DIGITAL PROMISE'S CROSSROAD: 'Tis' the season for change. Adam Frankel, a former speechwriter for President Obama, jumpstarted the nonprofit Digital Promise in October 2011, which was established by mandate from Congress. Now, he says, Digital Promise is ready for a new leader.
Frankel says he deeply believes in the the group's mission which has become clearer over the past year: to make it easier for educators to innovate, both inside and outside the classroom. Digital Promise has convened a coalition of 32 districts, dubbed the League of Innovative Schools, to support personalized learning. It also raised $2.2 million from organizations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corp.
Who should run Digital Promise? The job description might include: someone with deep roots in education, with the gravitas to raise money from funders and the political savvy to navigate the landscape of other organizations working on education reform. (Here are the deets on the job. Sound like someone you know? Drop them a note here.)
Frankel says that getting Digital Promise going was "harder than writing a speech for the President." Now he's going back to his first love; after April 1, he will be devoting his time to writing a book about his family's experiences during World War II.
