Zer Netmouse

One of the most challenging things about being a substitute teacher in the York City School District is that I pretty much have to provide school supplies just like regular teachers, only I have to carry them in with me every day.

Please consider helping out with my school supply wish list:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/KLWMH05WZUID?ref_=wl_share

Another challenge is dealing with the disparity in supplies between the suburban districts and the city. York City’s student population is majority poor and transient — last year 60 % of the kids who finished the year in the school district did not start the year in that school. They do not have PTOs to run wellness drives and most parents cannot afford to send in the pencils, pens, dry erase markers, binders, kleenex, wet wipes, etc. that the suburban parents send a list of in with their students. many students don’t even have backpacks or pencil cases.

in Suburban Middle School, one social studies classroom has ten chess sets and lots of other board games. in the City, the middle schoolers I sub for most often share a single chess set, four Uno decks, and two decks of regular playing cards between multiple classrooms.

In Dallastown, every math class starts with problems on a personal dry erase board or on their computers. in the city, the kids don’t have their own computers, and the classroom might have the boards but be completely out of dry erase markers. This dramatically affects my ability as a substitute both to teach and to manage the classroom.

I have made this list based on two years of experience subbing in both inner city and suburban districts. please help.

Please help.

I have been substitute teaching in the same school one day a week this Fall in a long term assignment. This is an urban school where 100 % of the kids get free breakfast and lunch and those might be their only meals that day. Where 56% of the students who start the school year there will be someplace else by the end of the year, because the lives of many of the poor are not stable. There are lots of challenges these kids face. Multi-generational patterns of trauma, discrimination, and displacement. Can't fix it all.

But I was thinking maybe some of you who do not have children in elementary school right now might help make up for one of the key things these kids are lacking: parents with the time and connections to raise money for their school supplies. I talked to their art teacher about making up a list of supplies, and doing some crowd-funding. That same week, Facebook suggested I do a fundraiser for my birthday. Huh, I thought. Well, I could just do that.

This article on Medium has the text of that fundraiser, as well as info on how to just paypal me money in case you are FB averse.

If we raise enough money, I will arrange for the 7th and 8th graders at the school to get an extra workshop to make durable 3D art they can put in their school garden. I hope we get that far. I know a terrific artist named Tomak who is ready and willing to do that workshop with them. I just spoke to him today. :)

If you can, please help. Even a little bit would be great. Thank you!