Our History

The idea behind the Community Alliance for Education has had earlier iterations in the community over the past two decades. At various times, the Chamber of Commerce, the Merchants Association, the school system and individual citizens have recognized the value of a local education fund to increase community involvement in and commitment to our public schools. Local Education Funds (LEFs) are independent, nonprofit, community-based organizations whose mission is to enlist the involvement and support of their communities for high-quality public education. Successful organizations in Mecklenburg, Durham and Wake Counties are leaders in this national movement. In the summer of 1999, a group of citizens began to hold a series of meetings to determine the interest in developing an LEF in Forsyth County. With support from the Chamber of Commerce, the school system and diverse community participation, the group formed a 12-member steering committee that met for six months to adopt the organization's name, mission, vision, purposes and guiding principles.

Members of the steering committee met with Superintendent Don Martin and Board of Education Chair Donny Lambeth to inform them of the Alliance and explore how the organization can work with the school system. Representatives from the Durham Public Education Network and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Education Foundation visited Winston-Salem to share lessons from their work. The national Public Education Network provided support and information. Steering committee members recruited a founding board of business, civic and education leaders who are representative of the diverse interests and perspectives in the community and who have demonstrated a strong commitment to public education.

The board began meeting in the fall of 2000 to develop a plan of work for the new organization. The Alliance's initial priority is increasing student achievement, including addressing the achievement gap between white and non-white students.

The Community Alliance for Education recognizes the role of the Board of Education, as an elected body, to make policies for our public school system. We respect the role of the Superintendent and school administrators to carry out those policies and provide direction for the overall system. We value the important role of principals, teachers, staff, PTAs and school-business partnerships working at each individual school. And we acknowledge the role of parents, grandparents and others who support each student. The Alliance will not duplicate those important roles. We will provide a vehicle for the broader community to better understand public education issues, to deliberate and reach consensus on community goals for our schools, to mobilize human and financial support for those goals, and to advocate for quality education for all Forsyth County students.