National Paideia Center Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
TO PROVIDE MATERIALS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL SYSTEMS ENGAGED IN THE SYSTEMETIC IMPROVEMENT OF TEACHING AND LEARNING. THE MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES USED BY THE ORGANIZATIONS WERE DEVELOPED BY A CORE STAFF OF FORMER TEACHERS DRIVEN BY THE DESIRE TO DEVELOP WHOLE-SCHOOL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PAIDEIA PHILOSOPHY.
- Income
- $349,728
- Spending
- $437,567
- Spent on programs
- 79%
- Reserves
- -5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 92%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 6
- Highest pay
- $142,050, executive di
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 15 out of 100. Higher than 1% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 515% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 25% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 26% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1579% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Fair: 52 out of 100. Higher than 24% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 6 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
12 of 15Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.
No reported misuse
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $347,077 spent. PAIDEIA SOCRATIC SEMINAR THE FIRST STAGE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PAIDEIA CLASSROOM OR A PAIDEIA SCHOOL INVOLVES THE CONSISTENT USE OF THE PAIDEIA SEMINAR (BASED ON THE CLASSICAL SOCRATIC SEMINAR). WE DEFINE PAIDEIA SEMINAR AS A COLLABORATIVE INTELLECTUAL DIALOGUE FACILITATED WITH OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS ABOUT A TEXT. IN THE CASE OF THE PAIDEIA SCHOOL, THIS CAN LEAD TO THE PAIDEIA SEMINAR CERTIFICATION, WHICH DOCUMENTS THE INTEGRATION OF THE SEMINAR INTO ALL ASPECTS OF SCHOOL LIFE. SPECIFIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR THE PAIDEIA SEMINAR INCLUDE BOTH INTELLECTUAL AND SOCIAL SKILLS. EACH SEMINAR-WHETHER FOR ADULTS OR STUDENTS-NURTURES PROFICIENCY IN BOTH THINKING AND COMMUNICATION. CONSISTENT IMPLEMENTATION OF SEMINAR PRACTICE ACROSS A SCHOOL COMMUNITY RESULTS IN: - SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED ACHIEVEMENT SCORES IN READING AND WRITING, ESPECIALLY AMONG TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS; - IMPROVED STUDENT MOTIVATION DUE TO INCREASED STUDENT VOICE IN AN ACTIVE ENVIRONMENT; - A MORE RESPECTFUL SCHOOL CULTURE WITH FEWER BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS. PAIDEIA CLASSROOM THE PAIDEIA CLASSROOM IS THE SECOND STAGE IN DEVELOPING BOTH A FULLY REALIZED PAIDEIA CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND A FULLY REALIZED PAIDEIA SCHOOL. IT BUILDS ON THE IMPROVED INSTRUCTION RESULTING FROM CONSISTENT SEMINAR PRACTICE BY INTEGRATING DIDACTIC INSTRUCTION AND INTELLECTUAL COACHING WITH THE PAIDEIA SEMINAR, SO THAT EACH OF THE THREE COLUMNS OF INSTRUCTION ARE IN CONSTANT AND COMPLEMENTARY USE. DIDACTIC INSTRUCTION OF THE THREE COLUMNS, THE MOST TRADITIONAL IS DIDACTIC INSTRUCTION, DESIGNED TO HELP STUDENTS MASTER AND REMEMBER ESSENTIAL INFORMATION. DIDACTIC INSTRUCTION OFTEN OCCURS THROUGH LECTURE, BUT THIS CATEGORY ALSO INCLUDES DEMONSTRATIONS, AUDIO-VISUAL PRESENTATIONS, READING FROM TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER FORMS OF DIRECT INSTRUCTION. IT IS THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO DELIVER ORGANIZED KNOWLEDGE, BUT WE RECOMMEND USING IT ONLY 10-15% OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, WITH CAREFUL ATTENTION TO HELPING STUDENT PROCESS AND RETAIN THE INFORMATION. INTELLECTUAL COACHING THE COLUMN OF INSTRUCTION THAT DESERVES THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF CLASSROOM TIME IS SKILL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH INTELLECTUAL COACHING. COACHING INVOLVES STUDENTS WORKING WHILE TEACHERS CIRCULATE FROM INDIVIDUAL TO INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP TO GROUP, GUIDING AND QUESTIONING. IT IS DESIGNED TO PRODUCE THE SKILLS OF LEARNING, ESPECIALLY IN THE USE OF LANGUAGE AND MATHEMATICS, BUT ALSO IN