With Donors Choose, teachers tell you what they need and why they need it, in their own words.
The first project that I supported was to purchase books for a high-poverty school in Northern California. All this teacher wanted was real books for his class, rather than much-used photocopied pages of outdated material. As he said:
"Many have gotten too used to a lack of resources for them. It may seem like a small thing, but just having the book to hold in your hand is a big deal for many of my kids. Let alone it being a book they are quite interested in."
In his proposal, the teacher tells the story of a student who learned to read in his high school class -- a student who named his newborn son after one of the characters in the book. For me, it's unacceptable that any child in the United States be unable to read well enough to succeed. But this teacher's story speaks to the dedication of our educators and to the fact that it's never too late to change lives.
I funded the teacher's project in full because I was so moved by his plea for help. What I didn't expect was the outpouring of gratitude from the students; they were so stunned that a stranger would help them, it actually sparked a conversation in their class about how they could in turn "pay it forward." That's when I realized that my contribution went beyond mere financial support; I had given them emotional support as well.
I believe literacy is the most basic skill that empowers a person to succeed, and so the projects on my Giving Page all have to do with promoting literacy in high-poverty classrooms around America.
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Impact has created a widget whereby you can directly donate to one of Livia McRee's projects. Go to our article on Livia McRee to read about these projects and make a contribution.
I am Mr. O and you are my hero!
I can't thank you enough. I'm speechless.
I am truly stunned by your generosity and I think what you have done by shedding light on this is fantastic.
My kids are certainly right!
You GO!
Colin O'Herlihy
It is a completely functional "Alpha release" at this point, so I would really welcome any suggestions or assistance to help take it to the next level. The ultimate goal of this project is to bring used, price-wrecked (not worth selling) out-of-circulation children's books online where hopefully someday "any child can choose a free book". At the same time, parents or booksellers can make a few dollars for making a small effort to recycle their children's books and get them into the hands of someone who would love to have a book of their own.
http://www.DonorMart.com
http://www.ChildrensGiftGallery.com
What I have seen in education is a streamline manufacturing plant that turns out a few very good units, mostly almost average units and a more then should be expected by the bell curve not or very low functioning units. (units are real people but not thought of that way)
I suggest a massive change in education in America. A renewal of stages and steps to allow progress of all students. The first is advancement when they are ready not at a class schedule. Some children can read and write and do math quickly, others can't. The primary point being that those that are advancing to be allowed and those that need the real world ability to read and be able to understand a check book, taxes, interest rate and home costs by the age of graduation be strengthened in those areas.
Yes, it means different ages in the same room but the real outcome; less graduates that can't prepare a job announcement, can't count and can have the training and thus the ability to have a good life.
middleamerican2010
Casey
In conjunction with a realization? That, for me to know for certain that what I am reading is valid, would require me to know more than the person writing it.
BUT
I thin it is high time we demanded that the ones who work for us and who we pay to make things better stopped getting money from business to make things worse.
The first "aidmoney" that went to New Orleans was the best indication for our voted leaders have no intention of helping the people who voted for them - or didn't.
The FIRST aid money that was sent to New Orleans paid for the complete destruction of ALL 135 New Orleans schools to be supplanted by private schools. All teachers were fired so new, cheaper teachers could be hired by the companies that got that gevernment aid money.
How sick can a mind get? The tachers got the note of dismissal BEFORE the got clean water, let alone medication and or a new home.
We NEED to demand from our leaders that they do their job. As good as it is that you help the students it is much more important to start dealing with the real problem: Big businesses making politicians destroy our educational system to become richer and keep us ignorant so they can sell us Bin Laden as the "real" enemy and fat as our friend because eating more helps the economy.
Rock (Without) The Cash, Bah
http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=331296&utm_campaign=we-teach&utm_medium=email&utm_source=421432&utm_content=Jacobson
http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=322444
A few weeks later, I got an envelope full of thank you notes from the class, made with construction paper in the shapes of butterflies. Photos were included of the children studying the learning materials. I thought that was absolutely wonderful.
Several months after that, I got more photos from the teacher showing the children releasing the butterflies into the wild.
This is such a worthy cause. i would recommend donating with every fiber of my being .
Years ago in the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo, a group of teachers from Cuesta Community College (which is right across a highway and railroad tracks from the facility) went in to teach literacy. An art teacher mentioned the astounding rate of illiteracy. There was mention of sponsoring a bill requiring inmates of sentences over 2 years to achieve at least a 4th grade level of reading and comprehension before being released, this would also preempt early release.
Literacy and crime are directly related. Literacy and unemployment are definitely related. Literacy and violent behavior is not a difficult jump to make. Many kids don't realize the value of an education until they try to maneuver an adult world without it.
Additionally, adult literacy is a huge issue as well. There are almost 20 million adults in the US that can't read functionally and only recognize words through sight. This is highly dangerous and can be problematic when adults must do things like follow directions or administer medication to children. Please volunteer at your local literacy council or learn more about how you can help: http://www.proliteracy.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=191&srcid=-2
I would argue that no student who graduates high school is adequately educated to deal with the full range of academic, let alone social and psychological issues that people face in "the real world" outside of a classroom