summer_18

CELEBRATING

8 CEA ADVISOR SUMMER 2018

#BESTSCHOOLDAY CHARITABLE DONATION TURNS TEACHERS’ WISH LISTS INTO GIFT LISTS

America’s public schools, thanks to this gift,” he added. “We think that classroom teachers know their kids better than anybody else in the system, and if we can tap into their frontline expertise, it will unleash better-targeted, smarter micro solutions than what someone would come up with from on high in the central office or an ivory tower. At the same time, we know that public school teachers spend about $1.5 billion every year out of their own pockets, and as an organization, we’re just scratching at that challenge and at that problem.” The CEA Advisor caught up with several Connecticut teachers whose requests were met through Ripple’s donation to DonorsChoose.org. We asked about their projects, and here’s what some of them had to say.

This spring, the public school crowdfunding platform DonorsChoose.org, where teachers ask for contributions to fund classroom needs, fulfilled 35,647 requests by 28,200 teachers at more than 16,500 schools. Funding for all these projects was made possible by a surprise $29 million donation from the digital currency startup Ripple— the largest contribution of electronic currency ever to a single charity. “It was honestly the biggest day in our 18-year history,” said DonorsChoose founder and CEO Charles Best, who notes that teachers’ requests included everything from books, microscopes, and basic classroom essentials to robotics kits, field trips, and guest speakers. “There’s never been a day when more classroom dreams came to life in

Melissa Saliva, Brookfield High School | Let’s Read Like We Are At Starbucks! Melissa Saliva believes students should have a comfortable classroom with flexible seating arrangements. DonorsChoose.org made that happen for her. “I teach at a rigorous high school that promotes literacy across the content areas and strives to support all students’ individual learning needs. My students are struggling readers in grades 9-12 from a variety of backgrounds. They come to my reading intervention class with a wide range of educational needs, reading levels, talents, and capabilities. Most of these students have struggled with reading their whole lives and shuffle from class to class trying to navigate the literacy demands of a high school curriculum. They need a classroom environment that promotes engagement and motivates them to come to class despite their reading difficulties.” Saliva wrote a grant called, “Let’s Read Like We Are At Starbucks!” in the hopes of creating a classroom community she described as “a soft place for students to fall, where they can read enjoyably on their instructional level—which is often several years below their grade level—and where they can use technology at a nice café-style table to remediate their learning difficulties.” She requested that her classroom be furnished with a futon, café table

Author Regina Calcaterra, a former foster child, shares her story with STRIVE High School students.

prevailed in a landmark case—the first of its kind in the U.S.—that allowed her, as an adult, to determine her true parentage via DNA paternity testing. Now an attorney, she devotes much of her time advocating for young people in situations similar to her own. In submitting her project for funding, teacher Elisabeth Peterson says, “When I first went on DonorsChoose.org, I was going to request, pens, paper, and pencils. Then I saw that they fund projects. Many of my students will never have a chance to meet an author, and my hope was that they would feel inspired to meet Regina Calcaterra and hear her motivational story.” When they learned her project was funded, she says, “My class was absolutely thrilled, preparing their questions and getting excited to actually talk to an author who can relate to their difficulties. Words cannot express my gratitude.” The real deal Calcaterra visited Peterson’s students this spring, had breakfast with them, and shared details of her difficult past and her bright future. “EVERYTHING she said impacted me!” beamed one student, Aine. “She’s the only successful person I’ve met who was a foster kid, like I am. She told me she was proud of me and that I’m making the right choices.” “Something that impacted me was when she said that no matter what you go through, you will be able to overcome everything that had happened to you,” said classmate LyAsia. “The students were so engrossed in Ms. Calcaterra’s story, you could hear a pin drop,” said Peterson. “Having her come speak about her journey was nothing less than amazing. All the students reacted with empathy and admiration for her strength, courage, and self- determination. Hearing her gave many students hope and encouragement that they too can create a better future for themselves. This was everything that I wanted to achieve for my students.”

and chairs, yoga ball chairs, beanbag chairs, a rug, and two wobble stools. “My students have higher rates of absences and discipline issues, and they are more likely to have difficulties being college- and career- ready and employed. Studies show that students who have reading difficulties are less motivated and even more likely to get arrested. I wanted to motivate my students by providing a welcoming environment. They deserve a classroom retreat that makes them want to engage in becoming better readers and come to school every day.” Saliva received about $1,600 in classroom furniture and says, “My students now have many options to choose from. Picture your favorite coffee place!” She is confident the new setup will improve engagement and attendance and make struggling readers more willing to come to class with a positive attitude.

Elisabeth Peterson, STRIVE High School, West Hartford | Author’s Circle Elisabeth Peterson is a special education teacher and reading specialist at an alternative public high school in West Hartford. “The students I work with have social, emotional, and behavioral disabilities,” she explains. “They come from foster care, adoptive families, and sometimes an environment where education is not valued. Many have reading difficulties.” Several of Peterson’s students have lived in homes where abuse and neglect separated them from their parents, and in some cases, even their siblings. Parents and caregivers often struggle with addiction or mental illness. Knowing the challenges her students face, Peterson chooses books that they can relate to. The New York Times bestselling memoir Etched in Sand , by Regina Calcaterra, was just such a book. It tells the true story of five siblings who grew up with a severely abusive, alcoholic mother, absentee fathers, and a revolving door of foster parents who often continued the destructive patterns of behavior that had come to define the family. With funding from DonorsChoose, Peterson invited the author to share her experiences with her students. The middle child in the family, Calcaterra lived through much of the tumult and fear that Peterson’s students face on a daily basis. She remembers parents on the playground keeping their children away from her. She also remembers teachers who took her under their wings and gave her reason to hope in spite of her dire circumstances. Her relationships with her teachers were some of the most important in her life; teachers, she says, were always the adults she could count on. At age 14, Calcaterra asked to be legally emancipated from her mother—and her request was granted. After many more struggles, she eventually made it into college, went on to earn a law degree, and

When it’s not exam time (above), Brookfield students get to enjoy café and lounge seating to make reading more relaxing.