Yes. every kid.
Yes. every kid. (YEK) is a 501(c)(4) advocacy group that it a part of the Koch Network.[1] Launched by the Charles Koch-funded Stand Together in June of 2019, YEK supports the privatization of education. The organization is a proponent of the school choice movement, advocating for subsidized private school vouchers and charter schools. According to its website, YEK is "committed to unleashing the extraordinary potential of every student by respecting their dignity, fostering a diversity of approaches, and encouraging the free flow of ideas and innovation."[2]
YEK was announced in conjunction with a shared commitment between the Charles Koch Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation to donate $5 million each to 4.0 Schools.[1]
YEK has a 501(c)(3) sister organization: Yes Every Kid Foundation.[3]
Contents
News and Controversies
Exploitation of COVID-19 Pandemic to Further Privatize Education
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, yes. every kid. released "Opportunity in Crisis," a playbook detailing how to return to schools and reform education.[4] Rather than "directing resources and efforts towards realizing one vision," the playbook proposes various measures "to cultivate pluralism, dynamism, and student-centered education."[4] These measures include removing federal regulations and granting Gubernatorial control over federal funds, removing teaching license requirements, granting school-level financial control to leading schools, and eliminating funding formulas so that funds are not distributed according to conventional criteria.
Yes. every kid. Files Amicus Brief in Espinoza v. Montana
In 2015, Montana founded a voucher-like scholarship that allowed students to attend private schools. Due to the state's constitution, the Montana Department of Revenue excluded religious schools.[5] In 2019, three families petitioned the United States Supreme Court in the case Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, during which Koch Network foundations Americans for Prosperity and yes. every kid. filed an amicus brief.[6] The Supreme Court ruled that state-subsidized private education cannot exclude religious schools.[7]
Ties to Charles Koch
YEK is a school privatization advocacy group that it a part of the Koch Network, now known as Stand Together.[1] Both YEK and Yes Every Kid Foundation are almost fully funded by Koch funding vehicles. (See below)
| Koch Wiki |
|---|
Charles Koch is the right-wing billionaire owner of Koch Industries. As one of the richest people in the world, he is a key funder of the right-wing infrastructure, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the State Policy Network (SPN). In SourceWatch, key articles on Charles Koch and his late brother David include: Koch Brothers, Americans for Prosperity, Stand Together Chamber of Commerce, Stand Together, Koch Family Foundations, Koch Universities, and I360. |
Funding
YEK and Yes Every Kid Foundation are not required to reveal their funders by law. However, a review of publicly available shows these two organizations receive the majority of their revenue from the following Koch network organizations:
yes. every kid.
- Stand Together Chamber of Commerce: $6,500,000 (2019-2020)
Yes Every Kid Foundation
- Stand Together Trust: $500,000 (2020)
Core Financials
yes. every kid.
2020[8]
- Total Revenue: $4,529,465
- Total Expenses: $3,069,200
- Net Assets: $2,035,633
Grants Distributed
- 50Can Action Fund: $25,000
- Coalition for a Stronger West Virginia: $10,000
- Colorado Succeeds: $35,000
- Every Kid Counts Oklahoma: $10,000
- Excellence in Education National: $150,000
- Hoosiers for Quality Education: $15,000
- My SC Education: $8,000
- Texas Families First: $100,000
2019[9]
- Total Revenue: $2,076,549
- Total Expenses: $1,501,181
- Net Assets: $575,368
Grants Distributed
- Arizona STO Association: $25,000
- Charter Schools Now: $75,000
- Coalition for a Stronger West Virginia: $10,000
- Families Empowered: $25,000
- Florida Citizens Alliance: $10,000
- Foundation for Excellence in Education: $25,000
- Imagine Tennessee Better: $50,000
- National Foundation for Women Legislators: $10,000
- Nevada Action for School Access: $25,000
- Policy Innovators in Education Network: $10,000
Yes Every Kid Foundation
2020[3]
- Total Revenue: $500,794
- Total Expenses: $85,033
- Net Assets: $415,761
Grants Distributed
- Love Your School: $10,000
- Nevada Action for School Options: $41,400
Personnel
yes. every kid.
As of December 2020:[8]
Staff
- Andrew Clark, Executive Director
- Carrie O'Rourke, Regional Director
- Grant Hewitt, VP of Government Affairs
- Kara Hartnett, Treasurer
Former Staff
The following are not listed on YEK's 2020 IRS filing:
Board of Directors
- Derrell Bradford, Director
- Robert Enlow, Director
- Derek Johnson, Director
- Jorge Lima, Director
- Meredith Olson, Director
Yes Every Kid Foundation
As of December 2020:[3]
Staff
- Lisa Snell, Managing Director
- Brian Menkes, Secretary
- Henrich Heuer, Treasurer
Board of Directors
- Derek Johnson, Director
- Jorge Lima, Director
- Meredith Olson, Director
Contact Information
yes. every kid.
1320 N. Courthouse Rd. STE 500
Arlington, VA 22201
Phone: 571-290-6811
Website: https://www.yeseverykid.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/yes_everykid/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yeseverykid/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC369mLBDPF6aCiEtEEbhrw
Yes Every Kid Foundation shares the same contact information as YEK.
Articles and Resources
IRS Form 990 Filings
yes. every kid.
2020
2019
Yes Every Kid Foundation
2020
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Andrew Ujifusa", Koch Announces "EdWeek", June 29, 2019
- ↑ Yes. Every Kid. Website "Yes. Every Kid.", accessed: July 22, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Yes Every Kid Foundation, 2020 IRS 990 Filing, Yes Every Kid Foundation, November 15, 2021.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Yes. Every Kid. Playbook "Yes. every kid.", accessed July 22, 2020
- ↑ "Andrew Clark" [Andrew Clark Press Release] "Yes. Every Kid.", accessed July 26, 2020
- ↑ "Yes. Every Kid.", Amicus Brief "Yes. Every Kid." accessed: July 26, 2020
- ↑ Supreme Court Article "The National Law Review", June 30, 2020
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 yes. every kid., 2020 IRS 990 Filing, yes. every kid., November 15, 2021.
- ↑ yes. every kid., 2019 IRS 990 Filing, yes. every kid., November 15, 2020.
- ↑ Staff, Yes. Every Kid. "Gila Valley Central", July 20, 2020
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedstafflinkedin
