New Nonprofit Strengthens Boards for DC’s Public Charter Schools

Washington, DC – Charter Board Partners, a new nonprofit organization that recruits, trains and places excellent charter school board members and supports improved board practice, today announced new corporate and philanthropic partnerships that will help maximize the impact of charter school boards on student learning.

Since its launch in September 2010, Charter Board Partners (CBP) has secured more than $250,000 in total grants from NewSchools Venture Fund, the Walton Family Foundation, The Carlyle Group, PwC US, and Latham & Watkins LLP. CBP has also received in-kind program support from CityBridge Foundation. CBP was founded by education reformers Carrie Irvin and Simmons Lettre, together with three DC-based financial services professionals from The Carlyle Group, a global alternative asset manager.

CBP Chairman and Co-Founder Cedric Bobo said, “Our goal is to be the executive recruiter for DC’s charter school boards. Charter schools have shown great promise, but many lack the depth of board leadership necessary for long-term innovation and performance. By recruiting committed and successful people to join charter school boards, we hope to create highly effective boards, which are essential to charter school success.” Mr. Bobo is a Principal at The Carlyle Group.

CBP recently completed a pilot program with three public charter schools in DC. In this pilot, CBP:

• Surveyed and interviewed each board to understand the skills needed to achieve long-term goals


• Recruited and trained talented, senior-level individuals with those specific skills


• Recommended a slate of individuals for each charter school board to consider for board positions

To date, eight board members recruited and/or trained by CBP have been elected to serve on charter school boards; they include leaders from BET Networks, The Carlyle Group, The Education Trust, Latham & Watkins, McKinsey & Co., PBS, PwC US and the National Child Research Center. CBP has trained an additional 50 prospective board members, who are waiting to be matched to boards that need them.

“A quality education is the foundation of a productive and fulfilling life,” said David M. Rubenstein, Co-Founder of The Carlyle Group. “This innovative approach should help improve governance at these schools, which will make a real difference in the lives of DC schoolchildren.” Mr. Rubenstein sponsors scholarship programs for DC-area high school students through The Economic Club of Washington and Junior Achievement.

Nearly 40 percent of DC’s public school students – almost 30,000 children – attend a public charter school; only New Orleans among U.S. cities has a higher concentration of students in charter schools. Unlike traditional public schools, each charter school has its own independent board of trustees, which holds the charter and is legally and fiscally responsible for the school’s success.

Carrie Irvin, President of Charter Board Partners, said, “We believe that good governance driven by a strong, committed, and engaged board of directors is integral to a school’s success.” Added Simmons Lettre, Executive Director of Charter Board Partners and a current board member at a DC charter school, “An effective board of trustees helps a charter school maintain financial stability, attract top principals and teachers, and sustain a first-class educational program.”

Katherine Bradley, President of CityBridge Foundation, said, “Many charter schools are founded by a visionary social entrepreneur with a mission to change the world. But as they grow, charter schools need business leadership – board members with skills and experience in finance, leadership development, marketing and talent management. Charter Board Partners will match high-potential schools with board member talent, building stronger, better schools through their work.”

Karen Dresden, Head of School at Capital City Public Charter School, which recently accepted a slate of five board members identified and/or trained by CBP, said, “Having a strong board to support and guide the work is critical to the success of a charter school. Charter Board Partners is filling an important need in our city by helping charter schools identify, select, and train board members.”

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 Partners
NewSchools Venture Fund provided Charter Board Partners’ initial funding of $125,000. NewSchools is a national nonprofit venture philanthropy firm working to transform public education through powerful ideas and passionate entrepreneurs. NewSchools’ DC Schools Fund seeks to improve the educational opportunities of public school students in Washington, DC by increasing the number of high-performing schools in the city, broadening the number of effective support organizations that can help schools address key challenges, and building a sustainable constituency for reform among families and residents.

The Walton Family Foundation gave CBP a grant of $68,200 to support charter school boards in DC. The foundation seeks to improve American K-12 student achievement, especially in low-income communities, by investing in organizations and programs that empower parents to choose among high-performing schools.

The Carlyle Group is a corporate partner to Charter Board Partners and provides a variety of pro bono advisory services as well as financial support. The Carlyle Group is a global alternative asset manager with $106.7 billion in assets under management.

PwC US is a corporate supporter of Charter Board Partners and is providing initial funding of $50,000 as well as a number of people to sit on individual charter school boards.  PwC firms provide industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to enhance value for their clients. More than 161,000 people in 154 countries in firms across the PwC network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice.

Latham & Watkins LLP is a corporate partner of Charter Board Partners, providing financial support and pro-bono legal services.  In addition, a number of partners and senior associates will be serving on individual charter school boards.  Latham & Watkins is a global law firm with approximately 2,000 attorneys in 31 offices around the world, offering internationally recognized practices in a wide spectrum of transactional, litigation, corporate and regulatory areas.  The founders of Latham & Watkins instilled in the firm an ethic of hard work, commitment and quality that flourishes today.

As part of its efforts to build a network of stewards for sustainable education reform, CityBridge Foundation is partnering with Charter Board Partners to recruit, prepare and match individuals with charter school boards.  Together, the two organizations will help build the foundation in governance for a truly excellent system of schools where all children can learn at high levels.

Charter Board Partners, a 501(c)(3) incorporated in Washington, DC, receives pro bono legal counsel from the law firm Covington & Burling.

 Leadership
Carrie Chimerine Irvin, President and Co-Founder of Charter Board Partners, has an extensive background in education policy and school reform, focusing on pre-K-12 education for economically disadvantaged students and communities. Ms. Irvin was most recently a consultant for Education Resource Strategies, a nonprofit that works with urban districts to help them redirect resources to improve student achievement. Prior to that, she held leadership positions at New American Schools, and taught eighth grade at the American School in Japan. Ms. Irvin recently chaired the Board of Trustees of the National Child Research Center, a model preschool in Washington, DC. She holds a Masters in Education Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University.

Simmons Lettre, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Charter Board Partners, specializes in education communications, school district improvement and comprehensive school reform. Ms. Lettre’s previous experience in urban education includes teaching at the Benjamin Banneker Public Charter School in Cambridge, MA, as well as policy and communications positions with the Boston Plan for Excellence, New American Schools, Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound and Targeted Leadership Consulting. Most recently, she was a communications consultant for Education Resource Strategies. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Capital City Public Charter School, where she chairs the Program Evaluation Committee. Ms. Lettre holds a Masters in School Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Website:  www.charterboards.org

Contact:
Simmons Lettre, Executive Director, Charter Board Partners
Carrie Chimerine Irvin, President, Charter Board Partners