Chris Whittle
Encyclopedia
H. Christopher "Chris" Whittle (born August 23, 1947) is an American
media and education entrepreneur
. He is the chief executive officer of Avenues: The World School
, a planned international system of independent pre-K-12 schools. Avenues will open its first campus in New York City in fall 2012. Whittle founded Edison Schools
(now EdisonLearning) with Benno C. Schmidt, Jr.
, Tennessee
. After graduating from the University of Tennessee
with a major in American Studies, Whittle started the magazine
Knoxville in a Nutshell with Phillip Moffitt
and others. 13-30 Corporation in Knoxville
. In 1979 13-30 bought Esquire magazine
, where Whittle served as chairman and publisher for a number of years. In 1986, 13-30 became Whittle Communications, which was one of America’s top 100 media companies in the late 1980’s - known for creating and publishing single-advertiser magazines that were placed in medical office waiting rooms. In 1989, Whittle Communications launched Channel One News
, a national in-school television news program (first anchored by Anderson Cooper
). Channel One News
’ programming reached eight million students daily in 12,000 schools and won the Peabody Award
. Whittle sold the company in 1994.
He is the author of Crash Course: Imagining a Better Future for Public Education, published in 2005, and wrote a chapter on the rise of global schooling for Customized Schooling: Beyond Whole-School Reform, published by Harvard Education Press in 2011. Whittle sits on the board of the Center for Education Reform in Washington, D.C.
In October 2010 he received an “accomplished alumnus” award from the University of Tennessee
, his alma mater, where he has funded over 180 full scholarships.
in 1992. Edison was an early pioneer in public/private partnerships in K-12 education in America. EdisonLearning now serves 450,000 students on three continents through the schools it operates and a variety of other educational programs. Edison Schools was a public company from 1999 to 2003, with its stock traded on the NASDAQ
. After reaching a high of close to USD
$40 per share in early 2001, shares fell as low as 14 cents. The company was taken private in 2003, in a buyout which valued the company at $180 million or $1.76 per share.
. They have two daughters, Andrea and Sasha.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
media and education entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. He is the chief executive officer of Avenues: The World School
Avenues: The World School
Avenues: The World School is a planned international system of independent pre-K-12 schools, with its first campus in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood scheduled to open in Fall 2012. Avenues plans to open 20 or more schools in other cities around the world over the next decade...
, a planned international system of independent pre-K-12 schools. Avenues will open its first campus in New York City in fall 2012. Whittle founded Edison Schools
Edison Schools
EdisonLearning Inc., formerly known as Edison Schools Inc., is a for-profit education management organization for public schools in the United States and the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1992 as The Edison Project, largely the brainchild of Chris Whittle...
(now EdisonLearning) with Benno C. Schmidt, Jr.
Benno C. Schmidt, Jr.
Benno Charles Schmidt, Jr. is the Chairman of Avenues: The World School, a worldwide system of for profit, private K-12 schools. He is a former president of Yale University, where he served from 1986 to 1992 as the university's sixteenth president...
History
Whittle was born in EtowahEtowah, Tennessee
Etowah is a city in McMinn County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,663 at the 2000 census.-History:Etowah was founded in 1906, primarily as a location for a depot on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad line as part of a more direct route between Atlanta, Georgia and Cincinnati, Ohio...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. After graduating from the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
with a major in American Studies, Whittle started the magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
Knoxville in a Nutshell with Phillip Moffitt
Phillip Moffitt
Phillip Moffitt is a vipassana meditation teacher, former publishing executive, author, and an instructor at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, Calif.- Biography :...
and others. 13-30 Corporation in Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. In 1979 13-30 bought Esquire magazine
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
, where Whittle served as chairman and publisher for a number of years. In 1986, 13-30 became Whittle Communications, which was one of America’s top 100 media companies in the late 1980’s - known for creating and publishing single-advertiser magazines that were placed in medical office waiting rooms. In 1989, Whittle Communications launched Channel One News
Channel One News
Channel One News is a 12 minute news program for teens broadcast via satellite to middle schools and high schools across the United States. Channel One is owned by Alloy Media + Marketing and based in New York City.-Program History:...
, a national in-school television news program (first anchored by Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Hays Cooper is an American journalist, author, and television personality. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The program is normally broadcast live from a New York City studio; however, Cooper often broadcasts live on location for breaking news stories...
). Channel One News
Channel One News
Channel One News is a 12 minute news program for teens broadcast via satellite to middle schools and high schools across the United States. Channel One is owned by Alloy Media + Marketing and based in New York City.-Program History:...
’ programming reached eight million students daily in 12,000 schools and won the Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
. Whittle sold the company in 1994.
He is the author of Crash Course: Imagining a Better Future for Public Education, published in 2005, and wrote a chapter on the rise of global schooling for Customized Schooling: Beyond Whole-School Reform, published by Harvard Education Press in 2011. Whittle sits on the board of the Center for Education Reform in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In October 2010 he received an “accomplished alumnus” award from the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, his alma mater, where he has funded over 180 full scholarships.
Edison Schools
Whittle serves on the board of EdisonLearning (formerly Edison Schools).the company he founded with Benno C. Schmidt, Jr.Benno C. Schmidt, Jr.
Benno Charles Schmidt, Jr. is the Chairman of Avenues: The World School, a worldwide system of for profit, private K-12 schools. He is a former president of Yale University, where he served from 1986 to 1992 as the university's sixteenth president...
in 1992. Edison was an early pioneer in public/private partnerships in K-12 education in America. EdisonLearning now serves 450,000 students on three continents through the schools it operates and a variety of other educational programs. Edison Schools was a public company from 1999 to 2003, with its stock traded on the NASDAQ
NASDAQ
The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...
. After reaching a high of close to USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
$40 per share in early 2001, shares fell as low as 14 cents. The company was taken private in 2003, in a buyout which valued the company at $180 million or $1.76 per share.
Personal life
He is married to Priscilla dei conti Rattazzi, daughter of Urbano dei conti Rattazzi and Susanna AgnelliSusanna Agnelli
Susanna Agnelli, Contessa Rattazzi, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian politician, businesswoman and writer...
. They have two daughters, Andrea and Sasha.
Further reading
- Trimble, Vance H. An Empire Undone: The Wild Rise and Hard Fall of Chris Whittle, 1995. ISBN 978-1559723091
- "Commentary: Chris Whittle”. http://www.forbes.com/2008/01/22/solutions-education-whittle-oped-ex_sli_0123whittle.html
- Whittle, Chris. Crash Course: Imagining a Better Future for Public Education, 2005. ISBN 1-59448-902-5
External links
- National Public Radio profile: Christopher Whittle, June 28, 2000
- Interview: Chris Whittle, PBS Frontline, July 3, 2003