Pacific Research Institute
"Waiting for Superman," the award-winning documentary film about public K-12 education, was partly based on Koret-funded research at the free-market think tank, Pacific Research Institute.
It all began with Koret's underwriting of PRI's groundbreaking book, Not as Good as You Think: Why the Middle Class Needs School Choice. The book's research reveals that California's public school system is failing to provide a high-quality education to children across the socio-economic spectrum – not just among the lower classes. The book was made into a full-length documentary film of the same name, which aired on PBS and caught the attention of the "Waiting for Superman" producers. After reading the book and viewing the PRI documentary, they contacted Koret Senior Fellow Dr. Lance Izumi to be the on-screen expert.
Over many years of partnership, the Koret Foundation has funded influential research, books, films, and articles, as well as supporting the Koret Senior Fellow in Educational Studies. Koret and PRI share a deep commitment to reforming K-12 education in this country with the power of competition and entrepreneurial innovation through market-based solutions..
