Essays Discuss How Grant Makers Can Support Education Policies

With the Best of Intentions: How Philanthropy Is Reshaping K-12 Education
edited by Frederick M. Hess

A new wave of philanthropists with a focus on entrepreneurship and accountability has changed the landscape of giving for school improvement. However, the effectiveness of this new kind of education philanthropy has been overstated, writes Frederick M. Hess, director of education-policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, in his introduction to this collection of scholarly essays.

Additionally, estimates of private giving to education causes are inflated, according to Mr. Hess. Private contributions amount to only 1 percent of total U.S. spending on education, yet philanthropy has a “vastly disproportionate impact on the direction of America’s schools,” he writes.

He criticizes the news media for not adequately scrutinizing the policies espoused by some of the most prominent philanthropists, and says that education experts are more eager to be on good terms with rich donors than they are to critique philanthropic efforts.

The scholars who contributed to this book, mostly individuals from think tanks and universities, examine how big gifts and matching grants of the last 15 years have been used by school systems and nonprofit groups.

They found that organizations that work to carry out broad changes in education, such as Teach for America and groups that attempt to bring Advanced Placement classes to more schools, have had more success, even with inconsistent results, than education campaigns that target only specific types of students, such as after-school programs for at-risk youths.

The book recommends that foundations should seek to improve education by supporting competing programs, requiring methods of accountability, exploring unconventional approaches, and focusing more money on helping schools attract and train better teachers and administrators.

Publisher: Harvard Education Publishing Group, 8 Story Street, First Floor, Cambridge, Mass. 02138; (617) 495-3432; fax (617) 496-3584; hepg@harvard.edu; http://gseweb.harvard.edu/hepg; 347 pages; $29.95; ISBN 1-891792-65-2.