Walton Foundation Could Drive Debate on Vouchers, Charter Schools

The recent death of the Wal-Mart matriarch Helen Walton could soon make the Walton Family Foundation the second largest in the world, writes Charity Navigator’s chief executive officer, Trent Stamp.

Writing on his blog Trent Stamp’s Take, Mr. Stamp says the late Ms. Walton’s gift to her family’s foundation will probably lead to some interesting debates about the future of public education.

Historically, the foundation has supported education programs through controversial methods such as vouchers, charter schools, and linking teacher pay to standardized test scores. And with the death of Ms. Walton, it is expected to receive billions of dollars to step up its efforts in these areas.

How that will play out bears watching, Mr. Stamp writes.

“It appears now that the largest educational funder in the world is committed to funding initiatives that have not resonated with many of the older foundations in this country,” he writes. “It’ll be interesting to see how districts respond, and if they’ll be more likely to pursue options like vouchers and charters, now that a ton of money is about to come into play.”