Amazon Donates $2M For "Immediate Needs" Fund for SPS Students
Via GeekWire:
I want this money to be tracked down to the penny as to how much actually goes directly to SPS students or classrooms.
I'd like to know how much the Alliance will charge for the bookkeeping (as they currently do for PTA funds).
I want to note that SPS has no official, documented relationship with the Alliance for Education. That MOU was severed several years back when the Alliance overstepped - multiple times in multiple ways - in district work and function.
I also see that an Amazon VP is also a member of the Alliance's Board. Could this be a move to get the Alliance back into the good graces of SPS?
Amazon is announcing a $2 million grant to help Seattle school students. But the focus isn’t the latest shiny education technology. Instead, it’s that missing raincoat, a weekend backpack full of food, or unaffordable school supplies.
Amazon’s donation to the Alliance for Education, which is an organization that works closely with Seattle Public Schools, will create what the company calls a new “Right Now Needs Fund” to meet the urgent needs of individual students. The Alliance will administer the grant, designed to cover the current 2018-19 and the following 2019-20 school years
Amazon says the Alliance will distribute the funds to schools based on student needs, with higher poverty schools getting more support.
The only condition, Amazon says, is that fund spending has to directly benefit students and can’t replace items currently in the district’s budget.This is great news. Naturally, though, I have a few caveats.
I want this money to be tracked down to the penny as to how much actually goes directly to SPS students or classrooms.
I'd like to know how much the Alliance will charge for the bookkeeping (as they currently do for PTA funds).
I want to note that SPS has no official, documented relationship with the Alliance for Education. That MOU was severed several years back when the Alliance overstepped - multiple times in multiple ways - in district work and function.
I also see that an Amazon VP is also a member of the Alliance's Board. Could this be a move to get the Alliance back into the good graces of SPS?
Comments
Nonprofit fan
Fairmount Parent
I suppose a teacher could submit a request ("I have three students who need jacket and warm shoes") or maybe a principal/school admin could ("We have 100 FRL students and many need such and such, so we want to set up a supply cabinet filled with these items so we can disburse them to FRL students as needed"). Potentially families could apply on behalf of their students, too--although those most in need are probably least likely to access the fund?
It will be interesting to see how they set this up in a way that maintains student privacy.
unclear
How would one go about making that happen?
Perhaps they could divide the money into pots:
- food/hunger - for free lunch/take home food
- clothing - for winter gear/sports uniforms (not sure if this gets covered anyway)
- academic needs - books, etc.
- field trips - Juneau brings this up frequently as an equity issue.
-Long Road