ACE Public School Network (formerly known as the New Schools Center) originated from the efforts of a grassroots community organization called People Acting in Community Together (PACT). As a result of two years of working on education reform in some of the lowest performing schools in the Silicon Valley, PACT and parents succeeded in gaining support from the Alum Rock School District-which operates in one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in Santa Clara County-to open 3 new small autonomous schools in September 2003: Adelante, LUCHA (Learning in an Urban Community with High Achievement) and Renaissance Academy.

While PACT focused on addressing parent and community engagement, there was a realization that a critical need existed that could only be met by the creation of a new organization. The purpose of this new organization would be to incubate, train, start-up and sustain the new small schools; thus, ACE Public School Network was born in 2004. A unique model enables ACE to combine the interests of the community and the function of the school district, thus capitalizing on the two components most critical to the success of a school.

Although ACE began its educational reform work in the small schools genre, it is branching out to create charter schools. This malleable approach reflects the ACE commitment to providing choice and access to underserved communities in a context that allows ACE to best meet the needs of the community they serve.

The results being realized by these efforts continue to advance the movement towards proliferating choice and access to quality public schools for those who unequivocally need and deserve these promising alternatives the most.