April 15, 2012

Champions of 'Small Schools’ Struggle in the Wake of Gates Foundation’s Pullout

Champions of Small Schools Struggle After Gates Fund Pulls Out 1

Courtesy of Big Picture Learning

Big Picture Learning, whose budget reached $5.5-million with Gates foundation support, now manages to attract just $4-million.

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close Champions of Small Schools Struggle After Gates Fund Pulls Out 1

Courtesy of Big Picture Learning

Big Picture Learning, whose budget reached $5.5-million with Gates foundation support, now manages to attract just $4-million.

By Caroline Preston

Rick Lear was chatting with a newly appointed deputy school superintendent a few years ago about the nonprofit Small Schools Project when the school leader stopped him short.

“He laughed and said, 'That looks like an idea that’s come and gone,’” recalls Mr. Lear, who was then the group’s director.

That perception stems, in part, from the fact that the small-schools cause was once the darling of America’s largest philanthropy—until it