Researchers Ask Tough Questions Of K-12 Charities.

The article reports that private foundations can play a critical, catalytic role in changing American public education for the better, but they could and should be getting more bang for their bucks than they are right now. That argument runs through a diverse collection of research papers, commissioned for a conference this week, that aims to shed unprecedented light both on the scope of contemporary education philanthropy and its impact on the field. The Walton Foundation has focused particularly on charter schools, which are independent public schools, and also has backed efforts to provide low-income students with tuition vouchers to attend private schools.