Another confession to make: I am a geek. (And I love it!)
And that means, well … it means a lot of things. It means I know who I am and I like it. (This is good.) It also means when troubles hit schools, it really, really (and I mean really) ticks me off.
So, all the talk in my town and across my state of spending (or lack thereof) on education, attempts to raise school taxes (and their potential demise at the polls) and the inevitable cuts that come as a result of this perfect storm give me hives.
Man, this just stinks for people like me who get psyched about books and art and chemistry and well … OK. You’re right. It stinks more for the kids and for the teachers who have to make lemonade out of this sour sack of lemons. And it stinks for the school boards, administrators and others in power who have to make difficult decisions to pare down educational opportunities rather than build them up.
But, think it through, there are so many things we can do to help, right?
1) Volunteer! I know. You’ve heard it before. But, it’s true. Many teachers love extra hands to make copies, read with kids, quiz students, supply refreshments for an open house or event, spearhead a school supply drive for families in need, organize the library, set up for a book fair. You get the picture. Many hands make light work, as the famous quote says. Call your local school even if you don’t have kids in it. Ask for the volunteer coordinator for the parent-teacher group to see what needs you might be able to fill. Or, ask if the principal can let the teachers know you’re ready and willing to help with whatever their needs are.
2) Ok, so if stepping actual foot into a school building gives you hives (I know, close proximity to actual children isn’t everyone’s cup of tea), well … consider making a donation. Call the principal of your favorite school or the one closest to you and ask what’s on the school’s wish list. A couple bucks (or a couple thousand) or a new something (seriously, sometimes a new pencil sharpener can eliminate a speed bump that clogs up the day for a teacher) would be greatly appreciated. Or, maybe you have a skill the school could use. You never know until you ask, so ASK!
3) If dipping into your wallet is too far a stretch, then at least cut your Box Tops for Education off your cereal and tissue boxes and give them to a kid in your neighborhood to take to school. C’mon. It’s the least you can do. (No excuses — if you don’t have scissors, do it the old-fashioned way and just rip!) A lot of schools collect Campbell’s Soup points also. If you don’t know a kid in your neighborhood, call your local school and ask if you can drop them off in the office.
4) READ! Read with your kids, your grandkids, your neighbor’s kids, your nephews, your nieces or any random kid you see on your street. Have your babysitter read to your kids while you are away. If your kid is a babysitter, make sure he or she brings books along with him or her on babysitting jobs. Challenge your kids to read a certain number of books in a certain amount of time. Make it fun. Make it informative. But above all, don’t let the learning stop when kids leave school.
5) Go to the library (and bring your kids, your grandkids, your neighbor’s kids, your babysitter or any other stray people who look like they need something to do). For real, the library is amazing. Books. CDs. Documentaries. Magazines. Newspapers. Computers. Films. Games. Puzzles. Audio books. E-books. Downloadable music. Topical programs. Access to databases. Friendly librarians. Best sellers. (Seriously, why aren’t you there right now?)
6) Be curious about your school or the entire district. Read about what the issues are. Talk to people. Be informed. Think outside the box about how you, your family, your business, your friend might be able to fill a gap created by a budget cut or augment an existing program or create a fund-raising opportunity.
7) Funnel your frustration creatively. It’s nothing to complain and groan about tax costs or program cuts. It’s something to see how the funding issue affects teachers and students. It’s something to see firsthand how today’s standards for special education, technology, programming, staffing and building use have changed from when you were in school and to acknowledge the differences make, well … a difference in how today’s teachers teach and today’s kids learn. (This doesn’t mean you have to agree with all the programs, classes, technology, etc. — it just means you need to acknowledge that the educational landscape is different terrain in 2012 than it was in 2002 or 1982 or 1952.) It’s something to be part of the solution.
8) Cheerlead for America’s kids. Wish their teachers well. If you’ve got no time to volunteer, no money to donate, no bright ideas to contribute, just have a good thought once a day for the littlest among us and those that guide them. Good thoughts lead to good attitudes. Good attitudes lead to open minds. Over time, open minds lead to partnerships, programs and pencil sharpeners. And that means the geek population shall flourish, which brings me joy-joy-joy.
madisonbookclubmama 