In the 1990s, billionaire Walter Annenberg, former ambassador to the
United Kingdom under President
Richard Nixon, was the United States' most generous living philanthropist. By 1998, Annenberg had given away more than $2 billion and the assets of the Annenberg Foundation he had established in June 1989 with $1 billion had grown to $3 billion and ranked as the 12th largest in the U.S. Every weekday from May through November, Annenberg was driven from his home in
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania to his Annenberg Foundation headquarters in
St. Davids, Pennsylvania, where, as its sole director, he reserved virtually every decision for himself when making grants. In June 1993, Annenberg announced he was making the largest individual gift to private education in history—$365 million to four schools: $120 million each to the communication programs at the
University of Pennsylvania and the
University of Southern California, $25 million to
Harvard College, and $100 million to his alma mater, the
Peddie School in
Hightstown, New Jersey. In October 1993, Annenberg announced an unrestricted $25 million gift to
Northwestern University bringing his total donations to Northwestern to $55 million, his last major gift to higher education for five years as he shifted the focus of his philanthropy to public K–12 education. Annenberg told
Newton Minow, senior counsel of
Sidley & Austin, chairman of the
Carnegie Corporation (1993–1997), Annenberg Professor of Communications Law and Policy at Northwestern University (1987–2003) and director of its Annenberg Washington Program (1987–1996): "Everybody around the world wants to send their kids to our universities. South America, Asia, Europe, all of them. But nobody wants to send their kids here to public school. Who would, especially in a big city? Nobody. So we've got to do something. If we don't, our civilization will collapse." •
Vartan Gregorian, president of
Brown University (1989–1997); president of the Carnegie Corporation (1997–); former president of the
New York Public Library; former professor of
Southwest Asian history, dean, and provost of the University of Pennsylvania •
Ted Sizer, founding chairman of the
Coalition of Essential Schools (CES) (1984–1997); professor of education at
Brown University (1983–1997); former headmaster of
Phillips Andover (1972–1981); former dean of the
Harvard Graduate School of Education (1964–1972) •
David Kearns, chairman of the
Alexandria-based New American Schools Development Corporation (NASDC)—a 1991 school reform initiative of President
George H. W. Bush; former Deputy Secretary of Education (1991–1993) under Secretary of Education
Lamar Alexander in the George H. W. Bush administration; former president, CEO and chairman of
Xerox On December 17, 1993, the 85-year-old Annenberg announced his five-year $500 million "Challenge to the Nation" at a ceremony in the
Roosevelt Room of the
White House with President
Bill Clinton, Secretary of Education
Richard Riley, Gregorian, Sizer, Kearns, and Frank Newman, Illinois Governor
Jim Edgar and Colorado Governor
Roy Romer (the president, outgoing and incoming chairman, respectively, of the
Denver-based bipartisan
Education Commission of the States (ECS). Annenberg announced that he was giving $113 million over five years to three national school reform organizations: • $50 million to a new
Annenberg Institute for School Reform (AISR) at Brown University that would incorporate the CES and be chaired by Sizer • $57 million to the NASDC, chaired by Kearns • $6 million to the ECS (chaired by Edgar and then Romer, with president Newman) to disseminate NASDC models for restructuring schools The remaining $387 million was for: school reform in the largest urban school systems, attended by a third of the 47 million public school students in the U.S.; for school reform in rural schools which make up a quarter of all public schools, attended by 1 in 8 public school students in the U.S.; and for arts education. Gregorian recruited university presidents and business leaders to assemble civic teams in various cities to pursue Challenge grants, and awarded grants to 18 locally designed projects: and Los Angeles in 1994; Chicago, Philadelphia and the
San Francisco Bay Area in 1995; South Florida, Boston and Detroit in 1996; and Houston in 1997. • Five smaller special opportunity grants ranging from $1 million to $4 million were awarded to Atlanta, Chattanooga, Chelsea, Salt Lake City, and West Baltimore. • $50 million was awarded to set up the national Rural Challenge that involved over 700 schools across the U.S. • Three arts education grants ranging from $3 million to $12 million were awarded to New York City, Minneapolis, and a national arts education program.
