John,
On Monday, Mike started his day at the Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy, reading to kindergarteners and talking with seniors about their higher education ambitions. Then he spent his evening hearing from graduates of Success Academy who are pursuing their dreams after getting a great education.
For years, Harlem Children's Zone and Success Academy have offered their students -- who are primarily from low-income households and students of color -- excellent K-12 educations that help prepare them for success after graduation. Now they will have a chance to create opportunities for even more children.
At both stops on Monday, Mike announced $100 million investments for each of these leading public charter school programs to expand their incredible work in New York City -- and raise the bar for public education everywhere.
Learn more about the announcement, and Mike's ongoing focus on advancing a stronger, more equitable, and more modern model of public education.
Mike reads to kindergarten students at Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy.
The $200 million investment will help the two leading charter schools build on their successful efforts to close the achievement gap for thousands of students from low-income families, and better enable them to respond to pandemic-related learning loss.
"Over the past two years of school closures and remote instruction, the crisis in public education has grown even worse, especially for low-income students who were already falling behind," said Mike, announcing the new investments. "Expanding access to high-quality charter schools has never been more important, and our foundation is going to do our part."
What are Public Charter Schools and Why are They Important?
Investing in Black Students Through Charter Schools
Why Public Charter Schools are Critical to Closing the Achievement Gap
Creating More High-Quality Charter School Seats
Learn more about these latest investments in public charter schools, and how they fit into Mike's $750 million, five-year national effort to advance public schools, including the creation of 150,000 additional seats for children in high quality charter schools across the country.
A Success Academy graduating senior hands Mike an honorary degree.
You can watch the full event here.
These philanthropic investments build on Mike’s mayoral leadership where he made improving public education a top priority because he understood that a high-quality school is the best anti-poverty program yet invented.
https://www.bloomberg.org/press/bloomberg-philanthropies-announces-two-100-million-gifts-to-harlem-childrens-zone-and-to-success-academy-in-new-york-city/
Thanks,
MikeBloomberg.com
