New York, NY, October 3, 2007 – The Schott Foundation for Public Education solidifies $1 million partnership with The Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation as a part of an initiative which will develop models for recruiting and retaining African American male teachers.  This first phase of the grant will be used to implement the Teachers as Leaders initiative — which will expand teacher and public policy leadership opportunities for black males entering the teaching profession.

“This is another substantive opportunity for The Schott Foundation and our nonprofit grantees to work to make a meaningful impact on the quality of public education for a group that is too often left behind—Black boys,” said Dr. John H. Jackson, President and CEO of The Schott Foundation. “The partnership is a natural extension of Schott’s A Positive Future for Black Boys Initiative, which seeks to create a movement to improve the educational experiences of Black boys,” said Dr. Jackson.

“Teachers are critical to the health of every society, and the private sector has a unique role to play in cultivating future generations of teachers,” said Seth Waugh, CEO of Deutsche Bank Americas.

The Schott Foundation’s partnership with Deutsche Bank has been adopted as one of the Clinton Global Initiative’s (CGI) Commitments by the William J. Clinton Foundation. CGI staff works with participants in advance of, during, and after each annual meeting to define, develop, and track the progress of commitments.

The initial phase of the Teachers as Leaders project will span 2-3 years. The Schott Foundation for Public Education will work closely with The City University of New York, the New York City Department of Education, the project Advisory Board, and other partners to structure the initiative and raise additional funds to sustain and evaluate the program.

About The Schott Foundation for Public Education

Founded in 1991, The Schott Foundation for Public Education has recruited, developed and supported extraordinary leaders who have mobilized the public to achieve positive outcomes in public education policy. The Foundation’s work has had significant impact in equalizing school financing, expanding access to pre-Kindergarten, and raising awareness of the root causes of educational disparities in Massachusetts and New York. In 2007, The Schott Foundation received The Council on Foundation’s Critical Impact Award for its program work in New York City.

Vision Statement:
The Schott Foundation for Public Education’s vision is that all children — especially children that school systems have historically failed, such as poor children and children of color — graduate from excellent and well-resourced public schools capable of college success and full participation in a democratic society.

Mission statement:
The Schott Foundation’s mission is to develop and strengthen a broad-based and representative movement to achieve fully funded quality preK-12 public education. Specifically, The Schott Foundation seeks:

• Fully funded quality public schools for all children regardless of their residence
• Universal and accessible, high quality and culturally appropriate early care and education
• Representative public policy leadership, with a focus on cultivating more women and people of color to become decision-makers
• Black boys as the litmus test for schools educating all children well.