The Schools Foundation works daily to positively impact students in local schools, focusing on services, resources, and opportunities to enhance teaching and learning.
A+ College Ready - A national initiative to increase student achievement in math, science, and English; in partnership with The College Board, Dell, Exxon, and the Gates Foundation, Boeing and SAIC. This training and incentive program began September 2008 with applications from ten area high schools. This results-driven program is designed to increase student participation and success in advanced placement math, science, and English courses. The total investment in our schools over five years will total almost $4 million. Corporate partners include Boeing, Dynetics, SAIC, COLSA Corporation, RBC Bank, Compass Bank, First Commercial Bank, ERC Incorporated, AZ Technologies, WILL Technology, PublicFA, Belzon, Redstone Federal Credit Union, S3, AeroJet, and Westar. In addition to A+ College Ready, The Schools Foundation is also providing Laying The Foundation (LTF)to support teachers as they prepare students in grades six through eleven to excel in Advanced Placement* and other college-level courses. LTF provides teacher training necessary to raise academic rigor in math, science, and English.
Community Engagement: Huntsville/Madison County- "a purposeful effort, starting in either the school system or the
community, to build a collaborative constituency for change and improvement in
schools." Community engagement is an effort to bring the community
together in a meaningful way, to be part of the decisions and processes that
impact public schools.
Meaningful community engagement in public schools reflects the will and needs
of the community, and it requires initiative from the community and openness
from school and district leadership. Community engagement, when implemented in other
communities, has included:
Strategic planning sessions, town hall meetings or
community conversations.
Open dialogues foster trust and collaboration, shared goals, and strategies.
Collaboration between schools, service-providers,
businesses, etc. Shared resources and
collaboration enhance learning, strengthen connection, and produce
mutually beneficial results for students, schools and the community.
Public information-sharing on school performance. Communities must be informed of and understand school
performance data in order to understand and support student and schools
goals and strategies.
Community participation in school board meetings. In most communities, school boards represent a school
district's decision-making body and need input from the community to
inform and support decisions.
Communication with elected officials and policymakers. Elected officials must connect with and seek input
from the public. At the same time, the public must communicate with
elected officials to voice their concerns and support.
Voting in school board, local and federal elections. An individual's informed vote is a powerful way to
set the local and national agenda for education. (From the Annenberg
Institute, 1996)
TARC_ Team America Rocketry Competition - In Partnership with Pratt Whitney, students in middle and high school teams design and compete in rocket building in this national contest. Student teams come together on the day of launch to compete for awards and prizes. Winning team members have the opportunity to compete on the national level with all expenses paid. Area engineers and scientists provide mentoring, coaching, and organizational support to the program. Click here to see pictures of the 2008-09 Stone Middle School Team.
Sign Up to Round Up – A partnership with Huntsville Utilities that provides a simple way for individuals to turn pocket change into support for education by rounding up monthly utility bills to the next highest dollar.Click here for more informtion or to Sign Up to Round Up.
Federal Impact Aid- The Schools Foundation works with local superintendents, the media, and parents to ensure that Impact Aid information is widespread and leads to maximum financial payments back to the school systems. This annual initiative involves every school in Huntsville, Madison City, and Madison County, and results in hundreds of thousands of dollars for the school systems each year.
Principally Speaking Network – A network of principals from Huntsville City, Madison City and Madison County that meets six times during each school year to enhance leadership skills and to network and learn from each other. Principally Speaking was developed and implemented in partnership with the Alabama Best Practices Center, The Schools Foundation Educators Institute, and the Chattanooga Education Foundation. Corporate partners include Wachovia, Toyota, Dynetics, and the North Alabama Educators Credit Union. Please click here for more information.
Powerful Conversations Network (PNC) – An initiative developed by the Alabama Best Practices Center and the A+ Education Foundation to identify and maximize opportunities to make teachers and administrators the best they can be. The PCN helps educators identify strengths and weaknesses, identify proven strategies to improve instruction and network with others to share ideas and best practices.
Excellence in Education Teacher Grants – A competitive grant process for teachers in all three systems that puts money directly into the classroom for special programs. Primarily with a math and science focus, proposals are funded to support of innovative teaching practices.
HOW IS THIS WORK FUNDED?Our work is funded through individual private individual donations, Sign Up To Round Up, corporate sponsorship, grants, and fundraising events. For a complete listing of our partners, and to make a contribution, go to www.theschoolsfoundation.org. WHERE DOES YOUR MONEY GO? Since 2000, The Schools Foundation has directed over $1,500,000 to public school support.
Teacher scholarships: $200,000.
Excellence in Education Classroom Grants -$100,000
Powerful Conversations Network- $40,000
Professional Development workshops- $200,000
Team America Rocket Challenge $25,000
North Alabama Kindergarten Conference $3000
Principally Speaking program- $10,000
Nationally recognized speakers for professional development : $40,000
Established Distance Learning Labs in all area high schools - $700,000
School Projects: a variety ofone time efforts designed to support specific projects identified by school as a priority: $4500