Mission

The Amherst Education Foundation, Inc., incorporated as a Massachusetts non-profit corporation on October 24, 1994, is an independent, non-profit education fund, committed to stimulating excellence, promoting equity, enhancing diversity and mobilizing broad community support for the public schools of Amherst, Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury.

Goals:

Goal One: To enhance the Affirmative Action Plan of the Amherst area schools which aims for a "multi-ethnic teaching force in which racial and ethnic groups are included at a level comparable to their numbers in the school population."

* To assist the Amherst area schools in recruiting teachers and staff of color, so that schools personnel reflect the student population.
* To assist the Amherst area schools in retaining staff and teachers of color.
* To interact with the School Committee, Superintendent, and principals, to promote positive changes in the school system that reflect our multi-cultural community.
* To support staff and curriculum development projects that will provide students with the skills to live in a diverse world.
* To periodically examine the effectiveness of various policies and procedures relative to attaining the system's goals.

Goal Two: To support teachers, other staff and parent groups, in developing new ways to make schools multi-dimensionally excellent.

* To support innovative ways to create a safe and just school environment
* To enable teachers, staff and students to enrich the curriculum by using the arts.
* To provide support for projects which enhance excellence in classroom instruction and curriculum.
* To support staff development projects that are based on respect for, investment in and involvement of the staff.
* To encourage critical competencies that prepare students for the workplace of the future.
* To promote personal, social and civic responsibility.

Goal Three: To strengthen and expand the base of community support for the public schools to improve the learning opportunities for students.

* To inform the area's social and economic wellbeing.
* To establish programs that bring community members into the schools in interactive roles.
* To establish or strengthen linkages with the business community.
* To establish linkages with the local higher education institutions.