According to national and local polls, the health of public education is a major concern for most Americans.

Our public schools are vital to our democracy and serve as an important line of defense against ignorance and intolerance.

Yet, increasingly, school districts, including ours, find it difficult to meet the needs of its students with public funding alone.

The Stamford Public Education Foundation, Inc. (SPEF) was formed in 2000 as part of a national network of local education funds that advocate for a high quality, public education experience for all students. In Stamford, SPEF works closely with, but independently from the school system. Our board of directors consists of residents and business individuals whose commitment to public education in Stamford is strong and without agenda.

Since 2000:

• SPEF has invested $6,609,457 in programs and services to students and teachers;

• SPEF has helped 6,450+ students achieve academic and personal growth; and

• SPEF has offered training to 1,150 teachers in professional development & technology.

Pitney Bowes, CEO, Murray Martin: “Pitney Bowes has been a proud sponsor of SPEF for the last seven years. Through SPEF programs, companies are provided with exceptional opportunities to effectively support the Stamford Public School System. SPEF identifies priority educational needs and the financial and volunteer resources to support them. Through their efforts, they improve the educational outcomes of thousands of Stamford students each year.”

Our current areas of focus are:

• The continued initiation, development, coordination and evaluation of quality, academically focused, school, business, community partnership programs;

• The design and delivery of high quality, teacher directed professional development offerings that augment the school district’s and SPEF’s goals;

• The agency that collaborates with public and private funders to provide beyond high school scholarships and program enhancement initiatives to a broad spectrum of Stamford Public School students, and;

• The health of its public schools is often an important determining factor in whether a city is deemed livable and workable, and we must ensure that Stamford continues to be one of the most attractive cities in the nation.