Beginnings The three co-authors of Chicago's winning Annenberg Challenge $49.2 million grant proposal were: •
William Ayers, associate professor of education at the
University of Illinois at Chicago; co-director of the
Small Schools Workshop; co-director of the Chicago Forum for School Change—an affiliate of the
Coalition of Essential Schools; chairman of the Alliance for Better Chicago Schools (ABCs) coalition; former Chicago assistant deputy mayor for education (1989–1990); • Warren Chapman, senior program officer for education at the
Joyce Foundation; former state coordinator at the
Illinois State Board of Education for the Illinois Alliance of Essential Schools—a regional center of the
Coalition of Essential Schools (1986–1992) On December 17, 1993, Ayers, Hallet and Chapman met to discuss how to win an Annenberg Challenge grant for Chicago. Hallett and Chapman were already informal
pro bono advisors to the national Annenberg Challenge, and over the course of the following year they met repeatedly at Brown University with other Annenberg advisors and worked to ensure that Chicago would be one of the first cities selected to receive a grant. The presidents of the three largest independent foundations active in Chicago school reform: • Deborah Leff, president of the
Joyce Foundation (1992–1999); president and CEO of
America's Second Harvest (1999–2001); director of the
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library (2001–2006); president of Public Welfare Foundation (2006–); former senior producer at
ABC News (1983–1989); former producer at
WLS-TV ABC 7 News in Chicago (1981–1983); former director of public affairs at the
Federal Trade Commission (1980–1981); former civil rights attorney at the
U.S. Department of Justice (1977–1979); J.D. 1977,
University of Chicago Law School; A.B. 1973,
Princeton University •
Patricia Albjerg Graham, president of the
Spencer Foundation (1991–2000); professor of the history of education (1977–2006) and former dean of the
Harvard Graduate School of Education (1982–1991); former dean of the
Radcliffe Institute (1974–1977) and vice president of
Radcliffe College (1976–1977); former assistant professor (1965–1968), associate professor (1968–1972), professor (1972–1974) of the history of education at
Barnard College and
Teachers College,
Columbia University; former assistant professor of the history of education at
Indiana University (1964–1966); former high school teacher, Norfolk, Virginia (1955–1956, 1957–1958), New York City (1958–1960); Ph.D. 1964,
Columbia University; B.S. 1955, M.S. 1957,
Purdue University supported the Working Group's proposal, helped negotiate its approval by Gregorian, agreed in advance to provide matching funds, and smoothed negotiations with
Chicago Mayor Daley's administration, the
Chicago Public Schools administration and the
Chicago Teachers Union, which had each submitted competing Annenberg Challenge grant proposals. On January 23, 1995, in a ceremony attended by Mayor Daley, Governor Edgar, and other dignitaries at Washington Irving Elementary School (where the 1988 School Reform Act had been signed), Walter Annenberg's daughter, Wallis Annenberg, presented a symbolic $49.2 million check from the Annenberg Foundation to 11-year-old Amanda Morado, who accepted it on behalf of the nearly 410,000 Chicago public school children. In recognition of preexisting strong support by local foundations—which were already spending more than $12 million per year on Chicago school reform (including $4 million per year from the MacArthur Foundation and nearly $3 million per year from the Joyce Foundation)—the Annenberg Foundation agreed that the Chicago Annenberg Challenge could draw upon existing commitments as a source of matching funds.—working with networks of 5 to 10 schools, as opposed to going to system-wide initiatives or going directly to individual schools. After meeting and being impressed by Obama, Graham told Obama that she wanted him to be chairman of the board of directors. Two-page letters of intent from schools were due by August 1; by August 23, schools would receive a letter either asking them to apply next year or inviting them to a meeting for further details on how to prepare a proposal to get funding that year, with proposals due by October 1, and grants announced December 4. • Patricia Albjerg Graham •
