The Core Knowledge Foundation is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 1986 by E. D. Hirsch, Jr., professor emeritus at the University of Virginia and author of many acclaimed books on education including Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know, The Schools We Need and Why We Don't Have Them, The Knowledge Deficit, and The Making of Americans. Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, the Foundation develops curricula, publishes educational books and materials, provides professional development for educators, and supports a growing network of Core Knowledge schools.