Inspiring Teachers Sends a Call to Help Teachers After Katrina

Teachers in the devastated areas after Katrina need help.

(PRWEB) September 9, 2005 -- The devastation and after-affects of Katrina are spreading far and wide. There are teachers who no longer have a teaching position and have no idea whether there will be a teaching position waiting for them later. At this point the Orleans Parish is not even sure whether they will open again for the 2006-2007 school year. This means that many teachers are now without a job, a home, and supplies to begin teaching in a new location (if possible). There are schools in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and as far reaching as Virginia that are taking in new students who have been temporarily relocated. For some of these districts, they are also looking for more teachers to accommodate the increased student populations.

There are many different organizations already dedicated to helping the victims of Katrina. We want to encourage all teachers to support those teachers and students displaced by this devastating storm. Below are a list of links to learn more about what has happened in the hardest hit school districts and ways you can help.

National Education Association - www.nea.org/katrina/index.html has pledged 1 million dollars to the relief effort. They also have some excellent resources for addressing this devastation with students and for working with students and teachers displaced by the storm. They also have a place where you can make a donation towards the relief fund.

Louisiana Department of Education - http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/index.html provides updates on the districts hardest hit by the hurricane and offers a variety of resources for displaced teachers, students, and parents. They have home study options for students as well as a Frequently Asked Questions page. If you are a displaced teacher, administrator, or staff member from Louisiana, this is an excellent site to get reconnected. If you are interested in what is happening and ways you can help, this site is an excellent source of information.

Alabama Department of Education - http://www.alsde.edu/html/home.asp is offering help for displaced teachers and students.

Mississippi Department of Education - ftp://research.mde.k12.ms.us/pub/HKDP.htm site is also offering updates for displaced teachers and students as well as information on what is happening with those districts hardest hit.

Hurricane Help for Schools - http://www.ed.gov/news/hurricane/index.html is a site from the US Department of Education designed to help get supplies to those schools and teachers who are taking in new students from the devastated areas. You can view what different schools need and let them know what you are able to provide. If you are a school in an area taking on new students, you can list the items needed.

As teachers we know how difficult it is to get started from scratch. Many teachers in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida are now without a classroom, without necessary supplies, and many have lost everything. By joining forces we, teachers in America and in other countries, can try to help them recover and move forward. As the relief efforts continue, Inspiring Teachers will keep newsletter and website visitors updated with new resources available.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this storm.

If you have any questions, comments, or supplies you would like to share, please let us know and we will try to gather the information and get it where it is needed.

This news release was reprinted from a special notice newsletter written by Emma S. McDonald, M.Ed. sent to subscribers of the Inspiring Teachers Weekly e-Newsletter. Visit http://www.inspiringteachers.com/community/newsletter.html to sign up.

Emma McDonald has been educating children and adults for 14 years. Her strategies have been featured in Instructor and other educational magazines. She is also the co-author of the world renowned Survival Kit for New Teachers and Classrooms that Spark! She currently works with the Teacher Preparation and Certification program at the Region 10 Education Service Center in Texas, presents staff development sessions on a variety of topics, and supports new and veteran teachers at her Web site www.inspiringteachers.com.

Journalists: for interviews and review copies of books: 757-496-9355.

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