For five years, Stephanie Dua had a close-up view of the changes under way in American public education.
As chief executive of New York City’s Fund for Public Schools, she was responsible for raising private funds to support reforms to public education. These ranged from preparing teachers for Common Core, which will set standards in English and maths, to improving school libraries and starting a helpline for parents. But in 2011, she decided to join the city’s swelling ranks of education professionals turned entrepreneurs.
Under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York has become a laboratory of educational experiment. In efforts to improve the city’s schools, which vary wildly in quality, he has encouraged entrepreneurs and innovators in education to apply their ideas to education. Many have found a home as well as funding and talent in the city’s flourishing tech and start-up scene.