Barack Obama, civil rights attorney at Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland; lecturer at the
University of Chicago Law School; member of the board of directors of the
Joyce Foundation and the
Woods Fund of Chicago; winner, ''Crain's Chicago Business
40 Under 40 award, 1993; former president of the Harvard Law Review'' (1990–1991); former executive director of the
Developing Communities Project (June 1985–May 1988);
President of the United States from 2009 to 2017. •
Stanley O. Ikenberry, president of the
University of Illinois (1979–1995); member of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago (1983–1995); former professor of education (1965–1971) and senior vice president (1971–1979) of
Pennsylvania State University •
Arnold R. Weber, president of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago (1995–1999); member of the board of directors of the
Arie and Ida Crown Memorial and the
Tribune Company; former president of
Northwestern University (1985–1994) and the
University of Colorado (1980–1985); professor of labor economics and friend and colleague of
George P. Shultz at
MIT, the
University of Chicago, and in the
Nixon administration • Raymond G. Romero, vice president and general counsel of
Ameritech; Chicago School Finance Authority board member (appointed in 1992 by Governor
Jim Edgar); candidate in the 1996 Democratic primary for the
5th Congressional District of Illinois; winner, ''Crain's Chicago Business'' 40 Under 40 award, 1991; former Illinois Commerce Commission commissioner (appointed in 1985 by Governor
Jim Thompson); former civil rights attorney as Midwest regional director of
MALDEF where he was lead counsel for Hispanic plaintiffs in the 1985 Chicago ward remap • Wanda White, executive director of the Community Workshop on Economic Development; former policy director of the Women's Self-Employment Project; former deputy commissioner of economic development under Chicago Mayors
Washington,
Sawyer and
Daley • Susan M. Crown, president of the
Arie and Ida Crown Memorial; vice president of
Henry Crown & Company; daughter of
Lester Crown • Handy L. Lindsey, Jr., executive director (1988–1997) then president (1997–2003) of the
Field Foundation of Illinois; outgoing chairman of the
Donors Forum of Chicago; former associate director of the
Chicago Community Trust (1986–1988) • Patricia Albjerg Graham • Barack Obama • Edward S. Bottum, managing director of Chase Franklin Corp.; former president and vice chairman of
Continental Illinois Bank • Connie C. Evans, founder and president of the Women's Self-Employment Project • Susan Blankenbaker Noyes, former labor attorney at
Sidley & Austin; daughter of Republican former Indiana state senator
Virginia Murphy Blankenbaker; goddaughter of Patricia Albjerg Graham • Scott C. Smith, president, CEO and publisher of the
Chicago Tribune; former president, CEO and publisher of the
South Florida Sun-Sentinel of
Fort Lauderdale; former chairman of the South Florida Annenberg Challenge • Nancy S. Searle, consultant to the
Searle Funds at the
Chicago Community Trust • Victoria J. Chou, dean of the College of Education at the
University of Illinois at Chicago • John W. McCarter, Jr., president and CEO of the
Field Museum • James Reynolds, Jr., co-founder, chairman and CEO of Loop Capital Services The Board of Directors met monthly for the first six months and quarterly thereafter.Barack Obama, elected by the Board of Directors as founding chairman and president of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (1995–1999), resigned as chairman and president in September 1999 to run as a candidate in the 2000 Democratic primary for the
1st Congressional District of Illinois, and was succeeded by Edward Bottum (1999–2001).Patricia Albjerg Graham, elected by the Board of Directors as founding vice chairman and vice president (1995–2000), resigned as vice chairman and vice president in 2000 when she retired as president of the Spencer Foundation and moved back to
Cambridge, Massachusetts, was succeeded by John W. McCarter, Jr. (2000–2001).Ray Romero was initially elected as secretary-treasurer by the Board of Directors, but declined because of other commitments; Wanda White was then elected by the Board of Directors as founding secretary-treasurer (1995–1998), was succeeded by Edward Bottum (1998–1999), and then Victoria Chou (1999–2001).
