New computers needed, every bit (or byte) counts!

Please excuse my cheesiness in the title...the last unit I covered with my students was on data storage devices; We talked about how many bits make a byte (the answer is 8, in case you were wondering).

All jokes aside, life has been very difficult for me these past two weeks after a fire at our house sent my mom to the hospital, on Mother's Day of all days. The fire was caused by a candle I left unattended for less than two minutes and I'll just say this: the feeling of sending your mom to the hospital on mother's day is something I would not wish on my worst enemy.

Despite this super awful event, I've continued to go to work (Amelia Earhart Elementary, South Side of Chicago) as much as possible - even working overtime as much as I can. I'm doing this because work is the one place I feel most normal given everything that's going on. It's my happy place - my family and my school family have kept me going through all of this.

I'm starting this GoFundMe after finding out earlier this week that nearly half of our desktops in the computer lab (31 total) will not be able to run the software required for state-mandated testing next school year. I was already thinking about fundraising for technology because my budget for the school year was $800 and I wasn't able to get much with that, certainly no computers.

The desktops in the computer lab look very nice (I try my best to take care of the lab) but they are dinosaurs in terms of how outdated they are. Several of them are from 2015 and a few are even older than that, so despite how nice they look they are incredibly slow and now can't even run testing software. These are also the same computers that ALL of the teachers at our school use and the amount of class time wasted due to computer issues is legitimately sickening to me.

The cost to replace an Apple desktop computer is $1399.00 - and that's including the education discount. The $33,576 target is $1399.00 * 24 Computers; 24 computers would allow us to update half the desktops in the computer lab and also provide most of our teachers with updated desktops as well.

People have been sending me money because I lost 95% of my belongings in the fire. I'd rather you send the money to this fundraiser so my kids can have computers for the next school year. I appreaciate everyone so, so much for trying to take care of me....the best way you can take care of me is by helping me take care of my students. Again, Earhart is my happy place where my school family keeps me going. I just want the best for everyone here.

Even if I'm only able to get one extra computer, that's better than our current situation. I'm saying this to remind you that every byte counts and to thank you for any bit you can spare :)