
Similarly, for science classes at high-poverty high schools, teachers are three times as likely to be credentialed in areas other than science as those who teach science at low-poverty high schools (Wirt et al., 2004). However, the education that poor, urban students in public schools receive is demonstrably insufficient to make them competitive with their more advantaged, middle and upper income peers. There is much talk today, for example, about the importance of STEM careers for the future of our youth and for our country. Yet, mathematics classes in high-poverty high schools are twice as likely to be taught by a teacher with a credential other than mathematics as are mathematics classes at low-poverty high schools. The American mythology continues to insist that education is the path to the middle class for those struggling to escape the grip of poverty. Urban schools serving high-poverty families and communities Thus, in urban public schools, many students and their families are living with severe economic disadvantage.

#Urban stem free
Guidelines for the 2013-2014 academic year locate the federal poverty line at $23,550 for a family of four eligibility for the federal free breakfast and lunch programs requires an income of no more than $30,615 before taxes. The comparable income maximum for reduced price breakfast or lunch is $43,568 (USDA, 2013). However, the conversations about the heightened challenges facing students in urban public schools must recognize that on average, 64 percent of students receive free or reduced price lunches, indicating that their families are at or near the federal poverty level. But I was already managing more than half of the headcount of the entire team across the company … so they knew what they were getting with me as a leader.Much has been written about the poor academic achievement among students in “urban”, “minority” and otherwise coded schools over the past decades. When asked about the transition, Goldman noted that Kori remains involved as chairman of the board, and he said, “We partnered a lot on this and kept our team from making it feel like it was a huge deal - which is a weird thing to say, even though it is a huge deal. The funding came after a leadership change at the company, with Goldman (who joined as COO in 2017 after serving as CEO for HelloFresh USA) taking over the chief executive role from co-founder Ajay Kori in May of last year. “We continue to be impressed with the team led by Seth Goldman, as he builds on the strong foundation the cofounders laid out in building the pre-eminent gifting platform of the future.”

“We are excited to continue to invest in the growth of UrbanStems,” said SWaN & Legend Managing Director David Strasser in a statement.
#Urban stem series
The round was led by SWaN & Legend Venture Partners (who also led the startup’s $6.8 million Series A) and Motley Fool Ventures, with participation from Middleland Capital, NextGen Venture Partners and Sagamore Ventures. make sure it gets there successfully, make sure it gets there on time, make sure they love it, it’s packaged well, every little detail feels personal and special.” “We are providing more than a product … Gifting itself is a highly emotional, vulnerable experience. “The gifting market is far bigger than just the flower market,” he said. It sounds like Goldman has plans to do more in this area, too. In addition, the company has been expanding beyond flowers (where prices start at $35) and plants ($50) by offering curated gift boxes ($55). Recent initiatives include a partnership with Vogue, with bouquets created by Vogue editors. The company started out with bike couriers, and Goldman said it’s not abandoning that strategy: “We will find areas where there’s enough demand to warrant jumping in, boots on the ground.”Īt the same time, he said next-day shipping has allowed the company to “grow a lot faster in the short term.” (Regardless of method, UrbanStems does not charge an extra delivery fee.) (where the company is headquartered), and then there’s a third-party shipping partner that offers next-day delivery to anywhere else in the United States.

He explained that UrbanStems now has two delivery models - there are bike couriers who deliver plants and flowers within two hours in New York City and Washington, D.C. UrbanStems is announcing that it has raised $12 million in Series B funding.ĬEO Seth Goldman told me the startup has already been using the money to expand nationally.
