The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School

What The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School does

The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charter school serving 1,080 students from Kindergarten through 8th grade across three purpose-built campuses in the Washington Heights and Inwood neighborhoods of Upper Manhattan. Founded in 2009, TEP operates under authorization from the SUNY Charter Schools Institute and is structured around a '3 A' educational framework combining Academic rigor with daily Arts and Athletics instruction. The school's defining innovation is its teacher compensation model: every TEP master teacher earns a $140,000 salary — multiples above typical NYC public school teacher pay — funded by reallocating public per-pupil dollars away from administrative overhead. This model has produced measurably superior outcomes, including 96% of 8th-grade students scoring proficient on the 2024 NYS Math exam (compared with 49% in Community School District 6) and four consecutive years ranked #1 among non-selective middle schools in District 6.

TEP generates revenue through two streams: (1) recurring public per-pupil funding as a New York City public charter school, and (2) tax-deductible philanthropic donations restricted to the Alumni Engagement Program and capital projects (e.g., the 2021 middle school facility at 153 Sherman Avenue). Major donors include The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation ($3.0M), The Thompson Family Foundation ($1.525M), the Walton Family Foundation, the SUNY Charter Schools Institute, and individual donors. Notably, TEP does not solicit donations for general operating expenses. Admissions are free, lottery-based when demand exceeds seats (with preferences for siblings and District 6 residents), and supported by bilingual English/Spanish online and in-person application channels targeting the 2026-27 school year.

The school's core technology stack is intentionally minimal: Google Classroom for instruction, a custom online enrollment portal (students.tepcharter.org), and a digital donation portal (donate.tepcharter.org). The product portfolio comprises the integrated K-8 educational program plus three supporting modules — the Early Childhood Campus (K-1), Elementary Campus (2-4), Middle School Campus (5-8), and a 1,000+ alumni Alumni Engagement Program extending support through high school graduation and college/career readiness. Distribution is purely direct-to-consumer through campus visits, open houses, and online applications; geographic operations are restricted to NYC Community School District 6.

Name

The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School

Legal name

The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School

Website

https://tepcharter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School is a nonprofit K-8 public charter school serving 1,080 students across three campuses in Washington Heights and Inwood, NYC, funded primarily by per-pupil public allocations and using a $140,000 teacher salary model to drive top-ranked academic outcomes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

Keywords

• K-8 charter school
• Public charter education
• Teacher compensation model
• Charter school management
• College preparation program

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: TEP is a public charter school that reallocates public funds to invest in teacher compensation. The school receives public funding typical of NYC charter schools.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: TEP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit accepting tax-deductible contributions. Unlike most charter schools, TEP does NOT solicit donations for general operating expenses. Donations are accepted for Alumni Program and Capital Projects (e.g., new middle school building at 153 Sherman Ave). Major donors include The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation ($3M), The Thompson Family Foundation ($1.525M), Walton Family Foundation ($325K), and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School operates a free K-8 public charter school program serving 1,080 students across three campuses in Washington Heights and Inwood (Early Childhood K-1, Elementary 2-4, Middle School 5-8). The school delivers rigorous academics alongside daily arts and athletics through a "3 A" educational framework, anchored by a $140,000 master teacher salary model designed to recruit and retain exceptional educators for high-need student populations. Supporting the core educational offering are an online enrollment application, an Alumni Engagement Program, and a digital donation portal.

