Dear Governor Kemp;
I’m reaching out as a long time Georgia educator with an urgent request for help. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced our children out of the classroom and many families are struggling to get essential educational support in this emergency. Parents in our great state need help. They need basic essentials during this pandemic.
Take action here for all families to get resources during the pandemic.
Right now there are over 100 million dollars in education funding via GEER funding. These funds are controlled by the Governor. Some of these funds have been used. In states like Oklahoma and South Carolina, their Governors have taken effective action to help families.
Over the past few months, I’ve watched Governor’s in several states create programs to bring direct educational relief to families. These programs are funded with CARES Act money and especially the GEER funds, which you control.
I ask you to follow their lead and give parents a hand by creating a similar program to help us pay for educational materials and other services we aren’t receiving while our schools are closed.
Email Governor Kemp asking him to provide relief to GA families!
By creating a program like this, you would be a champion for the hundreds of thousands of moms and dads, who know the specific needs of their family and are struggling to figure out a way to help their children learn this year.
These funds might support hiring a tutor to address learning loss, paying fees for a safe learning place for the children of working parents, laptops or wireless connectivity for a rural family or adaptive equipment for a child with specific learning needs.
A program like this would have the best chance of quickly and effectively allowing families to obtain the materials and services that can best help their child bridge the gap during the pandemic.
I hope you will put Georgia students first and consider giving relief to families that need it the most.
Sincerely,
Jason B. Allen; Georgia Educator
Jason B. Allen is a Special Education Teacher in Georgia. He is a member of the Association of American Educators (AAE) and an AAE Foundation Advocacy Fellow.
Jason has worked in education for over 15 years as a teacher, blogger and community advocate. He speaks and writes primarily about the need to improve education for Black boys, particularly increasing the number of Black male educators in schools. In addition to blogging here at EdLanta, Jason is also a featured writer at Education Post.