Please Help Support our All Inclusive 2nd Grade Classroom!

Dear contributors,

Let me first, on behalf of my co-teachers, THANK YOU all in advance for considering to donate to our 2nd grade classroom!

We teach in a public, full inclusion school in Jamaica Plain, a neighborhood of Boston. I have been teaching 2nd grade for 24 years...22 of them have been at the Curley K-8 School. I have stayed in one place for this long because I truly believe in offering a quality, challenging but supportive education to ALL of my students. I also can't be more proud of the caring, professional staff I am a part of.

In recent years, the city of Boston has decided to take part in a HUGE transformation. According to their plans, all BPS schools are transforming into inclusive schools, where students of every level, with every impairment, disability, or emotional struggle will be receiving an education right next to their grade level peers. The classroom supports necessary to accomplish this goal are varied and expensive. We need to make this transition as comfortable and reliable as possible. In order to accomplish this goal, we are in need of materials, some very specialized, to make the day-to-day process of teaching and learning consistently happen.

I wouldn't be asking, but this year, it is very necessary. We usually have a yearly allotment given each classroom teacher to cover supplies. This year, as the district continues to transform, the budget, although large, is being spent on building improvements and renovations for more accessibility, the hiring of MUCH more additional staff, and varied curriculum materials. The average $350 per teacher is not being offered. As always, my co-teachers and I expect to spend our own money throughout the year as necessary, but this would truly be an additional blessing.