Teacher Panhandles to raise money for school supplies

[pryncess527]

Begging on the street isn't an effective way to lobby. She raised her funds, the bean counters at the top will start suggesting teacher use Go Fund Me to supply their classes. This is the opposite of effective.

Says you. Others disagree. My years of studying political science and effective public protest tells me otherwise.

This has started a dialogue, which can be VERY helpful in applying pressure to public officials.

The point is, we are not "okay" with her begging, as you suggested. Your military comparison was a very poor one which demonstrated you have completely, perhaps intentionally, missed what we are trying to say.

 

[Aliceacc]

As I mentioned before, I'm a very fortunate teacher. The bulk of the money I spend is for "extras"-- things that make my class a more pleasant place to be, and not necessities.

But I will say that I don't think panhandling was the best way to approach this problem.

Sure, it made the news and brought attention to the issue. But I don't think it's a new issue. I think that most people are aware of the problem.

That said, I don't give money to panhandlers. I give to organized charities. After a disaster in the news, I find a church or a synagogue in the effected area that is accepting donations, and I send money to them. But I don't give to people with a sign on the street-- there's no accountability, no way of knowing where my money is actually going. And I don't think I'm the only one who shies away from giving money to panhandlers.

I think that a GoFundMe page probably would have raised her more money, and would probably be a more consistent way of raising money. It wouldn't have the drama, but I think it would have been more effective.

 

[Magpie]

I'm guessing, from your screen name, you are a military spouse?

Military is another career field that doesn't pay nearly what its worth. But we don't expect our soldiers to supply their own ammo or beg the public for it , and it would be absurd to suggest that they do. But everyone seems to be ok with expecting teachers to do the same? And I'm the bad guy in this?

Point of fact...

When I was in the Canadian military Reserves, many years ago, our superiors did sometimes buy ammo at Walmart. Out of their own pockets. Because they wanted us to be able to train on the firing range, and there wasn't always supplies to cover it.

While everyone agreed the military needed more funding, no way in heck would I have ever criticized them for reaching into their own pockets in order to ensure we got the training we needed. They were GOOD leaders! They weren't the problem!

I'm making the change I want to see by keeping my child out of the school system. If she were in the system, I'd be advocating for better fundign and supplementing her on my own time and dime. I wouldn't sit back, cry "woe is me", and expect others to do it for me.

No, you're just sitting on the sidelines shouting at teachers, "You're doing it wrong! You're part of the problem!"

Don't fool yourself. You're not making any change in the system by choosing to home school. Having removed your own child from any risk, you're just blithely telling teachers they should sacrifice OTHER people's children.

 

[tcufrog]

I'm fortunate that I don't have to buy school supplies for my kids. There's a small materials fee we pay that covers it. The school saves money on supplies by reusing stuff such as plastic folders and scissors when possible each year. Each classroom also has communal supplies paid for out of the activity fund. Instead of buying school supplies for my kids every year I print out the list from a local charity that collects school supplies for the local school district and we go shopping for that. The kids have fun picking out school supplies and I don't stress about finding weird and obscure stuff.

My sister is a teacher and so I'll usually buy her school supplies too. She single and barely scraping by in an expensive area so I'm happy to help her out with that.

 

[Aliceacc]

This is the end of the OP:

"While she wants her message of better funding to ultimately reach legislators across the country, Danks hopes people will stop and think locally about what they can do to help teachers.

“What I hope they take away is that the education of our children is important to our future so it needs to be important to everyone,” she said. “I would say go to your local schools and find out what they need.”

She continued, “It could be as simple as getting them a bean bag chair or a border for their bulletin boards, but we need the community to help us step up and educate our children because they are our future leaders.”

Danks, whose GoFundMe page has raised nearly $13,000, announced today on "Good Morning America" that she is starting a foundation to "get supplies into the hands of teachers across America."

She was surprised on "GMA" with a $3,000 check for school supplies from coupon company RetailMeNot.

"I wanted to do something to make a difference," Danks said of her decision to hold a sign on the road. "I didn’t know it was going to make this big of a difference, but I’m glad it did." "

So it seems that raising money wasn't her objective- she already had a GoFundMe page.

Her objective was to spend 10 minutes panhandling, and to open up a discussion.

Based on this thread, I would say she succeeded.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I'm not telling teachers they're doing it wrong, I'm saying the higher ups respond to numbers and data, not wild actions. In pretty much every industry, when the markers of success start to decline, and the bottom line is hurt, the administrators look for ways to improve and really start listening to their front line workers. They don't typically respond to complaints that aren't accompanied by a reasonable solution. I'm in healthcare. We ask for all sorts of supplies that get denied, until our patient satisfaction scores decline, or our readmission rates increase. Then, all of a sudden, their ears perk up and our suggestions for change are taken seriously.

