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Non-profit

The Leadership Academy

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

President:

Nancy Gutierrez

The Leadership Academy, formerly known as the NYC Leadership Academy is a nonprofit consulting firm that develops left-leaning critical race theory curriculum for K-12 public school districts as well as colleges and universities. 1 Founded with an original focus in New York City, the organization rebranded in 2020 citing its recent expanded reach and client base. The organization claims to have developed curriculum or provided training programs in 200 school districts across 36 states and the District of Columbia. 2

The Fairfax County, Virginia school system has contracted with Leadership Academy to promote and develop revisions to the system’s “controversial issues policy” that would allow the school system to develop a left-of-center “anti-racism, anti-bias education curriculum policy.” The contract and proposal created controversy among parent groups within the community. 3

Background

The Leadership Academy was founded in 2003 in New York City. 4 Although it is a nonprofit organization, in practice it functions as a consulting firm that secures contracts with school districts to develop curriculum and training programs around critical race theory and “anti-racism.” 5

The organization began with an inaugural training program in 2003 that trained nearly 600 individuals in New York City about its curriculum and continued to grow with a focus on “dismantling systemic inequities in schools.” 6

In September 2020, the NYC Leadership Academy rebranded as the Leadership Academy to reflect the newer national focus of the organization. One of the school systems cited in the organization’s statement around the name change was the Des Moines, Iowa public school system, and the statement included a quote from the school superintendent in Des Moines praising the organizations programing and consulting work with the school district. 7

Currently, the organization has a staff of 41 employees, with 22 full-time employees in its department for “client services.” 8

Organizations and companies with which the Leadership Institute has partnered include the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, American Express, and the Wallace Foundation. 9 In 2018, the organization paid Washington, D.C. consulting firm Policy Studies Associates a total of $261,000 in consulting fees. 10

Fairfax County Public Schools

In 2021, it was revealed that Fairfax County Public Schools, the largest school system in Virginia, had hired The Leadership Academy to conduct a survey of families within the school system about the school system’s teachings on race and racism. Public records obtained by Parents Defending Education revealed that Fairfax County’s Chief Equity Officer had already made payments to the organization totaling $48,500 and that a “notice of award”11 had been sent to the organization with no clear total amount agreed to but with a funding schedule of 21 items that would total at least $702,700 and potentially well over $1 million. 12

A former member of the Fairfax County School Board stated that it was highly unusual for a notice of award to be sent without a concrete payment schedule and that the contract would be in violation of state law if it were set to run for more than four years. 13

A chief complaint concerning the work from Parents Defending Education was the proposed repeal of the county’s policy on controversial topics, which the group stated was designed to protect students from indoctrination by requiring that certain controversial topics be presented in a fair, one-sided manner. 14

References

  1. “Fairfax County Public Schools hires Leadership Academy for critical race theory indoctrination, paying consulting firm $49,600 for ‘survey and policy work’ and signing four-year deal.” Parents Defending Education. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://defendinged.org/incidents/crt-in-fcps/
  2. “NYC Leadership Academy changes name, sharpens focus on culturally responsive leadership.” The Leadership Academy. September 21, 2020. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://www.leadershipacademy.org/news/nyc-leadership-academy-changes-name-sharpens-focus-on-culturally-responsive-leadership/
  3. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Fairfax, Va. Schools Pay New York Consultants for Critical Race Theory Curricula.” The Federalist. May 7, 2021. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://thefederalist.com/2021/05/07/fairfax-va-schools-pay-new-york-consultants-for-critical-race-theory-curricula/
  4. “IRS Form 990” NYC Leadership Academy. 2018. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/30503570/08_2020_prefixes_01-06%2F030503570_201906_990_2020081417235731
  5. “Fairfax County Public Schools hires Leadership Academy for critical race theory indoctrination, paying consulting firm $49,600 for ‘survey and policy work’ and signing four-year deal.” Parents Defending Education. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://defendinged.org/incidents/crt-in-fcps/
  6. “About Us.” The Leadership Academy. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://www.leadershipacademy.org/about-us/
  7. “NYC Leadership Academy changes name, sharpens focus on culturally responsive leadership.” The Leadership Academy. September 21, 2020. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://www.leadershipacademy.org/news/nyc-leadership-academy-changes-name-sharpens-focus-on-culturally-responsive-leadership/
  8. “Our People.” The Leadership Academy. Accessed May 12, 2021.  https://www.leadershipacademy.org/our-people/
  9. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Fairfax, Va. Schools Pay New York Consultants for Critical Race Theory Curricula.” The Federalist. May 7, 2021. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://thefederalist.com/2021/05/07/fairfax-va-schools-pay-new-york-consultants-for-critical-race-theory-curricula/
  10. “IRS Form 990” NYC Leadership Academy. 2018. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/30503570/08_2020_prefixes_01-06%2F030503570_201906_990_2020081417235731
  11. “Fairfax County Public Schools hires Leadership Academy for critical race theory indoctrination, paying consulting firm $49,600 for ‘survey and policy work’ and signing four-year deal.” Parents Defending Education. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://defendinged.org/incidents/crt-in-fcps/
  12. “Fairfax County Public Schools hires Leadership Academy for critical race theory indoctrination, paying consulting firm $49,600 for ‘survey and policy work’ and signing four-year deal.” Parents Defending Education. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://defendinged.org/incidents/crt-in-fcps/
  13. “Fairfax County Public Schools hires Leadership Academy for critical race theory indoctrination, paying consulting firm $49,600 for ‘survey and policy work’ and signing four-year deal.” Parents Defending Education. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://defendinged.org/incidents/crt-in-fcps/
  14. “Fairfax County Public Schools hires Leadership Academy for critical race theory indoctrination, paying consulting firm $49,600 for ‘survey and policy work’ and signing four-year deal.” Parents Defending Education. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://defendinged.org/incidents/crt-in-fcps/
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