In Fall 1976, the Public Education Task Force of the Junior League of Atlanta met with active public school parents to study the needs of Atlanta Public Schools and to identify where they could help the quality of public education in Atlanta. They identified literacy, test scores, discipline, drugs, lack of support, lack of money and parental involvement, and white flight as the main problems, and over the next two years, the task force interviewed and toured schools to evaluate specific needs. The task force formed a steering committee to examine the merits of opening a Community Involvement Resource Center for public school supporters, parents, and citizens in 1978. Based on its findings, it named a Board of Directors and formed APPLE Corps, Inc. (Atlanta Parents and Public Linked for Education) in January 1979 under the premise that active parent and community involvement would significantly enhance the quality of education. During the school year, APPLE Corps offered workshops to increase parent and community participation in schools. It published a quarterly newsletter, "SchoolTalk," and operated a telephone and resource center connecting parents with each other and with school officials. Separate from the city and school system, APPLE Corps worked closely with the public schools. APPLE Corps programs were paid for by user fees and the financial support of individuals, foundations, and corporations. In 2003, APPLE Corps merged with the Atlanta Committee for Public Education (ACPE).