the “Teacher Organ Program” – a creative way of school financing

August 5, 2011

0Points

Anyone around schools has seen the desperate lengths to which educators and parents are now going attempting to maintain programs, both academic and extra-curricular. While at the Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action last weekend, I encountered a woman who had had a biting letter published in a local newspaper. I have her permission to publish it in its entirety, which I will do. We cannot, however, link to or in any way directly reference the publication in which it appeared. I do want to offer that publication kudoes for having the courage to print the letter, which I now present to you: Thinking outside the box The problem with school financing is that we haven't gotten creative enough. While in college, my son earned $100 each month by donating plasma. If a bloodmobile could be deployed monthly to each public school, its staff could pump in an extra $30,000 to $40,000 annually. For "frills" like music, art and PE, we would need to be more creative. Establishing a Teacher Organ Program (T.O.P.) could be a win-win. Here's how: For every organ a teacher donates, wealthy philanthropists interested in education reform make a tax-deductible donation to the school. Just picture - smiling teachers in hospital gowns with their principals displaying $50,000 checks while thankful recipients of a lifesaving kidney look on. This would give "Race to the T.O.P." a whole new meaning! With moves the Legislature is making, principals could utilize organ harvesting as a viable funding stream into the foreseeable future. Without due process, a principal could rate a few veteran teachers unsatisfactory, moving them to the top of the layoff list. This would make room for new teachers who still had both kidneys intact! While I realize this proposal wouldn't address the entire shortfall, in today's climate, it feels like the type of out-of-the-box thinking that just might fly. - Sandra L. Hunt, Seattle

Anyone around schools has seen the desperate lengths to which educators and parents are now going attempting to maintain programs, both academic and extra-curricular.

While at the Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action last weekend, I encountered a woman who had had a biting letter published in a local newspaper. I have her permission to publish it in its entirety, which I will do. We cannot, however, link to or in any way directly reference the publication in which it appeared. I do want to offer that publication kudoes for having the courage to print the letter, which I now present to you:

Thinking outside the box
The problem with school financing is that we haven’t gotten creative enough. While in college, my son earned $100 each month by donating plasma. If a bloodmobile could be deployed monthly to each public school, its staff could pump in an extra $30,000 to $40,000 annually. [“Senate approves budget with big cuts to education,” NWTuesday, April 19.]
For “frills” like music, art and PE, we would need to be more creative. Establishing a Teacher Organ Program (T.O.P.) could be a win-win.
Here’s how: For every organ a teacher donates, wealthy philanthropists interested in education reform make a tax-deductible donation to the school.
Just picture – smiling teachers in hospital gowns with their principals displaying $50,000 checks while thankful recipients of a lifesaving kidney look on. This would give “Race to the T.O.P.” a whole new meaning!
With moves the Legislature is making, principals could utilize organ harvesting as a viable funding stream into the foreseeable future. Without due process, a principal could rate a few veteran teachers unsatisfactory, moving them to the top of the layoff list. This would make room for new teachers who still had both kidneys intact!
While I realize this proposal wouldn’t address the entire shortfall, in today’s climate, it feels like the type of out-of-the-box thinking that just might fly.
– Sandra L. Hunt, Seattle