Building Math Literacy!

Funded Nov 21, 2011

To my 17 donors,

Thank you for the contributions you have made on DonorsChoose.org, to my classroom, to my students, and to my life. With the donations I have received, over $500 in less than a week, I was able to provide every single one of my students (all 94) with a composition notebook, a folder, two pencils, and an organizations system to hold it all together for each class period. I am humbled and enormously appreciative to receive your donations, your praise, and your trust in this process. As a teacher in a severely underprivileged school and community, the ability to provide my students with every tool they need to succeed is a critical element to my success in the classroom, and my students' success in life.

This job has been an unbelievable journey thus far, filled with many triumphs and defeats. I do battle everyday in this work against illiteracy, intolerance, cultural and racist biases and prejudices, and disillusionment and denial. My students are sometimes very aware of the educational inequity that surrounds them in this neighborhood, this school, and this city. But sometimes, they deny that anything is wrong. If you know me, you know that I question everything. I ask why, and why not. I ask for more, and I ask often. As a teacher, it is my responsibility to teach my students math. It is my responsibility to ensure that my students can achieve advanced levels of math in high school and hopefully in college, and that the math that learn in school will always help them in life. However, as a citizen, it is my duty to teach my students how to live, how to be respectful, how to question their world in an appropriate manner, and how to say "when." I am now in the best position to do this work, to fight these battles, and that is in large part because of you.

I hope to update you all with great news, great work, and success stories authored by my students in the coming months. I know this goes without saying, but you have made my life so much easier, and the work that takes place in my classroom so much more important. Thank you again for the opportunity to be a better teacher for my students. I am sincerely grateful.”

With gratitude,

Mr. Pappas