About Us

The Arlington Schools Foundation (ASF) is a 501 (c) (3) public charity committed to improving and maintaining public education in Arlington. We believe that strong public schooling is vital to quality of life in our town, now and for the future. In support of that belief, our activities raise and channel funds to innovative educational programs and administrative leadership initiatives in the schools.

Mission

Our mission is to fund system-wide improvements that significantly enhance students' K-12 learning and which are currently beyond what the tax-funded school budget can support.

Strategy

ASF gives top priority to proposals that have long-term viability, are grounded in scientific findings and rigorous research, and have a broad impact on the Arlington student body. We also fund administrative leadership initiatives in the schools, as we believe that strong leadership is critical in maintaining strong schools.

There are several key components to the mission of ASF.

• We work closely with the Arlington Public School administration to support improvements in the schools.
• We leverage resources to generate additional money from non-Arlington sources, as when matching funds are needed to apply for state and national grants.
• We support programs that include measurable milestones and high-level accountability.
• We engage the community in discussion around the programs and initiatives we fund.

ASF Board of Directors

Judi Bohn co-founded the Arlington Schools Foundation in 2001. She works as Grant and Special Projects Coordinator for the Arlington Public Schools. She also serves on the board of the Greenlight Fund which identifies innovative and results-oriented nonprofits that have potential to address critical needs in Boston. Her two children graduated from Arlington High.

Jane Culbert is a consultant to nonprofit organizations, primarily in the cultural sector. She also serves as Treasurer of Circus Smirkus and sings with a Balkan group, Divi Zheni. Her daughter is currently a senior at Arlington High School.

Julie Dunn is a part-time Manager of Cost Containment & Purchasing for the Arlington Public Schools, following a career as a commercial banker. Her two sons attended the Brackett and the Ottoson. One has graduated from Arlington High School and is in college; the other will graduate from AHS in 2009.

Julie Rackliffe Lucey is a part-time nutrition consultant and writer. In other lives, she worked in museum fundraising and private school administration. She has one daughter happily matriculating at the Thompson School.

Nora Mann (Board President) is an attorney who lives in Arlington with her husband, Peter Correll and their two sons. Nora previously served on the Arlington Redevelopment Board and was a long-time town-meeting member from Precinct 20.

Marie Meteer is Vice President of Speech and Content at EveryZing, a Cambridge startup that provides search over video and audio. She has twin boys in eighth grade at the Ottoson and a daughter in second grade at Bishop.

Sue Sheffler has been a member of the Arlington School Committee for six years, and a volunteer in the schools for 16 years. She has three children who attended the Arlington public schools, one of whom is still at AHS. She is a consultant on health care quality data, with a Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy and an MBA.

Rebecca Steinitz is a writer, editor, and education consultant; among other projects, she currently edits Teen Voices magazine and works as a writing coach at two Boston high schools. Her daughters attend the Thompson and the Ottoson.