The MPAEF Endowment for Excellence in Teaching was established in 2003 as a permanent, self-sustaining fund that provides on-going support for MPCSD’s commitment to being an influential leader in K-8 education and investing in professional development.   Through funding from the MPAEF Endowment for Excellence in Teaching, professional development opportunities are sustained year-over-year to help  foster 21st century teaching in our schools and ensure our teachers are effective in the classroom. 

The MPAEF Endowment for Excellence in Teaching provides:

• Donor Opportunities: Because Endowment gifts are invested in perpetuity, gifts can serve as a permanent tribute to the donor and recipient.

• Financial Stability: As the Endowment grows, a stable source of long-term funding for the Endowment is created, easing annual financial pressures.

• Generational Equity: An Endowment allows MPAEF to meet the needs of future generations for years to come creating a strong and vibrant community.

At the end of the 2023-2024 school year, the MPAEF Board of Directors generously approved a roll-off of $200,000 from the Endowment to be granted to the Menlo Park City School District. This grant has been awarded to the district to support teacher professional development activities throughout the 2024-2025 school year. With these funds, 250 MPCSD teachers and staff will receive invaluable professional development and training in the Science of Reading, emphasizing phonics, phonemic awareness, and comprehension in the primary grades, as well as content literacy at the middle school level. Additionally, this grant will provide crucial collaboration time for colleagues to implement the new social studies curriculum for K-5 and standards-based grading at the middle school. We are profoundly thankful for this support, which will significantly enhance the educational experience for our students.

Laurel Teacher, Grant Conour, has this to say about the Professional Development he has received: “Professional development provides teachers with the support and, most critically, the time they need to thoughtfully create and implement a curriculum which gives students agency and ownership of their own learning. Designing instruction which strikes that delicate balance between guiding students and giving them the elbow room they need to put themselves in the driver’s seat is never easy, but ultimately always worth it.”

Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to the MPAEF Endowment for Excellence in Teaching today. To make a donation, click here.