Last week, I joked that the Broad Foundation should start recruiting and supporting talented individuals who might want to help run teachers unions. Little did I know I wasn't that far off. The AFT, Broad, Gates, Mott, and Ford are all pooling money to do some collaborative work around innovation. The AFT is taking the lead with an event tomorrow (see advisory below).

Without more details it's hard to tell whether this is a fig leaf or something likely to generate changes from the status quo. Innovation means lots of things to lots of people. And it's not entirely unprecedented, at least for Broad. Broad funded TURN earlier in the decade, and has funded local-led innovation efforts in the past. There's also been funding for the Mooney Institute from Broad.

AFT To Announce First Union-Led Education Innovation Effort

Supported with Major Investments from Prominent Private Foundations

WASHINGTON—The American Federation of Teachers will announce on April 28 details of the nation’s first union-led education innovation effort supported with major investments from four of the nation’s most prominent private philanthropic organizations.

The AFT will discuss the AFT Innovation Fund, announce the fund’s advisory board members and introduce representatives of the four foundations that have made initial financial commitments. The AFT previously announced its own $1 million contribution to the fund. The first-of-its-kind fund will provide grants to AFT locals nationwide to develop and implement bold, pioneering education innovations.

“The AFT Innovation Fund, thanks to extremely generous foundation support, puts our union in the forefront of collaborative, sustainable education innovation. The fund will allow educators to think big, think boldly, think beyond their usual comfort zone,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten.

WHAT: News Conference

WHEN: Tuesday, April 28, 2:15 pm

WHERE: Phoenix Park Hotel, Powerscourt Room, 2nd floor

520 North Capitol St., N.W. (corner of F and North Capital streets)

Washington, D.C.

WHO: AFT President Randi Weingarten

Barbara Byrd-Bennett, chair, AFT Innovation Fund advisory board

Vicki Phillips, director of education, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Jeannie Oakes, director of education and scholarship, Ford Foundation

An-Me Chung, program officer, C.S. Mott Foundation

Representative, The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation

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