Ted Forstmann, RIP: Real School Choice Champion

From the press release: It is with great sadness that Children’s Scholarship Fund (CSF) announces that its co-founder and co-chair, Theodore J. (Ted) Forstmann [pictured, right], has passed away.

“Ted Forstmann was a great philanthropist who leveraged his business acumen to start Children’s Scholarship Fund along with my late husband, John Walton, changing thousands of lives for the better,” said Christy Walton, co-chair of CSF. “He was a powerful force for good for children who got a ‘raw deal’ in life, as he put it, and he will be greatly missed.”

The Children’s Scholarship Fund (CSF) is the country’s largest charity helping parents send their children to the school of their choice. In 1998, he teamed with the late John Walton and together they offered 40,000 K-12 scholarships -- worth $200 million -- to low-income families across America. Parents of more than 1.25 million students applied for the four-year scholarships.

As Mr. Forstmann said, “Every child, regardless of their parents’ income, should have access to a quality education – an education that will not only prepare them for successful private lives, but help them to build cohesive communities and a strong democracy. We believe if you give parents a choice, you will give their children a chance.”