DonorsChoose.org supports public school teachers across all 50 states.
In 2000, Charles Best, a teacher at a Bronx public high school, wanted his students to read Little House on the Prairie. As he was making photocopies of the one book he could procure, Charles thought about all the money he and his colleagues were spending on books, art supplies, and other materials. And he figured there were people out there who’d want to help — if they could see where their money was going. Charles sketched out a website where teachers could post classroom project requests, and donors could choose the ones they wanted to support. His colleagues posted the first 11 requests. Then it spread. Today, DonorsChoose.org is open to every public school in America.
To be eligible to register, an educator must be employed at a United States public or public charter school in the 50 states, employed full-time by the school or district, and work directly with students at least 75% of the time. If the project is fully funded, educators work with their students to complete a Thank-You Package.
Go here to register for an account on DonorsChoose.org.
Other projects are available to librarians, guidance counselors, school nurses, and full-time teachers who are also coaches.
DonorsChoose cannot accept registration from principals, administrators, PTA members, teachers’ assistants, paraprofessionals, student teachers, substitutes, part-time teachers, after-school teachers, or staff developers. Educators at non-profit, private, or parochial schools are not eligible, even if the private program partners or contracts with a local school district.
Contact DonorsChoose to explain your position, and and get more specific guidance.
Be a donor!
DonorsChoose.org makes it easy for anyone to help a classroom in need. Public school teachers from every corner of America create classroom project requests, and you can give any amount to the project that inspires you. Find a classroom project that inspires you and give as little as $1. We’re a public charity, so your donation is tax-deductible. When a project is fully funded, we purchase all the requested items and ship them directly to the school. Every donor gets a thank-you letter from the teacher, photos from the classroom, and a report of how each dollar was spent.
Thank you for publishing this article on DonorsChoose.org. I hope that many of our Eastern Shore teachers will take advantage of the opportunity this fine organization offers to help their classrooms obtain supplies for projects they otherwise would not be able to afford. Just as an example, I know a local teacher who indicated that when she taught in another state, she and her co-teacher were able to equip their classroom with enough iPads to enable their students to undertake many creative assignments they would never have been able to otherwise. And I hope that many of the Mirror’s readers will be inspired to donate, even small amounts can help complete funding for a project.
Note: Thank you. It was your comment on another thread that led us to research this wonderful organization. Thanks again!
People naturally assume that the public school system is trying to do what’s best of the children. The fact of the matter is that these institutions have nothing to do with education. They are set up by people who, like all other people, have their own personal agendas. The public school’s true purpose is to put certain messages into the children’s heads so they’ll be more obedient of the government when they get older.
Consider the ‘grade’ system. You start off in first grade, where you’re placed not by academic ability, nor by willingness to learn, but by age. The reason for this is very simple. Most children already think of adults as if they’re their superiors, and now they’ll associate their position in the grade system with superiority. Obviously, that’s nonsense. A kid in the 5th grade may very well have less overall academic ability then a kid in the 2nd grade. Moreover, education isn’t something that can be ranked. The kind of education that tends to be more valuable later on in life is your specialization, not the sheer quantity of raw general knowledge.
Next, consider the way a classroom is structured. The teacher is in charge. The students are to listen to the teacher. This is most peculiar as well. After all, the teacher is a hired employee, who is in fact working for the students. If anything, the teacher should be listening to the concerns of the students, not the other way around. The reason the classroom setting is set up in this way is clear. The students learn at an early age to respect authority figures, so later on, they obey the government.
This may seem at first like a good idea, but if we keep enabling public school systems to be profligate with the People’s money, aren’t we just ensuring that there will NEVER be a budget that can actually support the students, and NOT the administration?
An iPad is wonderful, but you cannot learn to code on it. It is an information access device, and we had them……….called libraries………or even a PC lab…….
And this: “Educators at non-profit, private, or parochial schools are not eligible, even if the private program partners or contracts with a local school district.”
So, those parents can pay both school taxes, property taxes but heaven forbid they ask to participate in this program. Seems that only PUBLIC schools are unable to handle their money.
And this program will only exacerbate that wastefulness, IMO.
Copy paste BS, Tim Parks, previously Jeff Johnson (http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/news/op-ed-school-board-is-aware-of-issues/), or Kathy Peterson (http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/news/does-northampton-overuse-suspension-as-a-disciplinary-tool/). Hey, Mirror, do something please about these copy pasters – the Mirror comes up repeatedly whenever I enter these sad and profoundly stupid refrains.
BS Author(s): I get it that, when seeking just the perfect right-wing doctrine to voice your displeasure with education, your choices of inspiration are limited, much like your ability to express original opinions. If only you had paid attention in class….
The words have the same meaning no matter who wrote them.
Save your Liberal Breathe to cool your soup.
I was thinking; If Liberals don’t believe in biological gender then why did they march for women’s rights?
I was thinking; If women do the same job for less money, why do companies hire men to do the same job for more money?
I was thinking; Since only 11 million people have Obama-Care, how will 24 million people die if it is repealed? Will an additional 13 million people be randomly shot?
I was thinking; We should stop calling them all ‘Entitlements’. Welfare, Food Stamps, WIC, ad nausea are not Entitlements. They are taxpayer-funded handouts and shouldn’t be called Entitlements at all. But, Social Security and Veterans Benefits are Entitlements because the people receiving them are entitled to them. They were earned and paid for by the recipients.
I was thinking; If you rob a bank in a Sanctuary City, is it illegal or is it just an Undocumented Withdrawal?
I was thinking; After the London ‘Lone Wolf’ terrorist attack, government officials arrested at least eight other ‘Lone Wolves’ who had conspired with the original ‘Lone Wolf’ in planning the ‘Lone Wolf’ attack. Why do they tell us even though all involved are Muslims, you can be assured that the ‘Lone Wolf’ attack has nothing at all to do with Islam, just like the other 1,000-plus ‘Lone Wolf’ attacks by Muslims, are completely unassociated with Islam?
I was thinking; Why is each ISIS attack now a reaction to Trump policies, but all ISIS attacks during Obama’s term were due to Climate Change and a plea for jobs?
I was thinking; If Muslims want to run away from a Muslim country, does that mean they are Islamophobic?
I was thinking; If Democrats don’t want foreigners involved in our elections, why do they think it’s all right for illegals to vote?
I was thinking; Is the DNC is mad at Russia because it ‘thinks’ they are trying to manipulate our elections, or because Russia is exposing that the DNC is manipulating our elections?
I was thinking; How did the Russians get Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the DNC to steal the Primary from Bernie Sanders? How did Russia get Donna Brazile to leak debate questions to Hillary Clinton in advance of the debates?
I was thinking; Why is it that Democrats think Super delegates are fine, but they have a problem with the Electoral College?
I was thinking; If Donald Trump deleted all of his emails, wiped his server with Bleachbit and destroyed all of his phones with a hammer, would the Mainstream Media suddenly lose all interest in the story and declare him innocent?
I was thinking; If Hillary’s speeches cost $250,000 an hour, how come no one shows up to her free speeches?
I was thinking; If you don’t want the FBI involved in elections, don’t nominate someone who’s being investigated by the FBI.