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- Contact local community civic organizations that give small
grants to teachers and schools such as Civitans, Rotary, Lions Club, Kiwanis,
etc. Offer to speak at their meeting. Bring Dr. Mel Levine's book A Mind at
a Time and describe how your school wants to learn all students learn. Ask
the club for a matching grant to help with tuition.
- Contact your college of education alumni association to see
what scholarship or professional development funds are available. Offer to
come and talk to undergraduate classes about what you've learned.
- The Chamber of Commerce, local Realtor's board or business
forum may provide matching funds for scholarships to a school team in the
community. This might be particularly effective if the school has been designated
“failing" or otherwise targeted for intervention.
- Ask your local teacher union or association if some funds
are available for teacher professional development for members. Often, professional
development funds are available for conference attendance or study groups.
Offer to write an article for the local teacher newsletter following your
Schools Attuned training. At a national level, check out the National Fund
for Improvement of Education – a teacher grant making program from the
NEA.
- Education Week and Teacher Magazine list grant monies available
to teachers for various study and professional development opportunities.
Visit www.edweek.org or www.teachermagazine.org.
- Educational and professional sororities and fraternities
are also excellent sources for scholarship money. Sometimes professional groups
such as the Mexican-American Bar Association may provide assistance to teachers
working on professional development that will benefit struggling minority
students.
- Involve the local PTA or other community group. Sponsor
a penny drive called "Schools Attuned Makes Good Cents." The donated
change can support tuition, purchasing Dr. Levine's books or the Developing
Minds video library.
- Local merchants have community "give backs” to
schools. Check with your supermarket or local Target for their education programs
in your school.
- Churches, synagogues and other faith-based community organizations
sometime support teachers wanting to develop their skills to better serve
at-risk learners.
- Meet with your state and federal school liaison to see what
ESEA funds can be used for professional development under the No Child Left
Behind Act. Also inquire about IDEA funds that will help teachers learn how
to offer better "inclusion" programs.
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