Right now, the higher ups don't care. We can complain all we want, but the kids are learning and their numbers are where they want them to be. They could not care less if a teacher uses $1,000 of their $32,000 salary to get the job done. And quite frankly, a lot of parents don't care. They see that their kids are learning and don't care that their teacher has to live on ramen. And many families don't value education, especially in depressed areas where focus is on surviving, not thriving.


The higher ups will listen if the numbers go down (poorer performing schools dln't earn them as much$$). When school ratings drop, the parents will care more. Sometimes it takes a negative impact to incite a real change.

 

[dosekies]

I'm not telling teachers they're doing it wrong, I'm saying the higher ups respond to numbers and data, not wild actions. In pretty much every industry, when the markers of success start to decline, and the bottom line is hurt, the administrators look for ways to improve and really start listening to their front line workers. They don't typically respond to complaints that aren't accompanied by a reasonable solution. I'm in healthcare. We ask for all sorts of supplies that get denied, until our patient satisfaction scores decline, or our readmission rates increase. Then, all of a sudden, their ears perk up and our suggestions for change are taken seriously.

Right now, the higher ups don't care. We can complain all we want, but the kids are learning and their numbers are where they want them to be. They could not care less if a teacher uses $1,000 of their $32,000 salary to get the job done. And quite frankly, a lot of parents don't care. They see that their kids are learning and don't care that their teacher has to live on ramen. And many families don't value education, especially in depressed areas where focus is on surviving, not thriving.


The higher ups will listen if the numbers go down (poorer performing schools dln't earn them as much$$). When school ratings drop, the parents will care more. Sometimes it takes a negative impact to incite a real change.

But see, this is exactly the problem! Test scored shouldn't have to go down for the higher ups to care. We should care about about education no matter what. Our tax dollar should go where they are supposed to no matter what. Children deserve a quality education NO MATTER WHAT. You keep saying test scores need to drop for something to change, but guess what? That doesn't make anything better! All it does is cause schools to close and kids to drop out. And then that turns into an entirely different problem! And if parents did end up caring more because of it, what can they really do to make it change? It isn't exactly easy to move to another district. And if they are in a low income neighborhood, it isn't like it is easy for them to afford supplies or even time to volunteer with their class. Everyone is too focused on me me me. As long as I'm doing ok, it doesn't matter who else is suffering. It sickens me that we can't come together for the greater good of our kids to fix things like this.

 

[Aliceacc]

As a teacher, I'm not willing to let test scores go down to make a point. The kids involved would be collateral damage-- those test scores, and the decrease in learning they represent, would effect my students' lives in everything from college acceptance to scholarship money, to the ability to function in an upper level course.

 

[Flight]

Military is another career field that doesn't pay nearly what its worth. But we don't expect our soldiers to supply their own ammo or beg the public for it , and it would be absurd to suggest that they do.

Well, prepare for the absurdity. There are military facilities and operations that do not have enough in their budget to provide all the ammunition that the leaders would like to have. I have direct knowledge of this disturbing fact.

Point of fact...

When I was in the Canadian military Reserves, many years ago, our superiors did sometimes buy ammo at Walmart. Out of their own pockets. Because they wanted us to be able to train on the firing range, and there wasn't always supplies to cover it.

Good for those leaders!

Another day we can bring this up as a topic for discussion.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

But see, this is exactly the problem! Test scored shouldn't have to go down for the higher ups to care. We should care about about education no matter what. Our tax dollar should go where they are supposed to no matter what. Children deserve a quality education NO MATTER WHAT. You keep saying test scores need to drop for something to change, but guess what? That doesn't make anything better! All it does is cause schools to close and kids to drop out. And then that turns into an entirely different problem! And if parents did end up caring more because of it, what can they really do to make it change? It isn't exactly easy to move to another district. And if they are in a low income neighborhood, it isn't like it is easy for them to afford supplies or even time to volunteer with their class. Everyone is too focused on me me me. As long as I'm doing ok, it doesn't matter who else is suffering. It sickens me that we can't come together for the greater good of our kids to fix things like this.

You're right, it shouldn't have to be that way, but that is what they respond to.

What can parents who care do? Research who is up for election, elect officials who represent your values. Elects officials who will invest in education. Join the PTA, go to school board meetings and bring your research and data, arrange community events to bring awareness of what can be done, apply (or help the teacher apply) for grants and scholarships and whatever else is out there to fund classrooms, write to your leaders, speak with your dollars and your votes.

The answer is not to sit back and expect the teachers to carry the financial burden

 

[MarBee]

If a patient needs a medication that is too expensive to afford, the doctor doesn't reach into his own pocket and pay for that drug. He finds a cheaper alternative that maybe doesn't work as well, or gets a case manager to work with the drug company to give a discount. Sometimes that means patients go without drugs they need. Sometimes they get sicker. Sometimes they die. All because they can't afford their meds. Doctors, nurses, and the general public lobby for better drug prices so patients can get their meds. We don't reach into our own pockets and spend thousands of dollars, even if it means someone gets sicker.

