213 - How the KIPP Foundation is Helping Students Nationwide Get Through College, with CEO Richard Barth

Today, Tom Vander Ark is speaking with Richard Barth, CEO of KIPP and Chairman of the Board at Braven. Prior to these roles, he also worked with Teach for America from 1989-1996, was President of District Partnerships for Edison Schools for seven years, and served as a Member of the Board at General Assembly. After helping Teach for America get off to a good start, Richard Barth married the founder and CEO, Wendy Kopp. Richard went to work for a school developer and in 2005, he joined a foundation supporting a fledgling charter school network called KIPP. Richard has facilitated the growth from 40 schools to 224 schools, serving almost 100,000 students, nationwide. Along the way, Richard and the KIPP team have learned a lot about getting young people into and through college. They learned about the importance of helping students, as well as how to help them leave high school with a passion, a purpose, and a plan. Listen in to today's conversation as Richard speaks to Tom about the lessons he has learned while leading KIPP! Key Takeaways: [:14] About today's podcast with Richard Barth. [:58] Tom welcomes Richard to the podcast! [1:12] Why did Richard originally joined the start-up,...