Q&A: Listing Schools & "vetting" teachers

In this post, I would like to answer two of the questions we are most often asked.

1. Principals and teachers from around the country having been asking us how Supply Our Schools decides which schools to include in our efforts.

It is simple, we get our list of schools from the NCES database. If a school is not listed on the Supply Our Schools website, see if you can find it on this page: http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schooLSearch/.

The NCES database is updated from time to time, so it might just be a case of SOS needing to update our records.

2. Donors often ask us how we "vet" teachers. I.e., they want to know if the teachers who have built Supply Lists are legitimate.

There is a simple answer to this: most people are honest and good and will not abuse a system like Supply Our Schools. Invariably, there are some people who will not act honorably, but as Gandhiji said, "Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty." Supply Our Schools relies on this reality.

On a more commercial note, there really isn't a thriving black market for crayons and copies of the Hound of Baskervilles. The fact is, there is little profit to be had from scamming this particular system.

That said, there is a loose framework that helps reduce the likelihood of abuse.

First, Donors have a choice of which teacher they would like to buy supplies for. Each teacher has the opportunity to write a Profile, which is a little write-up about themselves and their classrooms. These profiles provide quite a bit of insight into the teachers' experiences and passion for teaching.

Second, Donors have a choice of which supplies to buy for any teacher. One potential donor was in a lather about the huge number of USB drives a teacher had requested. The fact is, if you think a classroom does not need USB drives, then don't buy them. It is as simple as that.

Third, Supply Our Schools ships all supplies directly to the school and we use a tracking system to determine when the package was delivered and who signed for it. It is hard to scam a system if you have to get your packages from the school administration office.

Finally, next to every teacher's name is listed the number of donations they have received and the acknowledgments they have written. As with the Teacher Profiles, these thank you notes provide a lot of insight.

Hopefully, this explanation helped a bit. If not, let me know.

Enjoy your Sunday!
Radhika

Tips from a teacher

One of our teachers has had great success in getting donors to buy items for her classroom. I asked her to share her tips for success. She has very generously shared her advice:

From Ms Borg, Middle School Science Teacher, Massachusetts

My success on www.supplyourschools.org is a simple story. Once I registered, I told three people I knew well in our administration building. I knew they had connections with more people district- wide than I did. After I received my first shipment, SOS sent me an email that I could forward to friends and family. I added a personal note about the supplies I had already received and sent it to everyone I knew. Since then, it has been word of mouth. I tell people, "Guess what I did today!" I have helped two teachers register and walked other curious friends through the website. They are amazed by the response. Several friends have said they will shop through the website and my email has crossed at least five states that I know of and is still going.

I opened two boxes at school this week. Every time I open an email from SOS that says I have another shipment coming, I cry. When one of the administrative assistants saw all the supplies I had received from an anonymous donor, she immediately sent off a mass email to all the staff in the building. We have had an SOS explosion in Worcester, MA. Now, I am reaching out to my contacts on Facebook.

I think the most important thing I did was to be sincere. On my homepage, I wrote about the school and the students. I think donors want to know more than just how many students you have and what subject you teach. When I talk about SOS I am passionate because that is how I am about teaching. When people can hear and feel your emotions in your writing and your voice they will respond.

My students arrive on September 3. I am excited to show them all of the great things I have for them that were made possible through the support of donors. It isn't often that strangers give them things without expecting something in return.

Sometimes, it can be very frustrating as teacher, but in the end, it is all worth it.

Fundraiser on Sept 11 in Ashburn, VA

Last night, after watching Mama Mia outdoors in Bethesda, MD, my mom told me that it seemed like my whole life revolves around school supplies. Well, it does. So, without further ado, let me tell you about our next fundraising event.

SOS is having a Spirit Night on Sept 11, 4:30 to 9:00 pm at Brambleton Town Center in Ashburn, Virginia.

Johnny Rockets: 703.327.9255; present the attached flyer (/SOS%20Spirit%20Night%20Sept%2011.pdf) to the cashier and 10% of your purchase will be given to Supply Our Schools

Color me Mine: 703-957-4020; mention Supply Our Schools to the cashier and 15% of your purchase will be given to us!

As always, 100% of the money given to SOS will be used to buy school supplies.

Please forward this information to your friends in Ashburn, Virginia.

Thanks!

Radhika

One year anniversary!

SOS crossed a huge milestone yesterday! We celebrated our one year anniversary!

And what a year it has been! We have 150 teachers on our site who have created Supply Lists. We have sent out supplies to almost 4,000 students. That's an average of 10 students per day who we have helped!

We couldn't have done it without our fabulous teachers who care so much for their students. Like Ms H in Oklahoma who writes this inspiring note:

I am a special education teacher for students 9th though 12th, in a high-need community. Sadly, being both impoverished as well as deserving special services are two strikes against against the students that I come in contact with everyday. Not only do they come from homes that barely make it everyday. Most of the students that I teach have to work just to help at home and the little extras like pencils and pens are not included in their expenses. My students do not have the ability to pay for the necessary items needed in the classroom, therefore many times to save face they just will not come to school. The help that you give not only changes my life, but the life of many students. Many students that otherwise would not have the means to do well in school remove out. Just think your donation could be the reason that just one student stayed in and completed school!

And, we couldn't have made it this far without our fabulous donors. Like Michele E. who buys supplies for other children when her own child gets presents. And Dorli B. who buys supplies in honor of her mother. And Brenda B. who buys supplies for kids just because.

And, we couldn't have done it without our great team. Pooja Sharma, who has built a most beautiful and elegant website for Supply Our Schools; Devika Gupta, who signed on to be a director based solely on her belief in our mission; Jodi Scholes, who has brought her passion for education to her role as director; Kelley Westenhoff, who writes articles for us, blogs about us and tells everyone she knows about SOS!

So, thank you one and all for making Supply Our Schools a success in ints first year of operations!

Why am I up at 4:00 am?

School starts in just a couple of weeks and we have 10,000 students who need school supplies. So, I am up at 4:00 am trying to figure out where to get the money to buy these kids paper, pencils, crayons, markers, scissors, library books,...

My three year old son has no idea what I am trying to do. The other day I tried to explain it to him. I told him that some children did not have paper and pencils and stuff to do crafts and drawing with. So, I try to get these things to the kids. So, my son wants to know why their mummies and daddies don't buy stuff for their kids. I told him that not everyone had the money to buy things. A little while later, my son came to me with 3 coins his dad had given him the day before. He said that I could give his money to the mummies and daddies to buy stuff for their children.

I wish my son's sentiments could indeed translate into supplies for all the kids who need them. Maybe, maybe...

PS: Happy Birthday, Neil Armstrong!