Education Leaders, Newsela Founder and Former Superintendent, Join New Classooms’ Board of Directors

NEW YORK, NY – This year, New Classrooms is thrilled to announce the addition of two new members to its board of directors. Christine Fowler-Mack, former superintendent of Akron Public Schools, and Matthew Gross, the Founder & Executive Chair of Newsela, join the board of directors and will bring a new and fresh perspective to furthering the mission of New Classrooms in providing innovative and personalized learning experiences to each student.

“We are excited to welcome Matthew Gross and Christine Fowler-Mack to our board,” said Joel Rose, Co-Founder and CEO of New Classrooms. “Matthew’s diverse and impressive experience in education tech alongside Christine’s impact in education exemplify New Classrooms’ goals of reimagining the classroom for the sake of students nationwide.”

Matthew Gross founded Newsela, an education technology company dedicated to meaningful classroom learning for every student. As the CEO, Matthew led the company to over 500 employees and over 40 million registered teachers and students. Matthew brings to New Classrooms a thirty-year career in education policy and practice, nonprofit and for-profit entrepreneurship, and product development and distribution.

“New Classrooms is one of the rare education moonshots with both stamina and proof of efficacy. People have talked for decades about the power of technology and radically different thinking to transform classroom learning. New Classrooms is doing it,” said Gross. “I briefly consulted for New Classrooms just prior to founding Newsela. I was blown away then, and I’ve tracked their progress closely over the past decade. Being asked to join the board was truly one of the great honors of my professional life.” 

Christine adds: “New Classrooms is a forward-focused, learner-centered organization that is ready and able to scale a tool that will adapt, personalize, and provide high-quality math instruction. It recognizes the importance of supporting educators who, despite being committed and engaged, are challenged to personalize and meet the needs of learners today, especially in a post-pandemic world. I am humbled and excited to join the esteemed New Classrooms Board of Directors. I believe deeply in the organization’s mission and the emerging results. I look forward to contributing and learning along the way with my fellow board members.”

Christine Fowler-Mack is an experienced and innovative leader in education and transformative practice whose strategic thinking, leadership, and deep investment in relationships have helped to drive significant improvements in two of the largest urban school districts in Ohio. She has served in nearly every instructional role for over 34 years in diverse districts and schools, leading from her head and heart. Most recently, she served as superintendent of Akron Public Schools and, prior to that, in the executive cabinet of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

New Classrooms’ Teach To One innovation ensures each student receives math lessons customized to their individual strengths and requirements. The inclusion of these seasoned experts, with their extensive experience and passion, will enhance the organization’s capacity to impact more students than ever before.

About New Classrooms
Founded in 2011, New Classrooms Innovation Partners Inc. is a national nonprofit organization that aims to personalize education for each student through its Teach to One innovative learning solutions. Teach to One was born out of the visionary work of the founders within NYC Public Schools called School of One, which TIME named one of the Best Inventions of the Year in 2009. Teach to One ensures each student learns the right math lesson at the right time and in the right way that best meets their strengths and needs. It is currently used by thousands of students in schools nationwide. To learn more about Teach to One, visit www.teachtoone.org. To learn more about New Classrooms, visit www.newclassrooms.org.