Arizona Educational Foundation Inc.

“A copy of the 990 will be provided to the board of directors prior to submission.”

“The board of directors consistently reviews the bylaws particularly as it relates to the conflict of interest policy (article x).”

“The executive director compensation is determined annually at the board of directors retreat by all the trustees. It is based on goals that are predetermined by the executive committee.”

“The governing documents are available to the public upon request.”

“Board members volunteer their time helping with set-up, registration, lunch, etc., at the aef spelling bee and teacher of the year. Board members also make presentations at a+ school of excellence award ceremonies. Educators volunteer their time as judges for the a+ school of excellence program, the arizona teacher of the year program and the polly rosenbaum writing contest. Principals of a+ schools mentor new and aspiring principals through aef's principals' leadership academy.”

“Well-known and coveted award. The process necessitates that the school complete and submit a 35-40 page detailed application, which is read, reviewed and evaluated by a panel of leaders from the education and business communities. Schools whose written applications merit further review receive a day-and-a-half-long site visit from members of the selection committee to determine if the award is warranted. The a+ school of excellence designation is valid for three and a half years after which time a school must re-apply. Aef conducts informational meetings across arizona each fall to introduce schools to and acquaint them with the program, give insight on writing a successful application, and encourage schools to apply for the award. In the past five years, 225 schools from throughout the state have applied for consideration of the a+ school of excellence award. The number of schools that applied in 2016 was nearly double the number of schools that have applied on average in previous years. Although aef cannot attribute the increase to any single factor, it is evident that schools long for the sort of public recognition that the a+ school of excellence designation brings. Since 1991, 416 schools ranging from urban and suburban schools to rural and smaller community schools to a school located on the navajo reservation have earned the designation. The a+ school of excellence program provides an objective, comprehensive, authentic assessment of applicant schools. Awarded schools claim that earning the award enables them and their community to collaborate in order to articulate, analyze, evaluate, modify and improve every aspect related to the education and care of their students. The process serves as a school improvement plan and a needs assessment tool. The coveted award validates a school's effectiveness, unifies the community, brings positive public attention to successes in public education, and instills a sense of pride in schools and school districts. Awarded schools invite fellow educators, parents and businesses to visit their schools; they serve as models of exemplary educational practices. A+ school of excellence principals have the opportunity to become mentors and coaches to emerging school leaders through aef's principals' leadership academy.”

“Consistency and fairness in determining which 27 spellers will vie for the title of arizona state spelling bee champion. Aef's state spelling bee takes place at eight/arizona pbs and is televised on public television stations throughout arizona. The winner and chaperone receive an all- expenses paid trip to washington d.c., for the scripps national spelling bee in late spring.”

“University/phoenix to pursue a graduate degree in education and other valuable prizes. As arizona's teacher of the year, he or she travels to washington d.c. To meet the president of the united states and attends international space camp in huntsville, al, with state teachers of the year from across the nation. The next four runners-up, called "ambassadors for excellence," receive 5,000; each of the remaining five finalists receives 1,000. The teacher of the year and ambassadors undergo professional speech training, giving them the tools necessary to advocate effectively for excellence in education and act as spokespersons for the teaching profession. Combined, the arizona teacher of the year and ambassadors typically make in excess of 100 presentations during their yearlong tenure. Presentations are made to groups of civic leaders, prospective teachers, current teachers, school boards, school administrators, business leaders, legislators, government leaders, and students. Award-winning teachers serve on statewide task forces, advisory panels and serve as a resource to state education policy-makers. Aef covers substitute teacher costs for these teachers when they are away from their classrooms. Over the past five years, the arizona educational foundation has received over 300 applications for consideration from urban, suburban, rural and native american reservation teachers. All teacher candidates submit a 15-page in-depth application detailing their educational and professional background, their community involvement, and their philosophy of teaching. Candidates must identify and discuss educational issues and trends, offer an evaluation of the teaching profession and indicate what their message to the public might be as an advocate for education. Each application is reviewed and scored by a panel of judges consisting of educators, corporate leaders and students. From the written applications, the panel selects 10 finalists. The panel then interviews the finalists, observes them teaching in their classrooms via dvd and selects the teacher of the year, four ambassadors and five semi-finalists. Once the top 5 candidates are identified, aef prepares and produces a short video of each of the 5 candidates, which is shown at the november awards luncheon when the winner is announced. The awards luncheon attracts over 500 education and corporate leaders, becoming the only statewide event that focuses solely on teachers and celebrates excellence in the teaching profession.”

“The principals' leadership academy of arizona (plaa) was launched in september 2008, in response to a strong demand statewide for leadership training programs to prepare the next generation of school leaders in arizona. With its wealth of expert principals identified through the a+ school of excellence program and its partnership with argosy university/phoenix, aef is well-positioned to formulate and develop a successful academy. Plaa curriculum is grounded in the isllc (interstate school leaders licensure consortium) standards, developed nationally by members of the npbea (national policy board for educational administration) and education experts assembled by the council of chief state school officers based in washington dc. Now in its eighth year, the plaa cohort comprises 17 new and aspiring principals from elementary and secondary public and charter schools. Participants are paired with a+ school of excellence principals who mentor and assist them with developing their leadership plan. Classes are held on seven saturdays throughout the school year. Instruction is a rich blend of practice and theory. Class sessions consist of direct instruction and bringing in outside experts to inform participants on such topics as: community and business involvement in schools; developing and maintaining a positive culture of learning; education law; what outstanding teachers need from their administrators; communication skills; advocating effectively for a school community; and dealing with public policy makers. To date, over 100 school leaders have successfully completed the plaa. The polly rosenbaum writing contest is named for polly rosenbaum, a former arizona state representative and teacher who believed arizona's young people are the state's greatest asset. The contest promotes creative writing skills for students in grades 7 - 12. Each year a different topic is selected on which students must write their essays. The contest is divided into three categories: 7th & 8th graders; 9th and 10th graders; and 11th and 12th graders. A panel of business, education and community leaders evaluates the entries based on creativity and writing skills. First, second and third place winners are chosen in each category. These nine winners and guests are invited to lunch at the state capitol on statehood day in february where they are recognized at the statehood day ceremony by top state officials. Following the ceremony, the winners read their entries in a designated location at the capitol. This creative writing contest provides hundreds of students with an objective, authentic assessment of their writing skills. Students whose essays are chosen for their exceptional creative writing skills have the opportunity to meet state leaders, be publicly recognized for their achievements, and visit the state capitol. Aef's united program was launched in 2011 shortly after the city of phoenix discontinued its "principal for a day" program due to funding cuts. United matches business leaders with public school principals in an effort to form sustainable partnerships between businesses and schools that will benefit schools. Meaningful engagement in public education can have a positive impact on the business sector as well. Following a training session for both principals and business leaders, aef's united program provides businesses with opportunities to engage in education and positively affect students and schools in their communities. The nature of the partnerships is non-prescriptive. Some involve mentoring and coaching, while other partnerships are more hands-on with students during regular school hours or after school. Other examples of partnerships include campus beautification projects, field trips, career days, fundraising, marketing, and donation of supplies. Now in its fifth year, the united program has resulted in over 70 active partnerships in maricopa county. By working with other nonprofit organizations, civic groups and government entities, ae”