Teach For America Alumna
Sehba Zhumkhawala-Ali Receives
Koret Award for Innovation in Education
(SAN JOSE, CA Sept. 12, 2006) — Sehba Zhumkhawala-Ali, a Teach For America alumna now serving as principal and founder of the KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) Heartwood Academy in San Jose, received the first Koret Award for Innovation in Education for the dramatic increase in student achievement that she has accomplished at her school, Teach For America – Bay Area announced today. Surrounded by her students, their families, and her teaching staff, Zhumkhawala-Ali was honored in a private ceremony at KIPP Heartwood Academy on Saturday.
The Koret Award, made possible by Koret Foundation Funds to be awarded annually, recognizes a Teach For America alumna or alumnus who best exemplifies an innovative, inspired, results-driven, and effective educational entrepreneur. In addition to regional and national recognition, Zhumkhawala-Ali was granted a $5,000 prize, and the school received $20,000. When presented with the award, Zhumkhawala-Ali said, “I feel deeply honored to have been chosen. This funding will enable Heartwood to supplement teachers’ salaries and provide for general operating costs not covered through our other funding. Most of all, I am grateful to receive this award in front of the entire KIPP Heartwood community, as it is the students who are the true winners.”
After serving as a Teach For America teacher in 1998 and 1999 in Houston’s McReynolds Middle School, Zhumkhawala-Ali earned a Master’s degree in Education Policy from Stanford University, taught 8th grade at YES College Preparatory School, was appointed to be a Fisher Fellow, and collaborated with KIPP to found Heartwood Academy.
Heartwood is a public, college-preparatory middle school committed to providing students with the knowledge, skills, character, and intellectual habits needed to excel in college and to make positive change every single day. As measured by the California Standards Tests, in KIPP Heartwood’s first year of operation, 93 percent of students scored proficient or advanced in math skills, compared with a district-wide average of 38 percent. Additionally, the school received an API score of 921, which puts it in the top five percent of all middle schools in California.
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About Teach For America
Teach For America is the national corps of top college graduates who commit two years to teach in under-resourced public schools and become lifelong leaders in the pursuit of educational equity. In its 16-year history, Teach For America has recruited and trained more than 17,000 teachers nationwide, affecting more than 2.5 million students.
This fall Teach For America placed 155 teachers in San Jose, East Palo Alto, Oakland, West Contra Costa and Gilroy public schools. Forty-six alumni lead or have founded schools in the region, while at least 35 others drive nonprofits or other organizations that advocate for underserved communities. For more information about Teach for America, please visit www.teachforamerica.org.