"Teaching Tools" Works Miracles

If you have ever worked around teachers, they’ve be a complaining lot. And why not? Student behaviors keep changing for the worse, more parents look at teachers as free babysitters instead of educators, and too often, district budgets keep classroom materials to bare bone minimums.

And, if you have ever worked around teachers, you’ve heard every one talk about spending their own money on basic classroom supplies. No one should be surprised that teachers do indeed bond with their students; teachers do care about their student’s well-being, their success.

Within the Hillsborough District are 123 Title I schools. That means at 123 schools, the majority of children come from low-income parents and are entitled to free or reduced price lunches. This also means that thousands of parents have little or no ability to buy their kids basic school supplies, and these kids show up for class with nada, nothing, ziltch: no paper, no notebooks, no pens, no pencils, no nuttin honey.

Some Help is On the Way

A few years back, the Hillsborough Education Foundation, the fundraising arm of the Hillsborough District, opened a warehouse and “storefront” called Teaching Tools. Each year the Foundation, though its donors, raises money and seeks educational supplies for the Teaching Tools store to distribute free to Title I schools and their teachers. Everything from pen and pencils, composition books, crayons, rulers, construction paper, and many books are available. Anything a K12 classroom teacher may need to help students learn and achieve.

Last year, 154 donors kept Teaching Tools open for business. Hundreds of teachers received free supplies to help about 50,000 students. Wow! Most impressive.

Trouble is, there is a waiting list for schools and their teachers to access Teaching Tools. Not enough supplies….not enough donors.

Talk about a cost effective way to support local education. Every school board member should have a magnetic Teaching Tools sign on their car’s front doors. They have them for their own elections. Maybe should donate their salaries to Teaching Tools!

To support Teaching Tools, call 813-740-7651. These folks need your help now!

Yo, Ernest Hooper…maybe this is a story for you. That’s all I’m suggesting.

posted by admin @ 12:13 PM