A steering committee consisting of teachers, principals, support staff and others in the
Tulsa Public Schools system has finalized its proposal for a potential partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The proposal, which TPS officials hope to formally presented in Seattle on Wednesday, is the culmination of months of brainstorming designed to “build a pipeline of high-potential teachers, giving the district a teaching force that is second to none,” according to Dr. Keith Ballard, TPS superintendent.
The foundation confirmed in April that TPS is competing with nine other districts for five five-year grants to research ways to identify and reward effective teachers. Gates will announce its partnership decisions in the fall. An additional windfall could be an increase in compensation for teachers.
Formed in 1994 by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, the Gates Foundation has spent billions of dollars on education. In 2008, Business Week magazine ranked the couple as the second most generous philanthropists in America.
