Fixing problems in K-12 education

Kim Smith, New Schools Venture Fund

School finance is inequitable between low- and high-income communities, says Smith. Is it better to try to fix the system or provide alternatives? New Schools funds projects for both options. Most reform efforts to date have focused on only small improvements inside the system. Though most people think of charter schools as competition, says Smith, New Schools describes them as 'co-opitition,' providing an alternative but also helping to encourage improvement in public schools.