In 1994, two Teach For America corps members, Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin, founded the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) for fifth graders in inner-city Houston, Texas. KIPP emerged as Feinberg and Levin's response to the lack of high-caliber educational choices available to low-income and minority students. The program evolved into two charter middle schools in 1995: KIPP Academy Houston, operated by Feinberg, and KIPP Academy New York, opened by Levin. In recent years, KIPP has grown beyond its middle-school roots to include early-childhood/elementary schools and college-preparatory high schools.

Unfortunately, the supply of student seats at KIPP does not meet Houston's demand. More than 6,000 students are on a waiting list, hoping to attend a KIPP Houston school. To address the immediate supply shortage, as well as a systemic need to raise the bar in public education, KIPP Houston is making a bold move to influence teaching and learning on a larger scale.

In 2007, KIPP announced its expansion plan to develop and sustain a seamless pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade network of 42 schools throughout the Greater Houston area. Within the next decade, KIPP intends to enroll 10% of the urban Houston student population in its schools (21,000 students), thus making KIPP Houston the largest network of charter schools in one city. The rationale for this aggressive expansion is to "tip" the traditional public school system by influencing the local districts to deliver a great education to the 90% of Houston's students who are not in KIPP schools. This process will provide a model for what can and should happen across the country.

The "tipping point" ideal was previously exemplified when the U.S. Postal Service, a government monopoly like public education, realized that FedEx had gained 10% of the postal delivery market share. FedEx had made possible the previously unachievable—overnight mail. As a result, the U.S. Postal Service found a way to provide overnight mail. Similarly to FedEx's impact on postal delivery, KIPP plans to lead the education reform movement. KIPP Houston is confident that when local education agencies learn from each other's challenges, innovations, and successes, the education of all students will be enhanced.

On this path towards the tipping point of education reform, there are now 20 schools, serving more than 8,000 KIPPsters, in the Houston area.

Listen to Mike talk about the tipping point.