“Out of the public schools comes the greatness of the nation.” – Mark Twain
Supporting public schools might look different for everyone. Whether it’s volunteering; donating to an organization that works with public schools; or fundraising for a teacher – every act of generosity helps. The success of local, public school systems is extremely important, not only for the future of our community but for the future of young minds everywhere.
At ALLMemphis, our team is able to enter schools and see firsthand how our school partners work to meet the needs of their teachers and students, and we’re committed to supporting them every step of the way. There are several reasons why contributing to the success of our public education system is critical – we break down a few below!
Community ties
Even if you don’t currently have a student who attends a public school, we all have ties to families who do. Maybe your nephew is a student, or your best friend is a teacher. Public schools are facets of our community, made up of people you know and respect. Supporting public schools means these entities are more likely to produce students with higher levels of achievement, leading to the creation of an incredibly capable workforce for our community.
Lack of funds
The hard truth is that public schools are underfunded. In fact, a recent study done by The Century Foundation found that U.S. public schools are underfunded by a total of $150 billion annually. This lack of funds leads to limited classroom resources that are necessary for an enriching, educational experience. Underfunding impacts children of lower income levels, as they may not have financial resources to make up for what they’re missing in the classroom. At ALLMemphis, our driving force is to ensure educational equity for ALL students by equipping their schools and teachers with an approach to teaching foundational literacy that is driven by data and based in research.
Literary crisis
Did you know that only one out of five third through fifth-grade students in Memphis are reading on grade level? This literacy crisis we’re currently facing has troubling implications for the social, cultural and economic development of our community. ALLMemphis works to empower public school teachers and literacy coaches with the skills necessary to begin alleviating the short and long-term impacts of this crisis.
Take the first step in supporting your local public school today by supporting ALLMemphis. Join us in our fight to create equitable education for all students in the public school system, improving literacy rates, student outcomes and overall community well-being.