Chicago School Reform Collaborative The founding members of Chicago School Reform Collaborative announced in 1995 were: • Peter Martinez, senior program officer for education,
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (1991–2001); convenor of the Alliance for Better Chicago Schools (ABCs) coalition (Spring 1988) • Coretta McFerren, executive director, West Side Schools and Communities Organizing for Restructuring and Planning (WSCORP); former staff coordinator and chief spokeswoman, People's Coalition for Educational Reform (PCER) • Bernard Spillman, consultant, the Comer Project; former assistant superintendent for academic and vocational instructional support,
Chicago Public Schools; former principal, Westinghouse Vocational High School • Lynn St. James, co-director, Chicago Forum for School Change—an affiliate of the
Coalition of Essential Schools (1994–5); chief education officer,
Chicago Public Schools (1995–7); former principal of Lindblom High School, King High School and Pirie Elementary School • Deborah Lynch-Walsh, director,
Chicago Teachers Union Quest Center (1992–5); teacher, Marquette Elementary School (1995–2001); president, Chicago Teachers Union (2001–4) William Ayers and Warren Chapman were elected by the Collaborative as co-chairmen of the Collaborative in 1995.
Executive director and staff Ken Rolling, the
executive director of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from September 1995 through 2001; then executive director of Parents for Public Schools (2003–); was the former associate director and program officer for community organizing and school reform at the
Woods Fund of Chicago (1985–1995). In September 1995, an office administrator was hired. In August 1996, a program director, a grants manager and a financial officer were hired. In 1997, a director of development, a communications director, a communications assistant, a clerical assistant and a data manager were hired, bringing Rolling's staff to nine. The University of Illinois at Chicago provided office space rent-free to the Chicago Annenberg Challenge staff.
Operation By August 1, 1995, letters of intent were received from 177 networks—representing two-thirds of Chicago public schools—of which 89 networks were invited by the board to submit full proposals. At a December 20, 1995 reception at First Chicago National Bank, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge presented $2.58 million in grant certificates to the first 35 networks winning grants. One-year renewable grants of $100,000 to $200,000 were awarded to 13 networks to expand existing programs and 22 other networks received planning grants of $17,000 to $25,000. The number of schools in a network ranged from 3 to 15, with the average network having 4 to 5 schools. Less than $5 million in matching funds went to or through the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, most of the matching funds instead went to support school reform programs consistent with its vision and funding criteria. Thirty-six foundations and corporations provided private matching funds for the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, with foundations providing over three-quarters of the private donations. the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, the
Prince Charitable Trusts, and the
Woods Fund of Chicago, and two corporations,
IBM and
Bank of America (which had acquired
Continental Illinois Bank in 1994), contributed more than $1 million each in private matching donations for the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. was one of a further eight foundations that contributed over $5 million in private matching donations for the Annenberg Challenge nationwide.
Chicago Public Education Fund In 1997, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge Board of Directors and its fundraising Development Committee began development of Chicago's first community foundation for public education. In June 1998, the Board of Directors committed $2 million as the first donor to the Chicago Public Education Fund, which was incorporated as a non-profit organization on January 29, 1999. The Chicago Tribune Charities became the second lead donor with a commitment of $500,000, with substantial gifts from the Pritzker Foundation and the Polk Bros. Foundation and a number of smaller donations boosting its funds to almost $4 million by March 2000. and in the fall of 1999 issued its first RFPs. was chaired by CAC board member Scott C. Smith, president, CEO and publisher of the
Chicago Tribune and chairman of the Chicago Tribune Charities, and included CAC board member John W. McCarter, Jr., as well as Anne Hallett, Adele Smith Simmons,
Penny Pritzker, Golden Apple Foundation founder and chairman Martin J. Koldyke, and six other members; with a supplemental advisory Leadership Council of dozens of business and civic leaders, including CAC board members Barack Obama, Edward S. Bottum, Susan Blankenbaker Noyes, James Reynolds, Jr., Nancy S. Searle, and CAC executive director Ken Rolling. Although the Chicago Public Education Fund grew out of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, it differed in having a broad base of contributors instead of just one contributor, and in making fewer, larger, system-wide grants instead of many smaller grants to small networks of schools. •
National Board Certification, to provide a rigorous and consistent standard for assessing and rewarding experienced and accomplished teachers; with the
Chicago Public Schools,
Chicago Teachers Union, Chicago Principals & Administrators Association, and
National-Louis University working to increase the number of Chicago teachers with this certification. • Alternative Certification, to attract talented individuals in math, science, and other fields into public education: • The Golden Apple Foundation's GATE program, to bring mid-career math and science professionals into the classroom. •
Teach For America, to recruit talented college graduates into some of the neediest schools. • The Financial Research and Advisory Committee's (FRAC) Teacher Recruitment Initiative, to assess the quality of teachers recruited into the system. Upon its dissolution in 2002, the CAC donated its records (132 boxes containing 947 file folders) to the Richard J. Daley Library at the University of Illinois at Chicago to be made available for public research. The CAC records in the Special Collections department of the Daley Library were briefly closed to public access for two weeks from August 12, 2008, through August 25, 2008 over concerns by the university about their ownership of the records and the confidentiality of some of the information in the records.
