Harmony Public Schools Named Finalist for Broad Prize

From Harmony Public Schools: Harmony Public Schools was named as a finalist for the prestigious 2017 Broad Prize, recognizing the charter school's work with traditionally underserved populations.

The Broad Prize is given by The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools to outstanding public charter school management systems that succeed at reaching economically disadvantaged students or minority students.

“Harmony Public Schools thanks The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools for recognizing the hard work and dedication of our teachers and administrators who go above and beyond to provide a superior education for our students,” said Harmony CEO Soner Tarim. “We are honored to be in such good company and are pleased to know that no matter which school receives the prize, American students will directly benefit from this generous award.”

The winner of the 2017 Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools will receive $250,000 to support college-readiness programs for its students. The winner will be announced at the National Charter School Conference in Washington, D.C. on June 12.

Harmony Public Schools is a system of 48 Texas public charter schools that provides rigorous, high-quality education focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Harmony serves approximately 32,000 students, with 51 percent Hispanic, 19 percent African-American and 61 percent rated as economically disadvantaged.

100 percent of Harmony graduates are accepted to college, and 64 percent of Harmony alumni are the first in their family to attend college compared with the Texas average of 35 percent and the U.S. average of 30 percent. Additionally, 60 percent of Harmony graduates choose STEM majors in college, more than doubling both the Texas and U.S. averages.

Harmony provides ongoing support for its graduates as they transition to college with a goal to create lifelong learners who will make strong contributions to their communities well beyond high school.

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