AdoptAClassroom.org continues to keep a close eye on K-12 education news so we can best understand and serve the needs of principals, teachers, and students across the country. We want to keep you updated on our findings, so check back each month for our News Bulletin Board series.
Read what’s happened recently in the world of K-12 education:
$13,500 Pay Raise For Teachers
U.S. Senator and 2020 Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris unveiled her new plan to increase teacher salaries nationwide by $13,500. According to Senator Harris, teachers are paid 11 percent less when compared to other college graduates and this $315 billion initiative would close the salary gap.
On top of the salary gap, teachers are also spending their own money on classroom supplies. We surveyed more than 4,400 AdoptAClassroom.org registered teachers in 2018 and found that they spend an average of $740 on school materials each year. Twenty-eight percent of teachers surveyed spend more than $1,000.
Watch the full interview with Senator Harris as she details her plan to fund our nation’s teachers.
Education Budget Cuts
The Trump administration recently revealed their proposal to cut the U.S. Department of Education’s budget by 10 percent. Twenty-nine education programs were proposed for elimination, which adds up to $6.7 billion in budget cuts.
The proposal requested that the Special Olympics Education Program lose their $17.6 million in federal funding. This decision was reversed after the Special Olympics Education Program received a wave of public support.
Read the list of 29 education programs that could lose their funding.
Fixing Public Education
Kentucky teachers recently staged a “sick out” in protest against the legislature to protect their underfunded pension system. After one Kentucky teacher’s school-day was canceled for the fifth time in two weeks, he took some time to think through the flaws of our education system.
Read this Kentucky middle school teacher’s list of 22 changes we need to make to help “fix” public education.
Crowdfunding in K-12
EdSurge released their new K-12 education crowdfunding report to help school districts make informed decisions when creating their crowdfunding policies. AdoptAClassroom.org was highlighted in their report, and was labeled one of the “most effective platforms” across a variety of fields.
Read EdSurge’s report, and share it with your school leaders so they can make informed crowdfunding policies.
The Importance of Great School Leaders
Superintendent Curtis Jones Jr. was named the Georgia’s 2019 Superintendent of the Year. Two months later, he was awarded the title of 2019 National Superintendent of the Year.
“Principals are looking for [superintendents] to help them develop and grow, and teachers are looking for principals who can help them develop and grow, and the best people to help make that happen are superintendents,” said Jones.
Read the full interview with National Superintendent of the Year Curtis Jones to find out how he’s created success in his district by keeping the focus on public service.
Principals play an important role in schools. We recently launched our new School Program to give K-12 principals and school administrators the support they deserve.
Read more about our School Program or find a school to support here.
Thank you to all of our passionate, hardworking teachers and administrators who are on the front lines of education. Teaching is the most important job that exists, and we’re getting ready to close another year of funding classrooms to give every child the tools they deserve to succeed in school.
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