I'll be honest. I am not feeling "Feel-Good Friday" at all. As I write this I can't stop thinking about the teachers I work with who just found out they're being furloughed. I can't help but think about the reason people get into the business of teaching, and no, it's not "June, July, and August."
Most teachers have to work in the summer to make ends meet or spend their summer taking classes to meet state requirements. The reason people pursue this career is to make a difference in the lives of children, and when things like this happen in education it is at the expense of our kids. We are balancing our budget on their backs, and we all pay for that.
I work with some amazing people and teach some amazing students. Every year our high school Biology Club sponsors a "Penny War" for the Hillside SPCA. If you're not familiar with the concept, homerooms compete against each other by trying to raise the most money in pennies.
Silver coins and dollars placed in the collection can count against a homeroom, so in an effort to win students will bring all their change to school, filling their own homeroom's can with pennies and the competing homerooms' cans with silver and bills. What do they win? An ice cream party. That's it. A simple Dairy Queen sundae.
There are about 550 students in our high school, and last year we raised a personal best of $2561.88, including a matching donation of $640 from the local Thrivent Financial Chapter! Ok ok I admit I bribed my homeroom with the promise of my special candy bar brownies if we won, but it was worth it! THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY. We featured Rustle on the blog awhile ago; his mom Kaye is the Biology Club advisor and a huge supporter of rescuing.
What other good things can schools do for our animals? Well take some time to read this article from the News Item about the Tornado Nine, a group of puppies (and their mother) found in the football stadium of Mount Carmel High School in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania.
The dogs were taken in by a no-kill organization called Mostly Mutts, and the school worked together to raise $750 to help defray the costs of taking care of the animals, which will soon be up for adoption.
Education cuts affect everyone. They cause the worst kind of collateral damage. Am I using adorable pictures of dogs and kids to manipulate your tender hearts into feeling sympathy or empathy? You had better believe I am. I do it every day here on the blog. Is it working? I mean these pictures are pretty stinking cute.
Thanks for listening.
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