Picture: Homecoming Queen, 1963
The sheer volume of effective digital resources available to teachers, and the absence of substantive staff development to train teachers on how to implement them, has created a crises-gap between what teachers should know and can do. This is especially true in how to infuse technology to promote 21st Century skills. Every child must have daily access to rigorous, responsive and relevant instruction, the hallmark of the Common Core; however, the digital tools currently available to promote critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication, as well as significantly improve teaching and student engagement are accelerating at such a startling rate, teachers are no longer “climbing the learning curve”, they are “flat lining”.
To resolve this catastrophe, I seek to leverage the probability of my retirement as a vehicle to raise funds to underwrite the types of transformative staff development I’ve experienced and transfer these skills to other teachers. If I have to retire, then at least my 46 years can be converted into “my legacy”--authentic staff development for other teachers, staff development that not only relies on experts in the field, but more importantly, finances the gift of time teachers desperately need to internalize and implement new strategies.
DONATION OPPORTUNTIES
Number 1
. DONATE DIRECTLY TO “NMUSD”
In the memo part of your check, write, “Lincoln Elementary-Claire Ratfield Staff Development Fund”. You could send donation by mail, or bring a check to the Lincoln office.
Below is a suggested donation letter to guarantee that your donation will be dedicated to staff development. You will receive a tax donation from Newport-Mesa Unified School District. Your donation will celebrate the potential in every teacher, helping to promote a 21st Century "culture of competence” at Lincoln.
Email: cgammel@nmusd.us
Pam Bertsch Pbertsch@nmusd.us
Lincoln Elementary
3101 Pacific View
Corona Del Mar, CA 92625
Dear Ms. Gammel,
On behalf of Mrs. Ratfield, the _____ Family would like to donate monies to support Claire Ratfield’s staff development visions: sending teachers to workshops, or bringing in experts to train teachers. Most importantly, she envisions funding the critical processing time teachers need to internalize and implement what they have learned.
We enjoy knowing our family will be an integral part of her vision of promoting a recurring theme of renewing and refreshing Lincoln’s school climate.
Please accept _______to fund any staff development that Mrs. Ratfield approves.
We understand that this donation will be sent to the Newport-Mesa non-profit, and we will receive a 501 (c)3 tax donation receipt.
Sincerely,
DONATION OPPORTUNITY
Number 2
Despite the popularity of “crowd funding”, I’ve created “Claire funding”, a means to dedicate funds to promote enhanced teacher skills, first at Lincoln, then based on response, ultimately “scale up”, and expand capacity building to other district sites. Even at a school level, this is an expensive proposition.
If interested in contributing to my vision, please consider the two choices outlined below.
Thanking you in advance,
Claire F. Ratfield
DONATE DIRECTLY TO:
“Claire Ratfield Educational Services”
Because of Lincoln’s appalling technology limitations, I have barely accessed what I know and can do. Also, district restrictions on software installation makes implementation of innovative programs all the more difficult.
Note: When you donate to Lincoln Elementary, your funds only support staff development, but not technology. By filtering your donation through this DBA, I can mix technology platforms by purchasing cheap class laptops (Asus/Windows), and used I-pads, then label them as “Bring Your Own Devices”. This will allow me to load my own choice of software, like the engineering program “Minecraft EDU, in addition, purchase site licenses for ever evolving software and 21st Century products like a 3D printer and robotics.
DONATION OPPORTUNITY
NUMBER 3
I am in the process of creating a foundation. When I receive my EIN number, you can donate directly, online.
The goal of the foundation will be to target larger scale projects.
The sheer volume of effective digital resources available to teachers, and the absence of substantive staff development to train teachers on how to implement them, has created a crises-gap between what teachers should know and can do. This is especially true in how to infuse technology to promote 21st Century skills. Every child must have daily access to rigorous, responsive and relevant instruction, the hallmark of the Common Core; however, the digital tools currently available to promote critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication, as well as significantly improve teaching and student engagement are accelerating at such a startling rate, teachers are no longer “climbing the learning curve”, they are “flat lining”.
To resolve this catastrophe, I seek to leverage the probability of my retirement as a vehicle to raise funds to underwrite the types of transformative staff development I’ve experienced and transfer these skills to other teachers. If I have to retire, then at least my 46 years can be converted into “my legacy”--authentic staff development for other teachers, staff development that not only relies on experts in the field, but more importantly, finances the gift of time teachers desperately need to internalize and implement new strategies.
DONATION OPPORTUNTIES
Number 1
. DONATE DIRECTLY TO “NMUSD”
In the memo part of your check, write, “Lincoln Elementary-Claire Ratfield Staff Development Fund”. You could send donation by mail, or bring a check to the Lincoln office.
Below is a suggested donation letter to guarantee that your donation will be dedicated to staff development. You will receive a tax donation from Newport-Mesa Unified School District. Your donation will celebrate the potential in every teacher, helping to promote a 21st Century "culture of competence” at Lincoln.
Email: cgammel@nmusd.us
Pam Bertsch Pbertsch@nmusd.us
Lincoln Elementary
3101 Pacific View
Corona Del Mar, CA 92625
Dear Ms. Gammel,
On behalf of Mrs. Ratfield, the _____ Family would like to donate monies to support Claire Ratfield’s staff development visions: sending teachers to workshops, or bringing in experts to train teachers. Most importantly, she envisions funding the critical processing time teachers need to internalize and implement what they have learned.
We enjoy knowing our family will be an integral part of her vision of promoting a recurring theme of renewing and refreshing Lincoln’s school climate.
Please accept _______to fund any staff development that Mrs. Ratfield approves.
We understand that this donation will be sent to the Newport-Mesa non-profit, and we will receive a 501 (c)3 tax donation receipt.
Sincerely,
DONATION OPPORTUNITY
Number 2
Despite the popularity of “crowd funding”, I’ve created “Claire funding”, a means to dedicate funds to promote enhanced teacher skills, first at Lincoln, then based on response, ultimately “scale up”, and expand capacity building to other district sites. Even at a school level, this is an expensive proposition.
If interested in contributing to my vision, please consider the two choices outlined below.
Thanking you in advance,
Claire F. Ratfield
DONATE DIRECTLY TO:
“Claire Ratfield Educational Services”
Because of Lincoln’s appalling technology limitations, I have barely accessed what I know and can do. Also, district restrictions on software installation makes implementation of innovative programs all the more difficult.
Note: When you donate to Lincoln Elementary, your funds only support staff development, but not technology. By filtering your donation through this DBA, I can mix technology platforms by purchasing cheap class laptops (Asus/Windows), and used I-pads, then label them as “Bring Your Own Devices”. This will allow me to load my own choice of software, like the engineering program “Minecraft EDU, in addition, purchase site licenses for ever evolving software and 21st Century products like a 3D printer and robotics.
DONATION OPPORTUNITY
NUMBER 3
I am in the process of creating a foundation. When I receive my EIN number, you can donate directly, online.
The goal of the foundation will be to target larger scale projects.