Alliance for Education

Affiliated school activities:In 2019, the Alliance provided fiscal support services for volunteer led support groups raising funds to benefit schools, and engaged those groups in supporting schools with more limited access to resources. During the year, the Alliance disbursed over $680,000 for instructional support, scholarships, awards, materials, trainings, extracurricular programs and other school-related activities through our fiscal sponsorship programs.

Educational Investments: The Alliance brings together the philanthropic community and Seattle Public School (SPS) leadership to define and support strategic investments in SPS with a focus on increasing equity.In 2019, the Alliance's strategic work included:The Seattle Teacher Residency (STR): We continue to successfully recruit, train and support a diverse pipeline of high-quality teachers trained specifically to teach in Seattle's highest need schools. STR's mission is to accelerate student achievement through the preparation, support, and retention of exceptional teachers who reflect the rich diversity in Seattle Public Schools. We seek to reduce the achievement gap for students from historically underperforming schools and increase opportunities for them to succeed in school, career and life. Some highlights of our successes in 2019 include: - Teachers Trained: In 2019, there were 130 STR-trained teachers in more than 25 high-need public schools in Seattle. An additional 24 Cohort 7 residents started the program in 2019 which will include 14-months of graduate-level coursework and in-classroom apprenticeships. - Students Served: More than 2000 students in over 25 Title I schools benefitted from teachers trained with critical social-emotional and cultural competencies through the STR program in 2019. - Diversity: 40% of current STR residents are teachers of color compared to 20% of other Seattle Public School teachers in a district where 54% of students are students of color.The Right Now Needs Fund: This program is designed to address the most basic needs of Seattle Public School students, to ensure that students can come to school and focus on learning. The Alliance disburses funds to all the 102 Seattle Public Schools, in amounts reflective of the percentage of students in each school receiving free and reduced lunch. Funds can be requested by any school community member and are approved by the school principal. The funds can be spent on addressing the basic needs of students, such as clothing, adequate food, shelter and necessary school supplies. In 2019 over $715,000 was disbursed to meet the basic needs of students.