Headphones for Morse Middle School
Donation protected
I've been thinking a lot about reparations, and how I could share my wealth with African Americans who have been denied, for the past 400 years, of the chance to either get ahead or accumulate inherited wealth. It is a point of basic justice in our race-riven nation.
I, like you, live in a basically white neck of the woods; I have no natural contacts with African-Americans. So how do I go about reparations? I had an idea to adopt a classroom in North Milwaukee, to help the teachers out with classroom supplies. I got on the internet, and discovered Morse School for the Gifted and Talented.
Morse started out as a regular middle school in NW Milwaukee, just off Silver Spring. They then became a Gifted and Talented charter school, which was very successful. It was so successful that they moved to the high school, to see if they could rub off onto the high school, but that failed. Instead, it just destroyed the middle school. That's where they started getting scores in where only 4% of the students could pass math, and 18% pass reading. (More data is on their website.) So two years ago they moved out of the HS and built another building (6700 N. 80th St) and have been trying to get back to the Gifted and Talented model. It's aspirational at this point, not reality. Ms. Carrington, the principal who has been there for 2 years, envisions having tests again to get into the school, but the measure would not be scholastic achievement, but if the students are motivated and determined.
But, speaking with Principal Carrington, I discovered that there is an immediate concern that affected the whole school.
The kids are all virtually learning; no in-school classes yet. MPS is trying to get Chrome laptops to each of the kids, but they have nothing budgeted for headphones. Headphones are essential when there are other people in the apartment or house; it is just too distracting for children to work with the noises of other people around them, and most of the students don't have a 'quiet space' where they can do their on-line work.
Headphones are better for kids than earbuds; they stay on better and don't get fiddled with as much.
Headphones cost between $2-$4. They need 440 headphones for all the kids in the middle school.
Assuming $4 a pair, that would be $1760.
I can start it off by contributing $100; if 17 others of us could contribute $100, we'd have it covered. Would any of you e interested in joining me in this project? I know it's election time and all our extra funds are going to candidates, but this is an immediate need.
I look forward to hearing from you!!!
love, Nansi
I, like you, live in a basically white neck of the woods; I have no natural contacts with African-Americans. So how do I go about reparations? I had an idea to adopt a classroom in North Milwaukee, to help the teachers out with classroom supplies. I got on the internet, and discovered Morse School for the Gifted and Talented.
Morse started out as a regular middle school in NW Milwaukee, just off Silver Spring. They then became a Gifted and Talented charter school, which was very successful. It was so successful that they moved to the high school, to see if they could rub off onto the high school, but that failed. Instead, it just destroyed the middle school. That's where they started getting scores in where only 4% of the students could pass math, and 18% pass reading. (More data is on their website.) So two years ago they moved out of the HS and built another building (6700 N. 80th St) and have been trying to get back to the Gifted and Talented model. It's aspirational at this point, not reality. Ms. Carrington, the principal who has been there for 2 years, envisions having tests again to get into the school, but the measure would not be scholastic achievement, but if the students are motivated and determined.
But, speaking with Principal Carrington, I discovered that there is an immediate concern that affected the whole school.
The kids are all virtually learning; no in-school classes yet. MPS is trying to get Chrome laptops to each of the kids, but they have nothing budgeted for headphones. Headphones are essential when there are other people in the apartment or house; it is just too distracting for children to work with the noises of other people around them, and most of the students don't have a 'quiet space' where they can do their on-line work.
Headphones are better for kids than earbuds; they stay on better and don't get fiddled with as much.
Headphones cost between $2-$4. They need 440 headphones for all the kids in the middle school.
Assuming $4 a pair, that would be $1760.
I can start it off by contributing $100; if 17 others of us could contribute $100, we'd have it covered. Would any of you e interested in joining me in this project? I know it's election time and all our extra funds are going to candidates, but this is an immediate need.
I look forward to hearing from you!!!
love, Nansi
Organizer
Nansi Hawkins
Organizer
Oconomowoc, WI