K/D needs a 501(c)3

I've been at King Drew Medical Magnet High School now for over 10 years. In that time the funding for new technology has been very hit and miss.

6 years ago when the state was flush with cash we had the opportunity to write the DHS grant that provided us with a large infusion of cash for both technology and the training needed to use it. It was hoped at the time of that grant that there would be additional funding coming from the state to cover upgrades to the technology along with the additional training needs. Of course, soon after the grant ran out the state started to have financial problems and the money dried up.
Our school still has to find ways to meet the needs of our students from a technology standpoint. As an inner-city school it is too easy for them to fall behind schools and students who are more affluent.

For instance, most of the private schools on the "Westside" have outfitted all of their classrooms with "SmartBoards" and provided the training that goes into using them effectively. K/D, on the other hand, has just one of these devices and it is protected by the instructor, whose classroom it is in, like a momma bear protecting her cub. No one can get near it and it is rarely used for fear that something will go wrong.

With the state budget fiasco there is little hope that we will be getting any large chunks of funding any time in the near future. We as an organization need to start looking to seek out our own sources of external funding. This brings me to the need of forming a non-profit organiztion that will raise money for projects here at the school.

As an inner-city school we are in a prime position to take advantage of the many agencies and other organiztions that are offering to fund projects at schools. Most of them will not give a a hint of a look without the 501(c)3 status.

We need some parents to step forward to help setup this entity and to manage it!

Only then can myself and other members of the staff start the process of writing grant proposals that will have a ligitimate chance of being approved and funded. In this competitive world it is imperative that we all are part of this process, but as a teacher there is only so much we can do.

What sets apart the well-funded successful schools from others is the level of involvement of its parents. Now more than ever we need the parents of the King Drew students to step forward and take the lead on organizing a 501(c)3 for the school.