The devastating fires in Los Angeles have left over 600,000 students displaced, with schools on varying timelines to reopen and serve students again. Teachers like Cathy T., a 6th grade teacher who is retiring in May, are stepping up to support their colleagues and students during this challenging time.
Cathy offered to donate her classroom supplies for next year to teachers in need through the We Are Teachers Helpline. Despite not receiving any responses yet, she understands that teachers are still reeling from the impact of the fires and waiting to hear where they will be relocated to.
As teachers start to assess their needs moving forward, here are five ways to support them, as suggested by the We Are Teachers community:
1. Send letters of encouragement: Encourage your students to write letters or engage in a letter-writing campaign to show support for teachers and students affected by the fires.
2. Keep an eye out for wish lists: Watch for online wish lists from teachers and schools in need of basic supplies like pencils, markers, and paper.
3. Donate books: Consider donating books to teachers and schools in impacted areas. High school English teacher Veronica Bane has set up a book donation form for educators to request or donate books.
4. Check out GoFundMe: Visit fundraising pages on GoFundMe to support individual teachers or schools in need of financial assistance.
5. Donate to SupplyBank.org: The California Department of Education has partnered with SupplyBank.org to direct resources to impacted schools. Consider making a general donation to support schools in need.
By coming together and offering support in various ways, we can help teachers and students in Los Angeles rebuild and recover from the devastating impact of the fires. Subscribe to our newsletters for more articles and resources on how to support schools impacted by natural disasters.
