TNTP, previously known as The New Teacher Project, is an organization that works to ensure that children in low-income schools have access to effective teachers. The organization attracts and trains skilled professionals in teaching while simultaneously supporting education reform policies and practices that places higher accountability on teachers. ¹

Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach for America, formed the group in 1997. She promptly appointed Michelle Rhee, later the District of Columbia Schools Chancellor, to lead the organization. ² Tequilla Brownie was the CEO as of December 2023. ³

Teaching Fellows

TNTP has run a teaching fellow program since its inception in 1997. The fellowship trained recent college graduates and mid-career professionals to serve as teachers in low-performing public-school systems. Fellows partnered with school districts in New Orleans, New York City, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. Shortly after the publication of these reports, TNTP was consulting with school districts in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. ⁴

Research and Consulting

In 2003, using the research compiled from the fellows program, TNTP published their first policy report titled, “Missed Opportunities: How We Keep High-Quality Teachers Out of Urban Classrooms.” In 2005, another report was published titled, “Unintended Consequences: The Case for Reforming the Staffing Rules in Urban Teachers Union Contracts.” In 2009, another report was published titled, “The Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act on Differences in teacher Effectiveness”. This later became the basis of advocacy and consulting efforts to state departments of education and charter school management organizations. ^{5 6 7}

TNTP focuses primarily on four areas: advising, data collection, designing new systems, and execution of new systems. Their advising focuses on providing leaders with support in areas such as negotiations and engaging community members. The data collection focuses on collecting data from observations and surveys and interpreting this data. The design focuses on providing action to problems discovered during the data collection process such as designing new curriculum or teacher pay models. Lastly, execution focuses on implementation of the programs that were designed by TNTP. TNTP clients are in 10 states to include Massachusetts, California, Indiana, and Texas. ⁸

Education Policy

In 2018, TNTP published a report claiming that college students spend $1.5 billion a year on remedial classes because students do not receive “grade-appropriate” assignments and proper instruction in K-12 schools, and that students experience a lack of engagement and a lack of high expectations. ^{9 10}

It also stated that it found that Latino and Black students require remedial college courses at substantially higher rates, so as a means to be more “equitable,” teachers, schools, districts, and legislators should set high expectations and provide rigorous, grade-level instruction at the K-12 level. Additionally, it also advocates for students and parents to hold a “legitimate role” in education policy and in classroom decisions. ¹¹

Fishman Prize

TNTP offers the Shira Fishman Prize to teachers that the organization deems of exceptional quality. The prize is named after Shira Fishman, a former engineer who later left to participate in the fellows program and go on to become a public school teacher in the District of Columbia public school system. The prize’s winner earns $25,000 and a five-week summer residency which includes an essay requirement, meetings with education policy leaders, and trips to major U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C. In order to qualify, applicants must be full-time teachers in a public school where at least 40% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. ¹²

As of December 2023, the last Fishman Prize had been offered in 2018, and there had been no update as to whether the prize has been canceled or if a new round of applications will be published. ¹³

The Bridge Fellowship

The Bridge Fellowship is a year-long fellowship that encourages education professionals to develop a new idea, such as a curriculum, based on a theme as chosen by TNTP. With a personal advisor, fellows collaborate with those impacted by TNTP’s work and colleagues to implement the idea. Fellows are also paid a $100,000 salary. ¹⁴

Funding

TNTP has received millions of dollars in grant funding from the Walton Family Foundation, New School Venture Fund, Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. ¹⁵

In March 2022, TNTP announced a $20 million donation from MacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. TNTP CEO Tequilla Brownie reported that it was the single largest donation on record for the organization. ¹⁶

Financials

In 2022, TNTP reported $144 million in total revenue, $96 million of which was program service revenue and $48 million in contributions, including $12 million in government grants. ^{17 18} It also reported $127 million in total expenditures, including $86 million in salaries and compensation according to its tax returns. ¹⁹

Leadership

Michelle Rhee served the organization as CEO from its founding in 1997 until her departure in 2007 to serve as chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools. In 2007, Ariela Rozman, then-vice president of TNTP, became the organization’s CEO. In 2015, Daniel Weisberg was named CEO as Karolyn Blecher was named President.  ^{20 21 22}

In 2022, Tequilla Brownie was named as TNTP’s CEO after previously working as executive vice president and vice president of the client and consulting team. Prior to TNTP, Brownie worked for Memphis City Schools for nine years as a teacher evaluator. She also sits on the board of Stand for Children, ForwARd Arkansas, the MindTrust, KIPP Delta School Board, and Memphis Seeding Success, and is a founding leadership committee member and former board member of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC). ²³

1. TNTP. “About Us.” TNTP.org. Accessed October 6, 2019. https://tntp.org/about-tntp
2. “The New Teacher Project.” Philanthropy News Digest, October 7, 2003. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/features/nonprofit-spotlight.
3. “Our Leadership.” TNTP. Accessed December 18, 2023. https://tntp.org/about-tntp/our-leadership/detail/tequilla-brownie.
4. “Why Teaching Fellows?” Why Teaching Fellows? | TNTP Teaching Fellows | TNTP Teaching Fellows. Accessed October 18, 2019. https://tntpteachingfellows.org/why-teaching-fellows.
5. TNTP. “Missed Opportunities: How We Keep High Quality Teachers Out of Urban Classrooms.” TNTP.org. Accessed October 6, 2019. https://tntp.org/publications/view/school-staffing-employment-policy/missed-opportunities-how-we-keep-quality-teachers-out-of-urban-classrooms
6. TNTP. “Unintended Consequences: The Case for Reforming the Staffing Rules in Urban Teachers Union Contracts”. TNTP.org. Accessed October 6, 2019. https://tntp.org/publications/view/school-staffing-employment-policy/unintended-consequences-the-case-for-reforming-staffing-rules
7. TNTP. “The Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act on Differences in Teacher Effectiveness.” TNTP.org. Accessed October 6, 2019. https://tntp.org/publications/view/evaluation-and-development/the-widget-effect-failure-to-act-on-differences-in-teacher-effectiveness
8. TNTP. “How We Work”. TNTP.org. Accessed October 6, 2019. https://tntp.org/what-we-do
9. “The Opportunity Myth.” Introduction. Accessed December 18, 2023. https://opportunitymyth.tntp.org/.
10. Barnum, Matt. “A New Report Argues That Students Are Suffering through Bad Teaching and Simplistic Classwork. Is That True?” Chalkbeat, September 25, 2018. https://www.chalkbeat.org/2018/9/25/21105756/a-new-report-argues-that-students-are-suffering-through-bad-teaching-and-simplistic-classwork-is-tha/.
11. “Recommendations: The Opportunity Myth.” Recommendations | The Opportunity Myth. Accessed December 18, 2023. https://opportunitymyth.tntp.org/recommendations.
12. TNTP. “The Fishman Prize.” TNTP.org. Accessed October 7, 2019. https://tntp.org/fishman-prize
13. “Apply.” TNTP. Accessed December 18, 2023. https://tntp.org/fishman-prize/how-to-apply.
14. TNTP. “The Bridge Fellowship”. TNTP.org. Accessed October 7, 2019. https://tntp.org/about-tntp/bridge-fellowship
15. Source is Foundation Search
16. “Reflecting on a Generous Gift to TNTP.” TNTP. Accessed December 18, 2023. https://tntp.org/blog/post/mackenzie-scott-20-million-gift-tntp.
17. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). TNTP Inc. 2022. Part I, Lines 8-12.
18. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). TNTP Inc. 2022. Part VIII, Line 1g.
19. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). TNTP Inc. 2022. Part I, Lines 15-18.
20. Labbe, Theola. “Rhee to be Highest-Paid School Head in D.C. Area”. Washington Post. July 4,2007. Accessed October 7, 2019. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/03/AR2007070302299.html?tid=lk_inline_manual_1
21. TNTP. “TNTP Appoints New Leadership.” TNTP.org. Accessed October 7, 2019. https://tntp.org/news-and-press/view/tntp-appoints-new-leadership
22. TNTP. “TNTP Announces Leadership Transition and Growth Plans.” TNTP.org. Accessed October 7, 2019. https://tntp.org/news-and-press/view/tntp-announces-leadership-transition-and-growth-plans
23. “Our Leadership.” TNTP. Accessed December 18, 2023. https://tntp.org/about-tntp/our-leadership/detail/tequilla-brownie.