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Twitter co-founder funds $315,000 worth of classroom projects in Boston area
By adamg on Thu, 03/10/2016 - 11:59am
The Boston Business Journal reports that Biz Stone, who grew up in the Boston area, and his wife, have decided to fund all the Boston projects listed on DonorsChoose, a site that matches teachers with specific requests with donors.
The money will pay for everything from laptops and cameras to a band saw (for a robotics club at the Quincy Upper School in Chinatown).
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Comments
This makes me think of how
This makes me think of how great it would be is BPS could help monetary help to stop the budget cuts. It would be great if guys like Ernie Boch could save BPS music programs which are doomed to be cut. He is, after all, an advocate of music being taught in classrooms, right? Or is it only certain classrooms? It's amazing what super wealth and philanthropy could do to save BPS funding. BPS needs to start its own GoFundMe page.
A very worthy cause which
A very worthy cause which leads me to wonder, is it possible for public school parents to be more active in their children's schools?
One idea my daughters school did; at Christmas/Holiday time, teachers really don't need another coffee mug, etc. but the teachers would put together a "wish list" for their classrooms. It could be bean bag chairs for reading, shelving, tv stands etc.
This was a win win. As a parent, I was happy to be able to donate to the classroom and it's something the school will benefit from long after my child has moved on.
Many fathers handy with a hammer would donate time to fix things, build that book case, repair some plumbing, etc..
I seriously don't know if that is possible in public schools, if it's even allowed.
Kids may not admit it, but knowing their parent has contributed to their classroom and is known to the school personnel (for good things) goes a long way.
Donors Choose
Great website, not too many people know about it though:
http://www.donorschoose.org/
Stuff in Boston (if the link works):
http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/search.html?state=MA&cityName=Boston&...
Thanks, Boston_res!
Great site!
The issue is that richer
The issue is that richer neighborhoods will donate more to their schools than poor neighborhoods and the playing field won't be even.
If your child is in a
If your child is in a classroom in need of a book case, you wouldn't contribute time, money, materials because of some "level playing field"?
I don't get it.
No
If your child is in a classroom in need of a bookcase, and you contribute one, that doesn't do jack shit for some other child, in some other classroom, who also needs a bookcase.
Yes. Because it's more
Yes. Because it's more important that all kids are left behind rather than some getting ahead.
The problem is...
many schools have students who come from households that have very tight budgets. The Eliot K-8 Innovation School in the North End raised over $125k at an evening fundraiser late last year. Many of the students there come from neighborhoods like Charlestown, Beacon Hill, Back Bay and the North End. Now compare that to a school like the McKay in East Boston, which struggles to even raise $1000 for new chairs. While many families would love to contribute funds or services, it's just not realistic all the time.
And there are
people like me without kids who give to donors choose. I give small amounts to help out and get to feel like I am helping out. Much better feeling for my $10 than another geegaw I don't need.
Rich parents, rich
Rich parents, rich neighborhoods, rich schools - it all goes together and compounds the misery of the have-nots.
The West Hollywood Center for Early Education, for example, recently had a preschooler's mom do a fundraiser by singing. It raised a bit of money because that mom was Beyonce.
If only Beyonce could be the classroom mom for other schools, you know?
Rich?:
Rich?:
You can rest assured I am far from that. You don't need to be rich to donate a few hours of your precious time to a school.
Sometimes I think people just like to complain.
Get your hands dirty, it'll do you some good.
No, it's not realistic all
No, it's not realistic all the time, nor with anyone. So, don't try at all?
Parent involvement! It's a key to what's missing here.
Parental income
That's what is missing here.
Of course it's allowed - and it's common
Parents at all four Boston public schools my daughter has attended have contributed time and effort to making the school better. This is a big part of what an effective SPC (School Parent Council) is for.
With the BPS, parents need to be careful to not step on the toes of the Facilities/Custodial/Transportation/ departments. And keep in mind that any big donations usually get channeled into the BPS general fund. But smaller, targeted, in-kind contributions (usually of time and effort more than of money) allow a school's parent community to directly support their kids and neighbors kids.
I'm talking just a couple hours a year for most parents - not a big committment in the least, and very little $. Instead of complaining about all the money some other schools could get from their parents (although yeah, sure, sometimes we did grumble), mostly we rolled up sleeves and figured out what we could actually do for our kids' school.
p.s. Not to say that giving $ ain't great if you've got the dosh - Big thumbs-Up to Biz and Livia Stone!!!
this is what I'm talking
this is what I'm talking about^^.
While parochial parents are required to do community work for the school in lieu of full tuition, most of us went beyond what was asked because we saw the need.
Parents working with the schools helps everyone.
I do understand what you mean about stepping on toes of various departments and their input should be valued.
A couple of hours is sometimes all that's needed and it's much better than just sitting around complaining.
This isn't 1980
Parents working 100 hours a week between them just to pay the rent don't have time OR money.
Get a clue, please.
What a load of baloney
A couple hours per year is doable for the vast majority of parents. Undoubtably there are some families that are so behind the 8ball they can't spare any time ever - and no one is going to think less of them for working that hard to support their families.
But for most parents, even those working hard for minimum wage, there's a couple hours a year to be part of your kids education. International Night, which is held in many BPS primary schools, is a great example. A potluck without the requirement to bring something, lots of activities for the kids, an opportunity to learn about your fellow Bostonians, feel some cultural pride, and a chance to chill out and talk with parents and teachers in a low-stakes environment. At my daughter's school we made carpool arrangements for those families without ready transportation. It really didn't take D-Day level organization to make it something almost everyone could be part of.
So I call BS on the anon who made the above crack - and all the people who had the time to read through all the comments on this story in the middle of the day to up-thumb it. You're just a bunch of whiners hiding behind false self-righteousness.
Get a clue?
Get a clue?
Well, as a single parent I can surely attest to limited time and money.
Somehow I, and others, managed.
You're right, it's easier to complain.
Totally
We're relatively new in the system, but have tried to jump in with both feet on the SPC and fundraising efforts. I realize not everyone is able to do this, but it can be a little demoralizing when you see how few parents come to most of the meetings.
In Kind donations to BPS schools
On two occasions (one elementary school, one middle school) a number of parents pulled together an offer to paint fences and walls at a school. We were told 'thanks but no thanks' as there was a union contract that needed to be honored. Even though the school did not have money to pay the union contractors.
PS The fence and the walls have not yet been painted- 5 years and counting,...
Sometimes easier to ask forgiveness than permission
We encountered this too. On several occasions we found ways to get it done anyway. It very much helps to have a principal that understands the concept of plausible deniability. It also helps to be on good terms with the school's custodian so he won't rat you out to his boss (which, if my experience with members of the facilities dept is typical, won't be too much of a stretch - not much love lost between custodians and the head honchos).
It shouldn't be like this, but since it is... where there's a will there's a way.
#BestSchoolDay
I believe it's part of #BestSchoolDay
Wonderful and SMART
As someone mentioned earlier, large donations typically end up in the BPS general fund, which means only a fraction of that donation ends up in the classroom. By purposely using DonorsChoose, Mr. Stone circumvented that by making a large donation that's broken up into individual classroom needs. Stephen Colbert recently did a similar thing when he funded every request in the state of South Carolina.
Stephen Colbert is a big promoter of DonorsChoose
I first heard about it on his show. I like seeing how the funds will be directly used by teachers; I don't have kids so have no idea what is needed today.
I think it's great. Why not use every resource available to get what your classroom needs?
It was their money so, they
It was their money so, they can do what they want. In addition, it can help teachers and students somehow.