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The Winnetka Public Schools and The Alliance for Early Childhood have worked together closely since the founding of The Alliance in 1989. 

While communication and collaboration between community early childhood programs and public schools is still unique, it was unheard of in the late 1980s and early 1990s.  However, The Alliance traces its beginning to the successful collaboration between the Winnetka Public Schools, led by Dr. Don Monroe, the Superintendent at the time, the Headmaster of North Shore Country Day School, the directors of the three Winnetka nursery schools, and other early childhood leaders.  Together, they envisioned an organization that would pull together the early childhood community under its umbrella and educate parents and others about the importance of early childhood education.  Its mission, written in 1989, is “to promote the healthy growth and development of children from birth through age eight by providing support and services for the parents and teachers who care for and teach them.”

Dr. Monroe wrote in Two Decades, a history of the first 20 years of The Alliance, which was published in 2010, “One of my thoughts for the Alliance…was to deeply imbed in this community the historic and farsighted view of the importance of an early childhood full of play, unhurried and full of reflective conversation…a childhood full of cooperative and creative activity and full of classroom citizenship, full of individual pursuit of interest and learning.  I saw a carefully crafted environment and set of activities that valued social/emotional and physical growth as much as it valued cognitive growth.  This would prepare children to be whole people with a stable foundation for adulthood and productive citizenship.”

For its first five years, The Alliance was based in Winnetka only and was known as the Winnetka Alliance for Early Childhood.  In 1993, Northfield schools joined the Alliance, as did Kenilworth schools in 2000. Also in 2000, schools in neighboring communities were invited to join as Associate Members.  Currently, there are 11 Associate Members located in Wilmette, Glencoe, and Highland Park.  The name was changed to The Alliance for Early Childhood in 2011, reflecting the organization’s growth well beyond the borders of Winnetka.

To learn more about The Alliance For Early Childhood and its current programs, please follow this link: http://www.theallianceforec.org

2024/2025 Chair: Kassie Leachman

Sponsors educational programs for parents and teachers and fosters connections between parents, community and schools.

To learn more about FAN and its current programs, please follow this link: https://www.familyactionnetwork.net

2020/2021 Chairs: Kirby Doonan

Since its establishment in 2005, the Stewardship Group, including teachers, administrators, parents and Winnetka community members, have meetings to plan initiatives to enhance community understanding of the history and value of our National Landmark school. Maintaining Crow Island’s local, national and international presence in the fields of education and school architecture is an important focus of the group’s work.

The Crow Island Stewardship initiative was formed by retired principal Beth Hebert and other community leaders to enhance community understanding of the purposes and legacy of our beloved school. Crow Island was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990, and the Stewardship group discusses ways to maintain Crow Island’s local, national, and international presence in the field of school architecture. In addition, the Stewardship group commemorated Crow Island’s 75th anniversary in October 2015 with a variety of activities and events to celebrate the milestone.

 The purpose of the Central PTO Board is to serve as a common meeting ground for the Schools and the Superintendent to share ideas, foster communication, create consistency, and share resources.  It shall serve as a forum for information exchange between parents, the Superintendent and principals.

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The Winnetka Public Schools Foundation is a 501(3)(c) nonprofit organization that raises additional funds for Winnetka School District 36.  These funds enable the district to provide educational offerings that go above and beyond what would be possible with tax dollars alone. Many programs that originated because of Foundation grants are now essential parts of the outstanding curriculum provided by Winnetka District 36.

Unlike the school PTOs–which raise funds that stay within each school building–the Foundation raises money for educational programs that touch every child in the district. Foundation grants support core curriculum enhancements; creativity and innovation; and a biennial professional development institute for teachers, held during the summer.

To learn more about the Foundation, or to make a donation, please visit wpsf.org.