A report from TCF states that "The four states that implemented the largest state-wide cuts to public education following the Great Recession—Oklahoma, New Mexico, Florida, and Arizona—are all among the ten worst states for funding gaps per pupil." Using that information, we would attempt to start there. Another article from USA Today tells how bad lack of funding really is. "Wyoming's Fremont County School District 21 is relatively small, with just three operational school buildings and only about 500 students total. In the district, which is located on the Wind River Indian Reservation, per pupil spending comes to over $28,000 per student – well above the state's relatively high per pupil spending figure of $16,537. The district has a child poverty rate of over 30%, the highest such figure in the state. Just 10% of adults in the district have a college education, the lowest share of any district in Wyoming."
We often get the question why we do it for some and not all. They ask why just limit ourselves to one population of people. Here at Ready to R.E.A.D., we take education seriously. Think about it like this: you have a million dollars. Do you give it to a rich man or a homeless man? We do a lot of research in order to ensure that the resources we are giving gets into the right hands. We are also told quite often that we can lead the horse to the water but you can’t make it drink it. That may be the case in some situations, but we want to do whatever we can to make it possible for people who actually need help to get the help and materials they need.
ABOUT US
Our vision is to provide books, school supplies, and possibly even money to students in underfunded communities. As a person who grew up without many resources, it only feels right to try to give what I never had growing up. According to an article from The Hill, "Low teacher pay, segregated schools and equity gaps continue to fall squarely along racial income lines 64 years after Brown v. Board of Education keeping whole generations of children in our country from reaching their full potential." This supports the idea that lack of funding is a prime cause of low graduation rates across America.
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