KIPP explosion

BIG NEWS today for KIPP schools in Houston. Mike Feinberg, co-founder of KIPP charter schools, announced today that KIPP Houston has a $100 million plan to expand in Houston, building 35 new schools and increasing its student population by 20,000 in the next 10 years.

For those unfamiliar with KIPP... it was begun in 1994 by two Teach For America alumni, Chris Feinberg and Dave Levin. The program was begun in Houston but has since spread across the country, comprising 52 schools in 16 different states. KIPP focuses on strict discipline, longer school hours (including Saturday school and three weeks of required summer school), and high expectations. KIPP schools have a proven track record in bringing performance levels of low-income minorities up to their higher-achieving peers in regards to math and reading standards--our country's benchmark for educational success. Further, 90% of all KIPP students who graduate from the eighth grade at KIPP have earned college admission, compared to only 20% of their low-income minority peers nation-wide. In other words, KIPP schools are incredibly demanding, but produce incredible results.

Today's announcement is huge for the American system of education. Why? Well for starters, it's the largest capital campaign ever undertaken by a charter school system. KIPP Houston has already raised $65 million, thanks in large part to an appearance on Oprah last spring, coming from such large name donors as the Sam Walton Foundation ($10 million), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ($10 million), and a family foundation of a large energy firm here in Houston--the Laura and John Arnold Foundation ($10 million).

Secondly, this kind of increase would make KIPP the largest charter school system in the country and create significant competition for the Houston Independent School District, the largest school district in Texas and the seventh-largest in the country. If families in Houston actually have a realistic choice of sending their kids to traditional HISD schools (with the traditionally sub par performance records) or sending them to a KIPP school that promises hard work, academic discipline and college admission, HISD is forced to step things up quite a bit.

I think this is an amazing idea. Think about it. KIPP will be building about 3.5 schools each year over the next decade, adding 2,100 students each year to its stellar program. This is how, in Feinberg's words, KIPP will "reach the tipping point" for students in Houston.

The one concern that I immediately think of, and one that is shared by my roommates, is whether there will be a large enough teacher pool to draw qualified zealots to transform these students into college-bound graduates. To meet this incredible decree, KIPP will need to hire 1,000 new highly-qualified teachers over a decade. Part of the shining light at the end of this tunnel is the fact that TFA has dedicated to increasing its Houston corps to 500 corps members by 2010. TFA is the largest contributor to KIPP in terms of experienced teachers who share the same vision as both KIPP co-founders/TFA alumni. This is only part of the answer though. Perhaps this will cause even more qualified citizens to donate some time back to the education of tomorrow's citizenry.

Between this initiative, HISD beginning to offer performance pay for teachers, and TFA growing its corps, I see great potential for major changes in the Bayou City.

Below are links to the many stories that ran today.

• Houston Chronicle - KIPP academy takes a big step
• Houston Chronicle - KIPP Q&A: Committed to equipping
• KUHF (Houston NPR affiliate) - KIPP announces ambitious expansion
• Washington Post - Charter School Effort Gets $65 Million Lift