Supporting success in grades K-12 is a focal point of Barr’s work in education. As the majority of Boston’s children attend Boston Public Schools (BPS), it is the primary focus of Barr’s K-12 investments.
Focus Areas
We are presently focusing our efforts on:
Helping BPS Launch and Sustain Major Change Efforts
Barr invests in building strategic and management capacity at the Boston Public Schools, so that district leaders can fulfill their vision and play their part in helping schools close opportunity gaps.
Public Will Building
Education reform often fails when parents, students, teachers, or other concerned citizens experience reform as something done to them rather than with them. To ensure that district leaders and other champions of public school children have a strong public mandate for change, Barr invests in efforts to organize diverse groups of stakeholders to push for better schools.
Schools in the "Circle of Promise"
Many schools in the Boston Public Schools system already provide a world-class education. But school quality is uneven across the district. Barr invests in efforts to ensure there are good school choices in all of Boston’s neighborhoods. We invest in work to redesign Boston’s lowest performing schools – particularly those within the “Circle of Promise.” Our focus is on helping schools coordinate more effectively with nonprofit partners. We also look to improve how those nonprofits work with one another and with the district’s central office.
Desired Outcome
Through our K-12 investments, Barr seek to contribute to the following outcome:
- Boston children and families living where achievement disparities are most pronounced have good public school options
Measures
To evaluate progress towards these outcomes, we pay attention to the following:
- The district is on track implementing its strategic plan, and is meeting both academic and operational benchmarks
- The district and teachers’ union negotiate a student-centered contract
- Advocacy groups of students, parents, and others are effectively organized to watchdog implementation of a new contract, and to provide steady pressure for school improvement
- Academic gains – particularly in schools where achievement disparities are most pronounced
An Invitation
While Barr does not accept unsolicited grant proposals, we welcome new ideas for improving our strategies and advancing our goals. If you wish to share your insights, experience, and creative ideas, we invite you to e-mail us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).