Product overview

The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School is a single, unified K-8 public charter school offering that serves 1,080 students in Washington Heights and Inwood, NYC. The school operates across three distinct campuses — Early Childhood (K-1), Elementary School (2-4), and Middle School (5-8) — unified by the '3 A' educational framework (Academic, Artistic, Athletic) and a revolutionary $140,000 master teacher salary model. Supporting the core educational program are complementary service modules including an online enrollment application system, alumni engagement program, and digital donation portal. The school does not offer separate software products; rather, it provides an integrated educational experience supported by digital tools for enrollment, student resources (via Google Classroom), and donor management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TEP K-8 Charter School Educational Program A free public K-8 charter school educational program serving 1,080 students across three campuses in Washington Heights and Inwood, NYC, featuring a $140,000 master teacher salary model and the "3 A" framework combining Academic, Athletic, and Artistic instruction. Open to all NYC students regardless of disability, race, creed, gender, national origin, religion, ancestry, athletic ability, or intellectual aptitude.
• Early Childhood Campus Program (Grades K-1) Foundational early childhood education program for Kindergarten and 1st grade students focusing on foundational literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional development in a nurturing environment at the 4280 Broadway campus.
• Elementary School Campus Program (Grades 2-4) Elementary education program for 2nd through 4th grade students transitioning from "learning to read" to "reading to learn" with rigorous mathematics instruction and growing independence at the 549 Audubon Ave. campus.
• Middle School Campus Program (Grades 5-8) Middle school program for 5th through 8th grade students preparing for high school with rigorous academics, daily arts and athletics, and leadership development at the purpose-built 153 Sherman Ave. facility featuring dedicated music floor, recording studio, and full-size gymnasium.
• Alumni Engagement Program Post-graduation support program for over 1,000 TEP alumni focused on high school graduation rates, college and career readiness through four pillars: college preparation, academic supports, community space, and scholarship connections.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of 8th graders who started at TEP in Kindergarten scored proficient on NYS Math Exams (vs. 49% in CSD 6)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KIPP NYC: Large NYC charter school network serving similar low-income, mostly Black and Latino student populations with a college-prep mission. Directly comparable to TEP in target population (CSD-inclusive Washington Heights/Inwood area for some KIPP NYC schools), instructional model, and reliance on public per-pupil funding plus philanthropy.
• Uncommon Schools: NYC-based charter network (North Star Academy, Boys Prep, Girls Prep, etc.) operating college-prep schools in similar neighborhoods. Comparable in target demographics, high-performance academic model, lottery admissions, and reliance on public funding plus philanthropic capital.
• Harlem Children's Zone / Promise Academy: NYC charter operator providing cradle-to-career pipeline services with charter schools (Promise Academy) and wraparound community programs. Directly comparable to TEP's K-8 model and similar demographic focus on historically underserved Upper Manhattan families.
• Achievement First: Multi-state charter school network with significant NYC presence serving similar high-need populations with rigorous college-prep curricula. Comparable in K-12 instructional approach, teacher talent investment focus, and outcome-driven brand positioning.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: One of NYC's largest charter networks, operating K-12 schools with a high-performance academic model serving similar demographics. Peer in funding model (per-pupil + donations), lottery-based admissions, and outcome-driven competitive positioning; multiple NYC campuses compete with TEP for similar families.
• Democracy Prep Public Schools: NYC charter network operating multiple schools serving similar demographics. Peer in lottery-based admissions, high-performance outcomes model, and public-funder-plus-philanthropy revenue structure; competes with TEP for some of the same applicant families.

Others

• College Board: Vice President of Mission Implementation Jennifer Mulhern serves on TEP's Board as Secretary, providing college-readiness and scholarship pipeline access for TEP alumni (1,000+). Comparable as an ecosystem partner, not a direct instructional competitor.
• SUNY Charter Schools Institute: TEP's charter authorizer and a major donor ($300K). While not a peer in the instructional sense, SUNY CSI is the regulatory gatekeeper for charter renewal/expansion and a key ecosystem stakeholder alongside NYC DOE for charter schools of TEP's profile.

Broad incumbents

• New York City Public Schools (NYC DOE): The traditional public school district in which TEP operates (CSD 6 specifically). TEP is a public charter authorized under NY state law and funded by NYC DOE per-pupil allocations; NYC DOE serves as both funder and direct competitor for K-8 enrollment in Washington Heights and Inwood.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/tepcharter
• Facebookfacebook.com/tepcharter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-equity-project-charter-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/tepcharter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School