Council of the Great City Schools

Name

Council of the Great City Schools

Legal name

Council of the Great City Schools

Website

https://cgcs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Advocacy and Association Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

School District Central Administration (Superintendent & Cabinet Offices) (EDADABAF), District Administration & Central Office (EDAJAAAA)

Keywords

• Urban school advocacy
• Education policy research
• School district governance
• Professional development programs
• Membership association services

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The Council operates as a membership organization with 82 urban school districts as members. Districts pay membership dues to participate in the coalition, access resources, and benefit from collective advocacy efforts.
2. Conference and Event Fees: The organization generates revenue through annual conferences including the Fall Conference, Legislative/Policy Conference, and other professional development events. These conferences provide continuing education and networking opportunities for urban school leaders.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Council of the Great City Schools is a non-profit membership coalition of 82 large urban public school districts in the United States. It delivers federal advocacy, research, technical assistance, professional development, governance frameworks, and annual conferences to support urban school leaders, superintendents, and school board members. Its portfolio also includes data dashboards, recognition and scholarship programs, and online community resources for member districts.

Product overview

The Council of the Great City Schools is a coalition of 82 urban public school districts that functions as a membership organization providing advocacy, research, professional development, and networking services rather than a unified software product. The organization offers a portfolio of programs and services including: data tools (NAEP Dashboard, Enrollment Dashboard), research publications (Academic Key Performance Indicators Report, Managing for Results), professional development (Michael Casserly Urban Executive Leadership Institute, Webinars), governance resources (Student Outcomes Focused Governance Framework), publications (Digital Urban Educator newsletter), and recognition programs (Green-Garner Award, Queen Smith Award, Michael Casserly Legacy Award, Shirley Schwartz Award, and Math and Science Scholarships). These offerings serve to support urban school district leadership, facilitate information sharing, and advocate for urban education at national levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Council of the Great City Colleges of Education: An affiliate group of deans working with urban school leaders
• Blue Ribbon Corporate Advisory Group

