School Choice & Charters News in Brief

Whittle Aims to Open Private Schools With International Theme, Locations

December 18, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Edison Schools Inc. founder Christopher Whittle hopes to convert a 35-acre property in suburban Washington into a private school to help jump-start his latest venture: a globe-spanning network of private schools.

Mr. Whittle and Benno C. Schmidt—the vice chairman of the board of the New York City-based for-profit manager of public schools—were in Bethesda, Md., this month to discuss the plans. The school and another in New York City would open in fall 2010 under the banner of Nations Academy, the new company the two are spearheading.

They aim to eventually start schools in 50 to 60 major cities from Shanghai and Paris to London and Los Angeles, Mr. Whittle said in a phone interview last week.

The mission “is to build the first global school,” he said.

The schools will seek authorization to use the International Baccalaureate program and will serve students ages 3 to 18, with a typical blend of 70 percent of students from the locality and 30 percent international, according to Mr. Whittle. Tuition would be similar to the “best schools in the city” where each is based, he said.

Nations Academy will offer guaranteed transferability from one campus to another, which Mr. Whittle argues will be a big attraction. “To give you an example, there are about 500,000 expatriates in Shanghai, and 100,000 move every year,” he said.

The schools, which will deliver instruction in English, will have a strong focus on global issues, fluency in foreign languages, and learning about different cultures. All students will be encouraged to spend time at campuses in various countries.

“By the time they graduate from high school,” Mr. Whittle said, “they would have spent time on four continents.”

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the December 19, 2007 edition of Education Week

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School Choice & Charters Opinion White Parents Say They Want Diverse Schools, But Will They Send Their Kids?
Racial stereotypes and reluctance to be in a racial minority are part of the calculus of how white parents choose schools.
Kathleen Hayes & Cassandra Kaczocha
5 min read
Conceptual image of two circles of influence, with one much bigger than the other.
ajijchan/iStock/Getty and Laura Baker/EdWeek
School Choice & Charters Do Vouchers and ESAs Take Money From Public Schools? How States Fund School Choice
Republican state lawmakers have ramped up programs that dedicate public funds for parents to spend on their children’s private education.
7 min read
Illustration of a large hand inserting a coin into the top of a stack of books
iStock/Getty
School Choice & Charters Opinion What Is an Education Savings Account, and Why Does It Matter?
ESAs shift us from a system of “school” choice to “educational” choice, opening the door to a system that offers more customizable options.
5 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School Choice & Charters GOP Lawmakers Tout Choice as a Way Out of Failing Schools
Republicans in the U.S. House are using their majority to push for policies that would send public funds to private schools.
4 min read
Artistic image of multiple paths leading to a school building.
Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva