Background
Seattle Public Schools is the largest school district in Washington State with a budget of nearly half a billion dollars per year dedicated to serving its 45,000 students. By the time each school year begins, however, nearly all of those dollars are already committed to ongoing district needs. Finding financial support for system-wide innovations can be difficult, if not impossible, for the leaders of Seattle Public Schools.
Support for Excellence for All
On March 10, 2009, Seattle Public Schools and the Alliance for Education announced more than $9 million in grants from local and national foundations to support implementation of the school district’s five-year strategic plan.
The plan, called Excellence for All, focuses on improving achievement for all students by providing students and teachers with the resources they need to succeed, expanding college-ready coursework for students, improving access to student data, and strengthening professional development opportunities for teachers, school leaders, and district officials.
Read the complete press release.
The grants were awarded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ($7.2 million), the Eli & Edythe Broad Foundation ($1.2 million), The Boeing Company ($307,000), and The Stuart Foundation ($254,000).
The grant awards focus on the following areas:
College Readiness – Learn More
Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Boeing Company
Community Engagement – Learn More
Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Data, Assessment, and Performance Management – Learn More
Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Eli & Edythe Broad Foundation
School Board Development – Learn More
Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Staff Development – Learn More
Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Eli & Edythe Broad Foundation, and
The Stuart Foundation
Many Puget Sound area organizations supported the development of Excellence for All. As members of a group called Philanthropic Partners for Public Education, these organizations meet on a regular basis to discuss their efforts to support Seattle Public Schools.
The Alliance for Education continues to work with members of the community who want to help the students of Seattle Public Schools. Learn more about our approach to investing.
