2 School Reform Groups Get $1 Million Each From Bank

Two Los Angeles school reform organizations have received grants of $1 million each from Washington Mutual Bank.

One of the grants will provide transitional funding for the Los Angeles Annenberg Metropolitan Project, whose five-year backing by the Annenberg Foundation is coming to an end.

“In making this investment, Washington Mutual is leveraging the work of the Annenberg Foundation and other funders,” said Maria Casillas, president of the project.

It will use the money to launch Families in Schools, a nonprofit organization that will continue its efforts to boost parental involvement in schools.

The Los Angeles Educational Partnership will use its grant to expand a program that uses partnerships with universities and school districts to improve recruitment, training and support for teachers.

It will also help to build two other partnership programs, one to develop new principals and the other to gather data on teacher preparedness, the causes of turnover and the distribution of teachers who do not have credentials.