News & Events | 23 January 2013 | Teaching, Data & Development, Public/Private Partnerships, and More

The Future of Teaching

New pathways for teachers, new promises for students: A vision for developing excellent teachers: The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) highlights a new report on improving teaching by Timothy Knowles, John Dewey Director of the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute. Targeted issues include recruitment, preparation, placement, early retention, career incentives, and accountability—much of what we covered in our report on teaching quality focused on secondary education.

A Revolution Begins in Teacher Prep: Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) features an article on the future of teacher training by Jonathan Schorr, partner at NewSchools Venture Fund.

Data and Development

The Truth About Disruptive Development: Ken Banks, Ashoka Fellow and founder of Kiwanja and FrontlineSMS, argues against the rush towards trendy technological solutions imposed upon the developing world without the knowledge of needs on the ground. A nice follow-up from our post last week on Using Data for Greater Impact.

Public/Private Partnerships for Housing and Health

Public-Private Fund Aims at Health Care, Housing Gap: Learn how loans from Morgan Stanley—backed by philanthropy from the Kresge Foundation—in partnership with the nonprofit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), can address housing and health issues for many Americans still affected by the economic downturn.

The Nonprofit World

How Charities Won a High-Stakes Battle on Donor Tax Breaks:  The Chronicle of Philanthropy discusses the role of policies aimed at federal deficit reduction and how they may affect charitable donations as well as the donor support of nonprofit organizations they care about.

City Food Banks Still Recovering From Sandy: The Wall Street Journal highlights the increased burden that disasters place on organizations already working on the front lines of addressing the needs of vulnerable populations.

Prizes for Student Philanthropy

GenerousU: Calling all student groups, clubs, and organizations—you could win $5,000 from The Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy at Brandeis by competing for the 3rd annual GenerousU title. Submissions are due by 5 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013. For more information, read the instructions and fill out the intent to apply form.