Why I Am Always Asking For Your Money…

I know it’s true. My hand is always out. Why? Because I know that the $20 you spend on coffee each week could help change the life of one of my students.

The high school in which I teach is big. As in, three city blocks big. 3,5oo students big. And our budget is small. The city spent $12,899 per student in 2010. When you compare this to the $29,119 per pupil expenditure of the district that spends the most on their students in the state, you begin to understand the gap between my inner-city students and their affluent counterparts.

I have watched as six consecutive years of budget cuts have decimated our extra-curriculars, enrichment activities, textbooks, supplies, electives, and teaching staff. Our buildings are literally falling apart. It’s a common sight to see random trash barrels strewn throughout the halls and classrooms on rainy days as they collect the water pouring through the ceiling. A few years ago one of my rooms flooded, so the flooring was ripped out. It has yet to be replaced. I wage an ongoing battle with the mice in my classrooms, picking up their droppings and disposing of their dead bodies.

What kind of message are my kids picking up when their classes are packed with 30+ students, their classrooms are overrun with rodents, and they don’t have enough supplies or textbooks for everyone to have their own? That they are not valuable. That they are not worth expending money. That no one cares about them.

And that is why my hand is always out. Because I do care. Tremendously so. I want the best for my students for so many reasons. Because I believe that just because they were born into poverty, they shouldn’t have poorer schools, worse teachers, or less supplies than the rich kids. I grew up in this city, attending these schools, and I know the difference a good education can make in the life of an inner-city student. My teachers played an integral role in my own educational successes, and though I can never repay them, I can work as hard as possible to help my students feel valued, and give them as many resources as possible with the hopes of helping them succeed.

And my hand is out because I have seen how $20 can change the life of a kid. Over the last five years, donations have bought my students SAT prep books, digital cameras, sketchbooks, pencils, rulers, and more. One of those SAT prep books helped a student raise his verbal score by 250 points. The digital cameras allowed many of my students to win awards for their photographs and create portfolios for college applications.

So here I go again, asking for your tax-deductible donations… these are my latest fundraisers, and every penny counts!

I have two projects currently up under DonorsChoose. They are both for the Outdoor Adventures Club that I run after school. (No, I don’t get paid to do this – we don’t have that kind of money. We have to fundraise for our trips and supplies.) Through Monday, December 12, every donation is matched by DonorsChoose, so your money counts as double! All you need to do is enter the code “SPARK” when making a donation. You can donate here to help us get compasses, or donate here to help us get water bottles.

Sculpt it Out! through Dick Blick’s Art Room Aid – This one is to raise enough money so I can buy sculpting supplies for my art students. You can donate here!

One of my students is raising money for his senior film. Dana Delaney is already on board as executive producer! This kid is going places, and we’re hoping this film will help him get into Ithaca College to study film. You can donate here!

I thank you for your generosity, and I know my kids do as well.