reformers to share innovative ideas and be inspired by some of the brightest minds in education, public policy, business and philanthropy. A complete overview of the entire weeks activities can be found at: www.publiccharters.org/Conference.
About the National Alliance
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the public charter school movement. Our mission is to lead public education to unprecedented levels of academic achievement by fostering a strong charter sector. For more information, please visit our website atwww.publiccharters.org.
