For Further Information,

Contact:  Debbie Beaupre

256.503.3213

News Release

For Immediate Release

The Schools Foundation: First Annual Meeting Brings Community Together in Support of Public Education

Huntsville, Ala. - June 17, 2011

On June 16, The Schools Foundation celebrated a decade of work with its first ever Annual Meeting.  Over 200 community leaders, supporters of public education, Speak Up leaders, and public officials participated in this event at Huntsville High School.  The celebration culminated in an address by Dr. Gay Barnes--Alabama Teacher of the Year and a teacher at Horizon Elementary in Madison.

In addition to Dr. Barnes' address, community leaders spoke about the current initiatives of The Schools Foundation.

The Principally Speaking Network (PSN), title sponsored by Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Alabama, is designed to build a sustainable network of professional support among principals by increasing knowledge and leadership abilities that lead to higher levels of student achievement.  PSN, developed in collaboration with the Alabama Best Practices Center, focuses on instruction-based issues, looking at processes, products, and protocols and provides for principals a forum for cross-district problem solving.  Now entering its third year, superintendents in nine additional schools systems across north Alabama have requested expansion of PSN in response to their identified need; Mary Scott Hunter, District 8 Board of Education leader, is leading this expansion effort.

A+ College Ready, a national teacher training initiative designed to increase student achievement in math, science, and English, continues to make a considerable impact in nine high schools in Huntsville and Madison County through increased AP course offerings in these subjects.  In addition to a 60 percent increase in course offerings and a 70 percent increase in course enrollments, A+ College Ready has effected a 160 percent increase in AP qualifying scores by minorities since the inception of the program.

The Military Child Education Coalition program uses a comprehensive approach to reach military children through all avenues, recognizing their unique needs as they move across town or across the country.  The Schools Foundation has partnered with the Coalition and, with the support of Mike Gillespie and the Madison County Commission, local schools now have access to multiple Military Child Education Coalition programs.

The Team America Rocketry Challenge, in partnership with Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne Inc., is another successful program supported by the Foundation.  In association with area engineers and scientists, students on middle and high school teams design and compete in rocket building on a national level.  Last year, two local teams (from Bob Jones High School and Westlawn Middle School) competed national against more than 100 teams from across the country.

Speak Up, a community engagement initiative of the foundation, wrapped up its community conversations at the end of April; over 1300 community members have been involved in these conversations  Speak Up leaders now move toward the finalization of community contracts for presentation to the school boards of Huntsville City, Madison City, and Madison County this fall and community action teams are being formed to follow through on those contracts.  The Free 2 Teach store grows out of this initiative; this volunteer-run store will be stocked with supplies donated by the community in support of more than 3500 teachers in our three systems.

At the meeting, The Foundation recognized three local teachers in receipt of scholarships sponsored by The Schools Foundation: Elizabeth Parker of Sparkman Middle School for the District 19 Scholarship; Jennifer Holden of Grissom High School for the Jane K. Lowe Scholarship for National Board Certification; and Michael Foster of Endeavor Elementary School for the Lynn Brown Scholarship.

The Schools Foundation is a 501©3 non-profit organization supporting the three public school systems in Madison County, Alabama.  The foundation serves as an advocate and leading organization for community engagement, as well as a vehicle for individuals and businesses to support public education.  The Schools Foundation's mission is to create higher expectations and widespread community support for Madison County schools, leading to world-class performance of principals, teachers, and students.  For more information about opportunities for school partnerships, contact The Schools Foundation at 256-503-3213 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .