Eli Broad appoints head of philanthropic education efforts
After more than a decade of directly overseeing $1 billion in education reform grants from his non-profit foundation, philanthropist Eli Broad is grooming a replacement.
He's hired Bruce Reed, a high profile Washington political operative who spent decades in the halls of power. Reed was a speechwriter for then-U.S. Senator Al Gore, advised President Bill Clinton's domestic policy agenda, and was CEO of the influential Democratic Leadership Council.
Sitting at a conference table at Broad's 12th floor Westwood office recently, Reed sounded almost like an intern.
“I'm sitting at the right hand of the master, learning how this is done,” Reed said. “He's been a great mentor in so many ways already.”
Among the billions Broad has donated over the years, a substantial chunk has gone to public education. For more than a decade, his support has fed the growth of charter schools and pushed for results-based teaching.
Reed began two months ago as president of the Broad Foundation, a newly created job.
L.A. Unified board to consider expansion of computer science offerings
Offering computer science classes at California high schools is a challenge because of a shortage of qualified teachers.; Credit: Berkley Lab/ Flickr An initiative to address the shortage of computer science offerings in the L.A. Unified School District will go before the school board Tuesday. Only one-in-three of the district's high schools are offering a basic course this year, and far fewer ar