The Long Beach (CA) Unified School District has received this year's $500,000 Broad Prize for Urban Education, the nation's largest education prize. This prize recognizes urban school systems that have made the greatest strides in shrinking the achievement gaps among ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Long Beach officials estimate that the award money will support college scholarships for 50 graduating seniors. At the announcement, philanthropist Eli Broad also announced a $4 million grant for New York City's Leadership Academy to recruit and train principals from non-traditional backgrounds. Broad, recently profiled in Forbes for his far-flung and imaginative education reform efforts, issued a challenge to New York City schools chancellor Joel Klein to become a finalist for the prize in coming years - and handed him an oversized $500,000 check dated September 200?. The Broad Prize, now in its second year, was first awarded to the Houston Independent School District, which has since come under fire for unreliable dropout data but which is effectively defended by prize panelists and other experts in a recent Education Week article.
"L.B.'s a real winner!" by Jason Gewirtz, Long Beach Press Telegram, September 23, 2003
"Schools get $4 million to recruit principals," by Elissa Gootman, New York Times, September 23, 2003
"Educating Eli," by Neil Weinberg, Forbes, October 6, 2003
"Despite disputed data, Houston backers say district merited prize," by Catherine Gewertz, Education Week, September 24, 2003