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EEF seeks community support during Challenge Day on Oct. 30
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
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The Eanes Education Fundation has challenged the community to see how many teacher positions they can fund on Challenge Day this Oct. 30.
As part of EEF’s effort to help fund as many teacher positions as possible in the coming year, a variety of events are planned ffor the event. Pep rallies are planned on every Eanes school district campus, and a spirited tailgate party will be held in the stadium parking lot before the Westlake High School football game against arch rival Austin High.
“As part of our theme for this year’s Annual Giving Campaign – 20IN2010 – we wanted to do a fun community event to pull everyone together and have a fabulous day celebrating and supporting excellence in Eanes ISD,” said Christie Bybee, chair for EEF’s Annual Giving Campaign committee. “The result is Challenge Day, and we know you’re going to love it”
In just 20 minutes during last year’s annual EEF Gala, guests donated $70,000. Challenge Day organizers are hoping for similar results this year.
Pep rallies during student drop off in the morning kick off the day. Parents, along with their children, will be cheering on families as the community comes together to meet the goal of funding 20 teachers in 2010. Parents can drop off donations with volunteers from the comfort of their cars as they drop off children or wait to pick them up.
The tailgate party, co-hosted by the WHS Chaps Club before the game against the Austin Maroons, offers another option to give to EEF.
The EEF board has made a financial commitment that equals funding for two teacher positions. They are challenging the Eanes community to meet or beat their commitment on Challenge Day.
“I have seen my EEF donation from past years impact my two children’s education, said Sara Gieb, an EEF board member for the past four years. “We have an incredible school district that deserves the entire community’s support. I’m so grateful that EEF provides the way for parents to aid in the high standards of education we want for our kids.”
“The funding situation in the state of Texas continues to force us to look to other revenue sources as we work to maintain the excellent education we expect in Eanes ISD,” said Nola Wellman, district superintendent. “Every year, the importance of the community’s support through EEF increases.”
By state law, more than 50 percent of the community’s property taxes are sent back to the state for redistribution to property poor school districts in Texas. The remaining tax revenues fund the district’s yearly operating budget, which includes teacher salaries.
Last year, the foundation funded more than 16 teachers for the district. This year the goal is to fund 20 teachers.
All nine Eanes schools and the district as a whole earned an Exemplary, rating from the Texas Education Agency. Less than 10 percent of schools in the state achieve the distinction ofthis highest rating.
EEF officials maintain that this success is a result of many factors, one of which is the outstanding group of educators who deliver high quality instruction to the district’s 7,200 students.
“We’re looking forward to an exciting, successful day of fundraising,” said Cathy Hoover, Challenge Day coordinator. “With the support of the community, Challenge Day can be just what we need to help us reach our goal of funding 20 teachers. Join us on this special day.”
EEF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
For more information, visit www.eaneseducationfoundation.org or contact Wally Moore at the EEF office, 732-9065 ext. 1.
The Picayune must believe that if EEF keeps saying something it becomes true. The truth is that at most EEF can only say that it is trying to raise the equivalent of the salary of 20 teachers. Even they admit they can’t force the district to use the money for teachers, and because of the shell game they can play with their budget, they are in full control of “forcing” the need to fund teachers by EEF. Shame on EEF for continuing to perpetuate this myth, but even more shame on the Picayune for serving this up without question or comment. You are misleading your readers.
So, parents dropping their children off at school are now going to have to deal with pan handlers pressuring them into donating to EEF in front of their children, neighbors, teachers and the like? No pressure there.
I don’t understand why these two people have such a bad attitude toward supporting their schools. And, why “simply not true” would think that the district doesn’t use the money to fund teachers. What proof do you have for that claim?
The net proceeds fund salaries. If EEF raises $1,000,000 it will be the equivalent of 20 teachers that the district would otherwise not be able to hire.
The school district is one of the best in the country and we are fortunate to live here and send our kids here. Our property values are higher because of the district. It’s not perfect, but it never is.
More than two people have concerns.
There is no way that EEF can insure that their contribution to EISD funds teachers. There is simply no tracking device for their dollars. The money just goes into the pot with all other money. Furthermore, though well-intentioned, their campaign validating that teachers are the first thing to go is enabling this admin to cut teachers. If you’re constantly hearing that teachers are going to be cut, then you accept it when it happens. Why isn’t their leadership asking why teachers are cut before administrators?
It is not a bad attitude to call a lie a lie. It is not a bad attitude to ask that EEF and EISD tell the truth: the reason EISD needs help from EEF to “pay for teachers” is that EISD administrators choose to fund other things first, which shifts the deficit to the teacher pay line item in its huge budget. You seem to agree that teachers make the true difference in Eanes. Don’t they deserve more than to be the last thing our trustees fund? So Naysayer, consider this: would you rather have your child tell you that he spent the night with friends and enjoy a “good attitude” or would you rather know he went to Antones on a fake id? In that situation you know that a lie that makes you comfortable could enable your child to be seriously endangered. You’re free to keep your head in the sand, and think that people who are making you think about the consequences of funding teachers last have a bad attitude. But this lie allows EISD administrators to continue wasteful spending, while increasing class sizes beyond acceptable educational standards, to fund teachers last, and to diminish the quality of education you so apparently think is your birthright as a Westbank citizen (along with, one must suppose, your property value). If you let people lie to you, they will. Again, and again, and again. And you have no right in the future to be shocked when you wake up with a school system you can’t afford. Because when taxes are not enough to fund the public schools, it is naive to believe that private donations will always be there to make up the difference. And I bet you’ll have one heckofa bad attitude then.
Agree wholeheartedly with the last post, “Naysayer: Wake up”. It’s the administrators and coaches who are getting the big raises, not the teachers. The district is adding administrators and coaches and increasing their salaries … at the expense of students and teachers.