Source: Education Week
Barbara Dalio, who is married to…billionaire hedge fund founder Ray Dalio, has spent the past decade leading the Dalio Foundation’s efforts to strengthen public education by investing millions in it. During that time, Dalio’s focus has shifted away from giving to charter schools and reform efforts such as Teach for America and toward troubled public school districts. “A few years ago, there was a feeling among some wealthy donors that giving to local neighborhood schools might be a waste of money, said Rick Hess, director of education policy studies with the American Enterprise Institute. “Now the zeitgeist has changed,” said Hess. In 2016, Dalio provided $3.25 million to Achievement First and $2.25 million to Teach for America. But by fiscal year 2018, those figures were down to zero. Meanwhile, the funding Dalio gave to public school districts increased from $4.2 million to $4.8 million.