Education Pioneers Launches in Houston to Recruit, Train 100 New Education Leaders

Organization will ensure Houston school districts, charter schools, education nonprofits have leadership needed to improve education

HOUSTON, Jan. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Education Pioneers, a national network of education leaders and entrepreneurs, today announced the launch of a new site in Houston with the goal of recruiting and training 100 new education leaders by 2012. The program will connect organizations that lead and administer education services in Houston, including school districts, such as Houston Independent School District, charter schools and education nonprofits, with talented Education Pioneer Fellows who have the skills needed to improve education and increase student achievement.  Houston Endowment Inc. and the Arnold Family Foundation funded Education Pioneers' launch in Houston with grants totaling $300,000.

"We hope to accelerate the tremendous education innovations already underway in Houston by providing a new source of talented, skilled leaders to organizations dedicated to closing the achievement gap," said Scott Morgan, Founder and CEO of Education Pioneers.

Education Pioneers recruits select graduate students in business, policy, law and education from top universities such as University of Texas, Austin, Rice and Harvard. Through a rigorous summer Fellowship Program, Education Pioneers mobilizes top students to launch careers in education and trains them on the challenges of K-12 education through case studies and access to a network of top education industry leaders. The organization helps their rapidly growing base of alumni advance into high-impact executive leadership roles in the field including district administrators, nonprofit executives, policymakers and philanthropists.  Of Education Pioneer Fellows today, seventy-two percent work full-time in the field of education.

"Building a high-performing public education system in Houston requires access to a pool of diverse, talented professionals," said Chris Barbic, Founder and CEO of YES Prep Public Schools, a network of Houston area charter schools.  "Education Pioneers will expand the pipeline of young leaders and help YES Prep Public Schools and other education reform efforts in Houston to grow and succeed."

Education Pioneers was founded in 2004 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Houston will be the organization's seventh site. It currently operates in Washington DC, New York City, Boston, Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. Since the organization launched in 2004, Education Pioneers has placed 615 Fellows in United States education organizations. More than 20 Houston education organizations will benefit from the program by 2012. Organizations participating in the 2010 program include: Houston Independent School District, YES Prep Public Schools, KIPP Houston, Houston A+ Challenge, Teach For America, Citizen Schools and Project GRAD Houston.

"We are thrilled to help bring Education Pioneers to Houston," said George Grainger, Director of Research and Planning of Houston Endowment Inc., one of the two lead foundations funding Education Pioneers' Houston launch. "The organization will create a talent engine of new leaders that will drive forward critical public education improvements in Houston."

About Education Pioneers

Education Pioneers improves the capacity of the education system in the United States by providing skilled talent to organizations such as school districts, charter schools and education nonprofits. Through the organization's Fellowship and Alumni Programs, Education Pioneers recruits, develops and supports graduate students from fields like business, education, policy and law for leadership positions in education. Education Pioneers' ultimate goal is to increase the pipeline of executive-level leaders working to transform urban education. More information about Education Pioneers can be found at www.educationpioneers.org.

SOURCE Education Pioneers

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