I know it is hard to say well, we just won't go as in depth as I'd like. Maybe we have fewer labs, fewer STEM toys for recess, fewer hands on activities. But I highly doubt that will make or break a young child's educational career. Nobody flunks out of college because their teacher used less expensive supplies in elementary school.

The big difference here is that if a doctor's patient isn't performing well under his care, whether it be because the doctor is subpar, the medicine they are provided isn't working as well, or the patient simply doesn't follow what's prescribed, the doctor is not penalized.

However, teacher evaluations are directly tied to high stakes testing, as well as the budget of the school. So when test scores go down, there is LESS money given to the schools; therefore the budget DECREASES. Politicians don't look at a school with low scores (which typically come from areas where there's not a lot of tax revenue coming in due to high poverty levels) and say "It looks like they need more help, let's give them more resources." Instead, the school budget is stripped further and teachers are told to do even more with even less.
Furthermore, even if a teacher decided to leave that school for a better paying/more supportive school, their evaluations follow them. If students are not performing up to the standards set for them on these tests, the TEACHER is directly penalized in their evaluations. It doesn't matter that this teacher could be the best teacher to have ever lived, or that there was no budget for pretty much anything, or that the classroom supplies consisted of desks for 32 students in a class of 36, or that the teacher had to provide her own toilet paper, or that there hadn't been a class set of textbooks in the school for 15 years, or that most of her students came to her reading 4 grade levels below and now are only 1 grade level below, or that most of the children have PTSD from the abuses they've suffered at home and display behavioral issues...
If the test results are poor, it goes back to the teacher. That teacher will have an unsatisfactory review on file forever. Good luck getting that better job with an unsatisfactory review!

I will tell you that every simple solution to the multi faceted problems affecting families in poverty and the people who choose to work for them has been suggested and attempted already to no avail. The issue of poverty is centuries old and hasn't been solved yet. The best thing you can do to support the people who work in these difficult situations is to ask them what help they need and give it to them.

 

[MrsDuck]

As a teacher, I'm not willing to let test scores go down to make a point. The kids involved would be collateral damage-- those test scores, and the decrease in learning they represent, would effect my students' lives in everything from college acceptance to scholarship money, to the ability to function in an upper level course.

Too true. It's a domino effect.

True teachers could and would never do something so reckless to "make a point" in hope that "change" will occur. True, teachers might be totally sick of all the politics and BS; they may grumble at meetings and on social media but put us in our classrooms and all of a sudden we can't help but do what we love to do - teach and teach well for the sake of the children. No matter the age.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

As a teacher, I'm not willing to let test scores go down to make a point. The kids involved would be collateral damage-- those test scores, and the decrease in learning they represent, would effect my students' lives in everything from college acceptance to scholarship money, to the ability to function in an upper level course.

Interesting, considering the following:

www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/bb/study-finds-high-sat-act-scores-might-not-spell-success

https://qz.com/853128/grades-not-iq-or-standardized-test-score-is-what-predicts-future-success/

 

[MrsDuck]

Interesting, considering the following:

www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/bb/study-finds-high-sat-act-scores-might-not-spell-success

https://qz.com/853128/grades-not-iq-or-standardized-test-score-is-what-predicts-future-success/

No one is saying that those articles aren't accurate. But until the rest of the education system changes, standardized tests are make or break for our students.

 

[tcufrog]

There are two big problems in my area. One is that taxpayers keep voting in lawmakers who promise to cut taxes without looking at what will be axed when taxes are cut. The other is that the priorities are skewed. High school football teams don't need multimillion dollar stadiums that are nicer than some university stadiums.

 

[Disney_traveler]

Said by someone who has zero experience how classrooms operate...

It's easy to be on board with sacrificing public school kid's education when your own kids are homeschooled.

And said by someone in a previous thread repeatedly spouting how highly paid they are and basically saying the entirety of Texas is an uncultured lower class of living.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

And said by someone in a previous thread repeatedly spouting how highly paid they are and basically saying the entirety of Texas is an uncultured lower class of living.

Ooohhhhh yeeeaaaahhhhh!

Well...

 

[Happyinwonerland]

And said by someone in a previous thread repeatedly spouting how highly paid they are and basically saying the entirety of Texas is an uncultured lower class of living.

The way to argue your point of view is to lie about the opposing party? ;-) Gotcha.

 

[loves to dive]

I think it's a shame it had to come to that. Our office used to be in front of a local high school and twice a year we would get rid of old furniture and unused office supplies so I'd call the school. We would get swarmed with teachers. Here they even have to supply their own furniture like desks, bookcases, etc. Notebooks and pens were a big deal and bookcases. After a while we got an employee who had a sister who was head of the English Dept. at another local high school, any time we had things to get rid of she would just tell her sister and again, the teacher's would just come "shop" at our office. There is a teacher store here that you can donate things to and the teacher's can go there and get free supplies, my company tries to give things to that too.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

No one is saying that those articles aren't accurate. But until the rest of the education system changes, standardized tests are make or break for our students.

And what I'm saying is that by continuing with the way things are, nothing is ever going to change.