The Thomas B. Fordham Institute is an ideologically conservative American nonprofit education policy

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...

, with offices in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

, and

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

. The institute supports and publishes research on education policy in the United States.

History

The Institute's eponym was a businessman and civic leader in

. His widow, Thelma Fordham Pruett, established the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation in 1959 to support a wide range of causes in the Dayton area. In 1997, following the death of Pruett, the Foundation was relaunched, with a narrowed focus on education. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute joined the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation in 2007. In 2013, the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

described the organization as "conservative-leaning."

Fordham-National

The headquarters of the think-tank operations are located in Washington, D.C. Led by Chester E. Finn Jr. and Michael J. Petrilli, Fordham publishes and supports research on K-12 education across the nation. Additionally, Fordham staff and board members remain involved in organizations that support and develop quality schools.

Fordham-Ohio

Fordham-Ohio publishes research and does policy work in the Columbus office and serves as a community school sponsor in its Dayton office. The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation was approved in 2004 by the Ohio Department of Education—making it the first nonprofit organization in Ohio to acquire such a responsibility.

Board of trustees

Current :Stephen D. Dackin - Superintendent of School and Community Partnerships, Columbus State Community College :David P. Driscoll - Former Commissioner of Education, Commonwealth of Massachusetts : Chester E. Finn Jr. - Distinguished senior fellow and president emeritus Thomas B. Fordham Institute :Thomas A. Holton, Esq. - Counsel to the Firm Porter Wright Morris & Arthur :Michael W. Kelly - President and CEO, Central Park Credit Bank :

Rod Paige Roderick Raynor Paige (born June 17, 1933) served as the 7th United States Secretary of Education from 2001 to 2005. Paige, who grew up in Mississippi, moved from college football coach and classroom teacher to college dean and school superinten ...

- Former U.S. Secretary of Education (2001-2005) :Michael J. Petrilli – President, Thomas B. Fordham Institute :Stefanie Sanford - Chief of Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations, College Board :Caprice Young - Chief Executive Officer, Magnolia Public Schools Emeritus :Chester E. Finn, Esq. (1918-2007) - Trustee Emeritus :Craig Kennedy - Trustee Emeritus, German Marshall Fund of the United States :

Bruce Kovner Bruce Stanley Kovner (born 1945) is an American billionaire hedge fund manager and philanthropist. He is chairman of CAM Capital, which he established in January 2012 to manage his investment, trading and business activities. From 1983 through 2 ...

- Trustee Emeritus, Caxton Alternative Management LP :Bruno V. Manno - Trustee Emeritus, Walton Family Foundation : David H. Ponitz - Trustee Emeritus, Sinclair Community College :

Diane Ravitch Diane Silvers Ravitch (born July 1, 1938) is a historian of education, an educational policy analyst, and a research professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Previously, she was a U.S. A ...

- Trustee Emerita

References

External links

Fordham Institute Profile
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National Center for Charitable Statistics The National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) is a clearing house for information about the nonprofit sector of the U.S. economy. The National Center for Charitable Statistics builds national, state, and regional databases and develops st ...

(

Urban Institute The Urban Institute is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank that carries out economic and social policy research to "open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions". The institute receives funding from government contracts, foundations and pr ...

)
The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation and Institute: Influence for hire
Nonpartisan Education Review {{Authority control Thomas B. Fordham Foundation Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C. Organizations established in 1959