November 20, 2008
About Us
The mission of the Arlington ISF Education Foundation is to serve the students of the Arlington ISD by fulfilling extraordinary educational needs and initiatives.Arlington ISD Education Foundation - Funding Stellar Opportunities
The Arlington ISD Education Foundation is a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization formed to serve the public school students of Arlington through fulfilling extraordinary educational needs and initiatives. The Foundation is supportive of, yet separate from, the Arlington ISD. An all-volunteer Board of Directors comprised of highly experienced, successful representatives from the business and service sectors, along with educators and the community-at-large, governs the Foundation. Day-to-day functions are handled by an Executive Director and administrative staff.
The Foundation achieves its mission by funding exceptional teaching grants, providing funds for basic needs for at-risk students and supporting continuing teacher education efforts.
Since its founding in 1994, AISD Education Foundation has distributed more than $605,000 through 210 separate grant awards to teachers for use in their classrooms.
Arlington Independent School District is the seventh largest in the state with more than 63,000 students in 78 schools. This district has a great divergence between what is needed to be done and what it can afford. For every ten children in Arlington, more than five (52%) are in such a low income group that they receive free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch. Yet, it is critical that these and all children receive a chance to succeed.
The state and local funding structure for Arlington Public Schools prohibits any increase in local tax dollars for school operations. Texas school districts continue to receive directives from the state and federal government without additional funding to implement them. Yet there are no new dollars to comply with the mandates. In fact, during the 2005 - 2006 school year, the state of Texas earned the dubious distinction as the only state funding fewer dollars per pupil than in the previous year.
AISD Education Foundation strives to fill funding gaps by offering three different grant opportunities: Impact, Classroom, and Teacher Tuition awards. These dollars help teachers improve the quality of instruction so every child can reach his or her potential.
AISD Education Foundation secures resources that enable teachers to search for effective, creative strategies so every child can receive an excellent education. These resources help teachers improve the quality of instruction so each child can reach his or her potential. Resources are distributed through grant funding opportunities.
Multiple benefits are achieved for the school district: enhancing and improving communications between district and respective community and alumni, offering opportunities for community members to get involved with their local district though volunteer activities and events, and garnering resources and funds for use by the district for the enhancement of educational opportunities for the children of the district.
Grant opportunities encourage teachers to implement pioneering methods which can impact many students and also can seed new ideas and approaches to teaching that demonstrate potential widespread application. Dollars for grant awards come from generous donations from area residents and corporations.
Grants help achieve these objectives:
- Enhance student development
- Encourage excellence through creative teaching
- Support AISD curriculum - particularly technology, science and literacy
- Provide teachers with a source other than classroom / department budgets for funding innovative programs; and serve as another source for professional development needs.
- Enhance visibility and value of AISD in the community, and
- Offer AISD community and visitors a direct avenue for designating contributions.
We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States (1882-1945)
