SchoolSeed Foundation
Vincent McCaskill, President & CEO
EERI
SchoolSeed Foundation’s mission is to enhance the learning and well-being of students and teachers in public schools by providing resources and support in the classroom and support that extends beyond the classroom.
Year Founded: 2006
SchoolSeed believes effective community support is necessary to provide the best educational opportunities for our youth. They work with individuals, community groups, and businesses to ensure children and their families receive the high-quality education and support they deserve.
SchoolSeed’s theory of change is predicated on the idea that capacity building in schools, support for teachers and leaders, rigorous curriculum, target setting, ongoing improvement of curriculum and instruction, and promoting effective practice will accelerate student and school achievement. Additionally, addressing the needs of families and creating a supportive environment for students both at school and at home are crucial. Their theory of action calls for: building and sustaining a collaborative partnership with school districts and their school-based leadership; building and sustaining a collaborative partnership with the philanthropic and business community; providing supplementary supports to students, teachers, administrators, and families; and tracking and monitoring the progress of projects. Ultimately, SchoolSeed seeks to increase college attendance and graduation rates—a matter of equity, access, and community development.
The work to form SchoolSeed Foundation began in 2006 and was officially established as an independent intermediary supported by the Memphis School board. SchoolSeed became the fiscal agent of the historic Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation $90 million grant to support the Memphis City Schools District Teacher Effectiveness Initiative. This effort was also funded by numerous local and national philanthropic organizations. Since inception, they have been an established intermediary organization. SchoolSeed has created extensive collaborative partnerships in the region to support the well-being of students, their families, and schools. While the organization is education-focused, it pivoted to work with the community to identify issues impacting children. The work of SchoolSeed is both systems-focused and community-focused. They are razor-focused on delivering and improving outcomes by managing a variety of services and programs for the benefit of schools, educators, students, and parents.
Vincent McCaskill
President & CEO