Curry School of Education | University of Virginia

Gift opportunities to support Curry's work in public policy.

To make the best decisions for our children, state and national policymakers need both creative and evidence-based solutions for designing and supporting schools that meet society’s needs. Too often, though, education policy in areas such as school finance, professional certification, and academic accountability is virtually unrelated to the reality of education practice. This disconnect is harmful to the future of public education, and the Curry School plans to take up the challenge of linking public policy to education practice.

With your support, we will become the rare education school that not only participates in the national debates on educational policy and practice but shapes those debates. We have begun to make an impact. Our Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning has developed scientifically tested instruments for evaluating teacher effectiveness and an effective professional development program that have been drafted into new Head Start legislation. As a consequence of this work we are active in improving the definition of “highly qualified teacher” in revisions to the No Child Left Behind Act.

We now have a strategic partnership with the Commonwealth of Virginia to establish a center for policy analysis. Researchers will gather and analyze educational investment data that can be used in crafting legislation and policy. Such a center positions Virginia at the leading edge of states using data to shape education policy, and Curry will be at the core of the work.

In addition, we will work with the new Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and other units across the University to lead the country forward in its vision for education.

The Campaign for the Curry School