Arizona public school teachers will receive more help in the classroom this school year, thanks to a partnership with a national charity organization.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman announced that the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) will allocate $5 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to help pre-kindergarten to 12th-grade public school teachers obtain classroom resources through DonorsChoose. It’s “a nonprofit crowdfunding platform,” according to a news release from Hoffman’s office.
The program gives teachers up to $600 in funding for their respective projects. The $5 million allocated will provide funding for projects for more than 8,300 Arizona public school teachers.
Most of the funding (60%) will go to Maricopa and Pima Counties. The other 13 counties will receive 40%.
“After the last few deeply challenging school years, Arizona educators and students need all the support we can give them,” Superintendent Hoffman said in the press release. “After the overwhelmingly positive response from teachers and students to our first round of funding, it was an easy decision to allocate additional classroom funds to teachers as they begin the new school year. And with dedicated funds available to our state’s rural classrooms, we’re positive teachers and students in all corners of our state will benefit from this opportunity.”
Every pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade public school educator in Arizona is eligible to apply for funding for the program. They can request funding for “classroom resources, including but not limited to supplies, technology, and instructional materials,” according to the release.
DonorsChoose was founded in 2000. Since then, it has provided $41 million in materials to help public school teachers across the state.
“The Arizona Department of Education is once again giving teachers a boost of support as classrooms head into a new school year,” Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose, said in the press release. “This initiative will especially empower educators who need it most, and it will ensure that Arizona students have the extra resources they need this back-to-school season.”
The Arizona Department of Education says it will fund requests on a first-come, first-served basis beginning on August 22, 2022. The program will end when there is no more funding left.
Teachers can learn more about the program by visiting azed.gov/teachergrants.
Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
