Adopt a Classroom is a nationwide program that allows individuals and corporations to support our teachers so that they can provide the best education to our children. As a daughter of two elementary school teachers I know first hand that teachers spend a lot of their own money each year on the materials they need in order to provide a well rounded education to their students. It seems that whenever there is talk of state-wide budget cuts, the classroom one of the first place administrators turn to. In an already tight economy it's no wonder there is such a high teacher turnover rate in the country when a big chunk of their personal income goes back into their classrooms.
As most of you know, my husband works for Office Max which is one of Adopt a Classroom's biggest sponsors. They allow their employees to donate any amount to the classroom of their choice and they will match 50% of that amount. My husband has just recently adopted Megan's Kindergarten classroom for $5 a paycheck. Since he gets paid twice a month, Megan's teacher will receive $15 per month from this program. $5 per paycheck is nothing for us to donate since I spend more than that at Starbucks in a two week period, but think of all the resources that $15/month can provide for that classroom!
If your company doesn't/won't make a contribution match then you can make a one time donation to the class room of your choice. If you don't have any school-aged children in your life but would like to make a donation anyway then the website can match you up with registered teachers in the area of your choice. You don't have to worry about any of your money going to administrative costs because 100% of your donation goes to your teacher. Also, you can log on to the website and monitor what your teacher is buying with your dollars. Teachers are not just given a check to do with what they please, they are given an online credit account where they can shop at approved online stores.
Please check out the website and read about all the good this program has done for classrooms around the country and to make a donation if that's where your heart leads.