Evaluation The Annenberg Challenge was criticized from its outset in 1994 and 1995 by conservative proponents of
vouchers for private schools, including James Pierson, executive director of the
John M. Olin Foundation,
Chester E. Finn, Jr., former Assistant Secretary of Education (1985–1988) under Secretary of Education
William Bennett in the
Reagan administration, founding partner and senior scholar of
Chris Whittle's
Edison Project new chain of for-profit private schools (1992–1994), then John M. Olin fellow at the
Hudson Institute (1995–1998), and
Diane Ravitch, former Assistant Secretary of Education (1991–1993) under Secretary of Education
Lamar Alexander in the
George H. W. Bush administration, then senior research scholar at
New York University, nonresident senior fellow at the
Brookings Institution, adjunct fellow at the
Manhattan Institute, and co-founder with Finn in 1981 of the Education Excellence Network housed at the Hudson Institute. Annenberg ignored criticism from conservatives that he was wasting his money on public schools—he believed that government had a responsibility to educate its citizens and that the nation could not walk away from its public schools. The keynote speaker was the
George W. Bush administration's Secretary of Education
Rod Paige, who had been
Houston superintendent of schools (1994–2001); in 1997, Houston had become the last of nine cities to win a large urban Annenberg Challenge grant over five years. Paige said he had witnessed the good that came from Annenberg's gift and had no doubts about the Annenberg Challenge's accomplishments. The June 2002 final report listed nine lessons learned over the course of the Annenberg Challenge. The first two were: • Lesson 1: Every child benefits from high expectations and standards. • In Chicago, where the Challenge sought out the most racially isolated and impoverished schools, the elementary students the Challenge worked with went from a half-grade behind the city average to a quarter-grade ahead of peers in other schools. • Lesson 2: Even large gifts like ours are no substitute for adequate, equitable and reliable funding. • Although the Challenge made multimillion-dollar grants, nearly every site reached out to hundreds of schools. In Chicago, where the Challenge helped more than 300 schools, the typical grant was $39,000 to an elementary school with an annual budget of $3.8 million. An August 2003 final technical report of the Chicago Annenberg Research Project by the Consortium on Chicago School Research said that while "student achievement improved across Annenberg Challenge schools as it did across the Chicago Public School system as a whole, results suggest that among the schools it supported, the Challenge had little impact on school improvement and student outcomes, with no statistically significant differences between Annenberg and non-Annenberg schools in rates of achievement gain, classroom behavior, student self-efficacy, and social competence." "Breakthrough Schools", which received special financial and professional support from the Challenge between 1999 and 2001, a time during which the Challenge began withdrawing funds from other schools, "began to develop in ways that distinguished them from other Annenberg schools and sustained or strengthened aspects of teacher professional community school leadership, and relational trust while other Annenberg schools did not." == See also ==