The Seattle-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced a $335 million investment in effective teaching projects and research, targeting four U.S. communities.
Gates will spend a total of $290 million on the communities: Hillsborough County, Fla. ($100 million); Memphis, Tenn. ($90 million); Pittsburgh ($40 million); and Los Angeles ($60 million).
Grants in Hillsborough, Memphis and Pittsburgh will go to the public school systems. In Los Angeles, grants will go to The College-Ready Promise, a coalition of public charter school organizations in the city.
The money will help sites develop new approaches and strategies for measuring the success of their teachers, including gauging growth in student achievement and college readiness.
The other $45 million will support research by the Measures of Effective Teaching Project, which is overseen by the United Federation of Teachers. Contact: (206) 709-3400, http://www.gatesfoundation.org.
