Save the Teachers

Most parents agree that cutting teacher jobs isn’t beneficial for their kids, but Boston-area parent Scott Jones was so frustrated that he started a campaign, aptly named Save the Teachers. With schools in Georgetown, Mass., facing a budget shortfall due to the failure of a proposed property tax increase, the father of four decided to raise the money from private donors. I can’t sit back and watch the schools decay another year, watch the kids suffer, and do nothing,” Jones says. He and a handful of volunteers have raised more than $18,000 in the past month by passing out fliers, making phone calls, and sending out e-mails, with distribution help from local schools. In order to bring back the equivalent of the 7.8 full-time jobs that have been cut, more than $200,000 still needs to be raised by next month—though the district may be able to supplement Jones’ funds by drawing on a new budget allotment. While some local officials question whether parents should be involved in collecting revenue for teacher salaries, the district’s superintendent, Larry Borin, understands Jones’ motivation: “I think the fact that Scott has put together an initiative to try to secure funds in order to restore some of the positions that are lost is terrific because ultimately that will impact what takes place in the classroom for students day in and day out.”