Barry Schuler, Former Chairman and CEO of AOL, Joins Board of Directors of KnowledgeWorks

Barry Schuler, Former Chairman and CEO of AOL, Joins Board of Directors of KnowledgeWorks

Entrepreneur Barry Schuler, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of America Online Inc., has joined the Board of Directors of KnowledgeWorks, President and CEO Chad Wick announced today.

Cincinnati (Vocus) September 24, 2009 -- Entrepreneur Barry Schuler, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of America Online Inc., has joined the Board of Directors of KnowledgeWorks, President and CEO Chad Wick announced today.

“As KnowledgeWorks continues to lead the way in developing innovative high schools, we are fortunate to have Barry join our Board,” Wick said. “He is truly a visionary, and he shares KnowledgeWorks’ desire to transform America’s high schools through the use of technology and project-based learning to help students acquire 21st-century skills.”

Schuler’s appointment to the board follows the integration of the New Tech Network (formerly New Technology Foundation), or New Tech, as part of KnowledgeWorks, which develops and implements innovative and effective approaches to high school education in the United States. Schuler was formerly Board Chairman of the New Technology Foundation.

Over the next two years, KnowledgeWorks’ goal is to expand the system of learner-centered New Tech High Schools nationwide from 40 to more than 200.

“I’m looking forward to working with KnowledgeWorks, because the Foundation clearly is leading the United States in changing the way high school students learn,” Schuler said. “We are well-positioned to help the nation’s leaders understand what 21st-century high school education looks like. And we are prepared to offer our unique approach to public high school education to communities nationwide who are demanding innovation in their schools.”

KnowledgeWorks Board Chairman Joseph P. Tomain said Schuler’s appointment to the board will enhance the board’s strategic focus. “Barry is always looking forward, asking what we can do to make sure the next generation of students is equipped with the tools they need to succeed in a 21st-century economy. That’s the kind of foresight that can only strengthen our board as we move forward,” Tomain said.

Schuler is currently Chairman and CEO of Raydiance Corp., developer of the world’s first commercial-grade, ultra-fast laser, and is managing director of the venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurveston.

In 2002, he founded the Blue Oak School, an independent K-8 learner-centered school in Napa, Calif., where students are encouraged to explore an integrated liberal arts curriculum through experiences that develop understanding rather than mere memorization.

As President and Chief Executive Officer of Cricket Software, he helped develop color graphics software for Apple Computer’s Macintosh brand. Schuler also co-founded Medior Inc., a multimedia development company that helped launch 2Market, considered to be the first rich media online shopping service. However, Schuler is best known as an Internet pioneer whose team at AOL helped make the Internet more accessible to millions of consumers.

Schuler grew up in West New York, New Jersey and graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s degree in psychology. He is a member of the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni. Schuler lives in Napa, Calif., with his wife, Tracy, where they co-own Meteor Vineyard.

KnowledgeWorks Foundation (www.kwfdn.org) strives to be the leader in developing and implementing innovative and effective approaches to high school education in the United States. Our work primarily focuses on redesigning urban high schools, developing STEM and Early College high schools, and supporting student-centered approaches to delivering real learning and results in our schools.

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Contact Information Byron McCauley

KnowledgeWorks Foundation

http://www.kwfdn.org

(513) 929-1310