This is my first diary, so cut me some slack. I am horrified by what is happening in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama as I'm sure you all are. I want to help there so badly, but personal circumstances prevent me from actually going there myself. I just saw a news conference with Governor Rick Perry in which he said the state of Texas was going to start accepting the refugees from the area to help ease the burden on NO and the gulf area. he also mentioned that the Texas schools would absorb the students so the kids can get back to learning.
Let's think about that for a second. There are going to be thousands of students added to the already strained (I can only imagine it is like every other urban school district in America) Houston Public School System. It is a noble offer, but one that will tax the building capacity, student/teacher ratio, school cafeteria system via the free/reduced lunch program, and supplies of the district, i.e. textbooks, copy paper, etc. There has to be a way to ease that burden.
I have a rough idea, but I need for someone in the government to spearhead the plan and get it implemented. Really, any plan would be great, but I will share my idea anyway. We have thousands of retired teachers who now struggle to make it on their retirement pensions. Most of those teachers, like most teachers in general, went into education to help kids. Well, those kids are in dire need right now. We could ask willing retired teachers to go to Houston and the surrounding area to ease the burden of class size. I am a teacher, not a school finance wizard, so I need some help with paying them and creating space for them to teach as well as providing the materials. There is another group of untapped minds to help as well- licensed teachers who are unemployed.
We could also issue a call for all the newly licensed teachers who could not find employment in education and ask if they would like to go teach in return for pay and forgiveness of some or all of their college debt. This would also provide a fantastic system of mentors- the retired teachers also there helping- for the new teachers. It's a win-win-win-win situation. I just need help getting the idea to the proper people who can work out the nitty gritty details of a plan. This community seems well connected, so do your best!