Products and services

• NAEP Dashboard
• Enrollment Dashboard Interactive dashboard displaying enrollment data across Council member school districts.
• Academic Key Performance Indicators Report Annual report tracking academic performance metrics across urban school districts, enabling benchmarking and trend analysis.
• Managing for Results in America's Great City Schools Annual publication measuring business operations and performance metrics in urban public school districts.
• Student Outcomes Focused Governance (SOFG) Framework Research-based framework for school board governance that translates existing research into tools for boards to identify strengths, weaknesses, and track progress toward improving student outcomes.
• Michael Casserly Urban Executive Leadership Institute Leadership development program designed to equip current and aspiring superintendents with skills to successfully lead large urban school systems.
• Safety & Security Framework Framework compiling best practices from across the country to help urban school districts conduct safety assessments and create customized safety approaches.
• Digital Urban Educator Monthly digital newsletter providing news, updates, and resources for urban school leaders across member districts.
• Jobs Board Online job board connecting member school districts with candidates for open positions.
• Webinars Online professional development and information sessions for member district staff.
• Green-Garner Award Annual award recognizing outstanding contributions in urban education, presented at the Fall Conference to a board member or superintendent.
• Queen Smith Award Annual award for Commitment to Urban Education recognizing educators who have made significant contributions to education and the community.
• Michael Casserly Legacy Award for Educational Courage and Justice Annual award sponsored by Curriculum Associates recognizing individuals who have made outstanding contributions to urban education through courageous stances on educational justice and equity. Includes a $10,000 scholarship component.
• Shirley Schwartz Urban Education Impact Award Annual award honoring outstanding partnerships between universities and urban school districts that have positively impacted student learning.
• CGCS-Peters Pharis Foundation Math and Science Scholarships $10,000 scholarship program for outstanding urban high school students planning to pursue STEM studies at four-year colleges or universities.
• CGCS Communities Online community platform connecting urban school district personnel for networking and collaboration.
• Parent Roadmaps Resources in English and Spanish to help parents support their children's mathematics and English language arts learning.
• Annual Fall Conference Annual conference bringing together urban school leaders for professional development, networking, and presentation of the Green-Garner Award.
• Legislative/Policy Conference Annual conference in Washington D.C. addressing federal education policy and legislative issues.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Council's member districts have shown significant gains in reading and math performance on both state assessments and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ScholasticcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal children's publishing, education, and media company. Co-sponsor of the Green-Garner Award, the nation's highest urban education honor, presented annually at the Fall Conference.
• Curriculum AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational publishing company. Sponsor of the Dr. Michael Casserly Legacy Award for Educational Courage and Justice, including a $10,000 scholarship component.
• Macmillan/McGraw-HillminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational publishing company. Sponsor of the Queen Smith Award for Commitment to Urban Education, named in memory of the company's late vice president of urban programs.
• AmplifyminorOthersMember of the Blue Ribbon Corporate Advisory Group, serving as a sounding board on strategies to improve urban public education.
• College BoardminorOthersMember of the Blue Ribbon Corporate Advisory Group providing guidance on urban education strategies.
• Discovery EducationminorOthersMember of the Blue Ribbon Corporate Advisory Group providing guidance on urban education strategies.
• McGraw Hill EducationminorOthersMember of the Blue Ribbon Corporate Advisory Group providing guidance on urban education strategies.
• NWEAminorOthersMember of the Blue Ribbon Corporate Advisory Group providing guidance on urban education strategies.
• Power SchoolminorOthersMember of the Blue Ribbon Corporate Advisory Group providing guidance on urban education strategies.
• Renaissance LearningminorOthersMember of the Blue Ribbon Corporate Advisory Group providing guidance on urban education strategies.
• ScholasticminorOthersMember of the Blue Ribbon Corporate Advisory Group providing guidance on urban education strategies.
• Council of the Great City Colleges of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate group of deans from 78+ universities working with urban school leaders. Presents the Dr. Shirley S. Schwartz Urban Education Impact Award and supports teacher preparation and development for urban schools.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National School Boards Association (NSBA): NSBA is a federation of state school boards associations representing school board members nationwide. It directly overlaps with the Council's board governance training and federal advocacy mission, though it serves all districts rather than only large urban ones.
• ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development): ASCD is a membership association for educators and education leaders focused on curriculum, instruction, and professional learning. It overlaps with the Council's professional development, research, and capacity-building services for district leaders, though it serves the broader K-12 community.
• AASA (American Association of School Administrators): AASA is a national membership association for school superintendents and district leaders, providing advocacy, professional development, and research. It is highly comparable as a peer advocacy organization serving public school system leadership, though broader in scope than the Council's urban-only focus.
• Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO): CCSSO represents state superintendents and education chiefs, focusing on federal education policy and statewide system improvement. Like the Council, it provides federal advocacy, research, and leadership development, but at the state rather than urban-district level.
• Chiefs for Change: Chiefs for Change is a nonprofit network of state and district education chiefs focused on equitable outcomes for students. It is highly comparable as a peer advocacy and leadership-development organization targeting education system leaders, though with a smaller, selective membership.

Emerging players

• Education Trust: Education Trust is a nonprofit that promotes high academic achievement for students of color and low-income students through research, advocacy, and policy analysis. It overlaps with the Council's research, equity, and federal-advocacy activities for underserved urban populations but operates as a focused advocacy/think-tank rather than a membership coalition.
• National Superintendents Roundtable: The National Superintendents Roundtable is a smaller, practitioner-focused group for sitting and retired superintendents. It overlaps with the Council's executive leadership institute as a leadership peer-support network but operates at a smaller scale and without the Council's federal advocacy footprint.

Broad incumbents

• National Education Association (NEA): NEA is the largest U.S. employee labor union representing public school teachers and education staff. While it also advocates for federal education funding and policy, it is a broad incumbent with much larger membership and a teacher/employee focus rather than the Council's superintendent/district-leadership focus.
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT): AFT is a major national labor union representing teachers, paraprofessionals, and public employees. It overlaps with the Council on federal education policy advocacy but represents educators rather than district leadership, making it a broader incumbent rather than a direct competitor.

Others

• AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education): AACTE represents colleges of education and is the parent-style counterpart to the Council's Council of the Great City Colleges of Education affiliate. It is thematically related as a higher-education partner focused on teacher preparation but does not directly compete for district memberships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GreatCitySchls
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GreatCitySchools
• Facebookfacebook.com/GreatCitySchls
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/council-of-the-great-city-schools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Council of the Great City Schools