When a young businessman named Scott Gordon talked about creating a new charter school in Philadelphia in 2000, he already had a vision of something larger.
“His idea was to reform public education, not just create a school,” recalled Jeremy Nowak, head of the Reinvestment Fund, who for seven years chaired the board of Mastery Charter Schools.
After touring one of Mastery’s four schools on Tuesday, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, the Rev. Al Sharpton, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Gordon’s vision of providing rigorous, college-prep education for all could become a national model for public schools.
“It was a thrill for us,” Gordon said yesterday. “We said clearly we wanted to make a change in Philly, but we also wanted to demonstrate that all kids, regardless of their backgrounds, can achieve at the highest levels.”