RESEARCH, OBSERVATION, AND TEAMWORK. BECAUSE THIS COLUMN DEVELOPS THE INTELLECTUAL SKILLS AND HABITS OF MIND THAT SHOULD LAST A LIFETIME, WE RECOMMEND DEVOTING APPROXIMATELY 70% OF CLASSROOM TIME TO IT. THE GOAL OF FULLY IMPLEMENTING THE THREE COLUMNS OF INSTRUCTION IS A UNIVERSAL IMPROVEMENT IN TEACHING AND LEARNING, BASED ON A WIDE VARIETY OF RESEARCH-BASED BEST PRACTICES. ONCE THESE ARE IN PLACE, A VISITOR SHOULD BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE A PAIDEIA CLASSROOM ON ANY DAY OF THE WEEK, WHETHER A SEMINAR IS IN PROCESS OR NOT. PAIDEIA PROJECT THE PAIDEIA PROJECT IS A UNIT OF STUDY, CENTERED ON IDEAS AND VALUES, THAT LEADS TO A STUDENT PRODUCTION OR PERFORMANCE. IT IS THE CULMINATION OF CLASSROOM PRACTICE IN A PAIDEIA SCHOOL BECAUSE IT FULLY INTEGRATES ALL THREE COLUMNS OF INSTRUCTION INTO A SEAMLESS WHOLE AND DOES SO IN A WAY THAT RENDERS THE CURRICULUM BOTH AUTHENTIC AND COMPELLING. THROUGHOUT PROJECT WORK, STUDENTS ENGAGE IN CURRICULAR STUDY BY LEARNING INFORMATION, PRACTICING SKILLS, AND DEEPENING THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF CONCEPTS. THE PROJECT CULMINATES IN A PRODUCTION WHEREIN STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF A SUBJECT TO AN AUDIENCE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM. IN THIS WAY, THE PROJECT AUDIENCE CONNECTS STUDENT WORK WITH CURRICULAR PRIORITIES AND REAL-WORLD ISSUES OR PROBLEMS. FOR THIS REASON, THE PROJECT TEACHES THE HABIT OF ACTION THAT SHOULD FLOW OUT OF REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION. FEATURES OF A PAIDEIA PROJECT ALTHOUGH THE PAIDEIA PROJECT IS LIKE OTHER KINDS OF CLASSROOM PROJECT WORK, ITS DISTINGUISHING FEATURES ARE THE USE OF PAIDEIA SEMINAR DIALOGUE TO FOSTER CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUES INVOLVED AND THE FOCUS ON PRODUCTION FOR AN AUTHENTIC AUDIENCE. THESE IMPORTANT QUALITIES CREATE A COMPELLING SENSE OF QUALITY CONTROL. IN ADDITION, ALMOST ALL FULLY REALIZED PROJECTS FEATURE RIGOROUS GROUP PRODUCTION RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION. THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PAIDEIA PROJECTS ARE OFTEN THE RESULT OF SEVERAL YEARS OF PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION, AND REVISION, BUT THIS EFFORT GROWS DIRECTLY OUT OF THE USE OF ALL THREE COLUMNS OF INSTRUCTION IN THE PAIDEIA CLASSROOM AND IS A NATURAL EXTENSION OF THAT WORK ON THE PART OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. FINALLY, THE PAIDEIA PROJECT CREATES THE ENVIRONMENT FOR BOTH RIGOR AND EQUITY TO FLOURISH BECAUSE IT INSPIRES, AND REWARDS, THE BEST WORK OF ALL STUDENTS. IT EMBODIES THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE PAIDEIA SCHOOL FOR CREATIVE THINKING AS INCUBATORS WHEREIN ALL STUDENTS LEARN TO THINK, DISCUSS, AND ACT-OUR CORE 21ST CENTURY SKILLS-IN RESPONSE TO THE CHALLENGES OF CONTEMPORARY LIFE. PAIDEIA SOCRATIC SEMINAR THE FIRST STAGE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PAIDEIA CLASSROOM OR A PAIDEIA SCHOOL INVOLVES THE CONSISTENT USE OF THE PAIDEIA SEMINAR (BASED ON THE CLASSICAL SOCRATIC SEMINAR). WE DEFINE PAIDEIA SEMINAR AS A COLLABORATIVE INTELLECTUAL DIALOGUE FACILITATED WITH OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS ABOUT A TEXT. IN THE CASE OF THE PAIDEIA SCHOOL, THIS CAN LEAD TO THE PAIDEIA SEMINAR CERTIFICATION, WHICH DOCUMENTS THE INTEGRATION OF THE SEMINAR INTO ALL ASPECTS OF SCHOOL LIFE. SPECIFIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR THE PAIDEIA SEMINAR INCLUDE BOTH INTELLECTUAL AND SOCIAL SKILLS. EACH SEMINAR-WHETHER FOR ADULTS OR STUDENTS-NURTURES PROFICIENCY IN BOTH THINKING AND COMMUNICATION. CONSISTENT IMPLEMENTATION OF SEMINAR PRACTICE ACROSS A SCHOOL COMMUNITY RESULTS IN: - SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED ACHIEVEMENT SCORES IN READING AND WRITING, ESPECIALLY AMONG TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS; - IMPROVED STUDENT MOTIVATION DUE TO INCREASED STUDENT VOICE IN AN ACTIVE ENVIRONMENT; - A MORE RESPECTFUL SCHOOL CULTURE WITH FEWER BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 2013.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
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