Detroit School Asks for Donation of Basic Essentials
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It sounds like what one might expect from a start-up school in a developing nation. The plea is for basic essentials, like light bulbs and toilet paper. The need though comes not from a developing nation. The school is in Detroit:
“…The principal of the Academy of Americas sent a letter to staff, parents and partners asking for donations of items “that are of the utmost importance for proper school functioning and most importantly for student health and safety.”
In the letter, Principal Naomi Khalil cited budget constraints within the district as the reason that the school could no longer stock the items.”
link: Detroit School Lacks Toilet Paper, Light Bulbs
Many schools are faced with dwindling budgets. There is the possibility that two thousand teachers in Los Angeles may not have work. Some schools are considering the possibility of reduced hours. Not only would this be so detrimental to the students’ education, it would cause so much disruption to the families. If the children do not have regular school hours, how can the parents maintain their hours at their place of work? If one is fortunate enough to have employment in this economy, any interruptions in those work hours is a possible calamity. Safeguarding one’s job is an absolute necessity but the question becomes “where do the children go if there is no school?”.
Catherine Forsythe
One Comment
MomRee
January 10th, 2009
at 12:43am
Schools here in Miami-Dade County, Florida are almost as bad. We haven’t yet been asked to supply toilet paper, but we are required to provide many items for the teachers and classrooms such as kleenex, germ-x, dry erase markers, red pens, and printer paper, without which they cannot afford to print out homework sheets etc for the children. Long lists are sent home at the beginning of the year as well as letters begging for supplies every few months.
It’s bad enough that they had to stop doing concerts and plays because they can’t afford them. But now they can’t afford enough books for the children so they have to share and are not allowed to bring them home at all..