Because of YOUR generous donations, children like these from our Public &
Private Schools have the extra resources they need for a better education!
The Educational Foundation of Watertown, Inc. makes it easy to
support our local teachers and students. Your generous donations
and sponsorships help to fund Watertown’s public and private school
teachers’ special classroom needs, technology, and projects.
With your support, in 2023 we provided
grants totaling $35,023
Supporting Watertown Teachers and Students Since 1999
681
PROJECTS
FUNDED
$330,406
TOTAL VALUE
OF GRANTS
AWARDED
Here’s What Some of Our
Past Grant Recipient Teachers Had to Say
Educational Foundation of Watertown, Inc. OBJECTIVES
1. Academic Achievement:
To stimulate outstanding academic
achievement and provide enhanced learning
opportunities to students.
2. Involvement:
To increase local business, civic , and private
sector involvement within the schools of our
community.
3. Recognition:
To recognize outstanding achievement by
teachers and support staff.
4. Creativity & Innovation:
To encourage creative and innovative
educational programs.
5. Cutting Edge Technologies:
To promote and maintain use of the most
recent technologies in teaching and learning.
6. Financial Support:
To provide schools, students, teachers and
communities with financial support and other
assistance for innovative programs.
Financial
contributions
are fully
deductible
for income
tax purposes.
America’s First Kindergarten
Watertown, WI
In 1856, Margarethe Meyer Schurz started the first
Kindergarten in America in her Watertown home at 749
North Church Street.
Learn More
Watertown’s Astronaut
Daniel C. Brandenstein!
Daniel C Brandenstein, former NASA Astronaut was born
in Watertown, WI on January 17, 1943. Married to the
former Jane A. Wade of Balsam Lake, Wisconsin. They
have one daughter.
Learn More
Understanding Teachers' Impact on Student Achievement
CLICK EACH QUOTE FOR MORE DETAILS
With Your Help, the Educational Foundation of Watertown
Awards Grants Every Year to Teachers for their Students’
Innovative Classroom Projects, Technology, and Materials in
Both Our Public and Private Schools
With your generous donations and sponsorships, The Educational Foundation
of Watertown provides grants to help fund innovative classroom projects,
technology, and materials that students need to learn and succeed.
About Us and Our Mission
HOME PAGE
Many factors contribute to a student's
academic performance, including individual
characteristics and family and
neighborhood experiences.
But research suggests that, among school-
related factors, teachers matter most.
When it comes to student performance on
reading and math tests, a teacher is
estimated to have two to three times the
impact of any other school factor, including
services, facilities, and even leadership.
Some research suggests that, compared
with teachers, individual and family
characteristics may have four to eight times
the impact on student achievement.
But policy discussions focus on teachers
because it is arguably easier for public
policy to improve teaching than to change
students' personal characteristics or family
circumstances. Effective teaching has the
potential to help level the playing field.
Despite common perceptions, effective
teachers cannot reliably be identified based
on where they went to school, whether
they're licensed, or (after the first few
years) how long they've taught. The best
way to assess teachers' effectiveness is to
look at their on-the-job performance,
including what they do in the classroom
and how much progress their students
make on achievement tests. This has led to
more policies that require evaluating
teachers' on-the-job performance, based in
part on evidence about their students'
learning.
Recent evidence suggests that a teacher's
impact on student achievement remains
reasonably consistent even if the teacher
changes schools and regardless of
whether the new school is more or less
advantaged than the old one.