The Center for Alternative Education (CAE) was a not-for-profit private secondary educational facility established in Springfield, Illinois in 1970. Initially founded as The Learning Community, the name was changed to Center for Alternative Education in 1980. The school moved between several addresses throughout its existence, including 1202 S. Seventh St., 407 S. Seventh St., 1417 E. Cook St., 524 E. Capitol Ave, and 812 E. Cook St.

CAE was managed by a director, a Board of Directors, and the School Assembly. The School Assembly’s role was to determine policy in educational and fiscal matters, and membership included all students and their parents/guardians in addition to the director, Board, and teaching staff. Students had voting privileges as part of the School Assembly, and two student representatives elected by the student body served on the Board of Directors. In this way, the school made an effort to establish democratic governance over policy affecting students.

Teachers at CAE were volunteers, pulled from the faculty and student body of Sangamon State University and Lincoln Land Community College and other members of the community. An effort was made to provide electives that appealed to student interests while covering the basic curriculum of public schools.

In its early years, a number of students at CAE were children of Sangamon State University professors. Enrollment averages about fifteen students a year. During the school’s later years, students tended to be dropouts from the area’s public schools. Tuition was charged on a sliding scale according to parental income.

The school consistently faced financial challenges, in part due to difficulties in collecting tuition payments from parents, and closed in August 1982.