Smart LIst: The 10 Most Innovative Cities

Getting Smart is acknowledging people and organizations making a difference with a series of back to school top 10 lists. During August we will run about 40 ‘best of’ lists, not in order, not exhaustive, just people we appreciate.

Today we are recognizing smart cities. We built an index based on 12 metrics of innovations in learning considering K-12 schools, universities, foundations and investors, edtech and other education enterprise. Here are the ten smartest cities (in order):

1. New York: edtech & venture hot spot, the iZone and lots of new schools

2. San Jose: most innovative place on the planet

3. Washington DC: great charters will soon serve half the students

4. Boston: an edu leader for 400 years with an edtech update

5. San Francisco: an edtech and venture hotspot; some great networks

6. Chicago: #2 for startups and headquarters to lots of edtech

7. New Orleans: great charters & turnaround story, 4.0 Schools

8. Denver: most aggressive portfolio with elected board; great advocates

9. Oakland: NewSchools anchors this edreform & edtech hotspot

10. Los Angeles: Broad Foundation & lots of great charters; some edtech

Note three Bay Area cities on the list making it, by far, the most innovative metro area.  Check out the three dozen Smart Cities posts and these summary posts:

• 10 Ways Smart Cities Develop & Support Teachers

• Smart Cities: Early Observations

• Smart Cities: 10 Opinions About What Matters

• Smart Cities: Where Districts & Charters Are Partners