Ellen DeGeneres: Public education’s new funding stream

[mucifer]

Ellen DeGeneres just hosted on her television show a teacher from a Pennsylvania public school district that ran out of money — prompting unionized teachers to vote to work without pay — and handed her a $100,000 check for her school.

And it was just six weeks ago when pop star Justin Bieber, appearing on The Ellen Show, gave a $100,000 check to the principal of a high-poverty school in Las Vegas who had gone to extremes to help her students and their families with food, electric bills and more to help ensure they could get an education.

Ellen, the new funding stream for public education.

If you think that’s a joke, it is, but the way public school systems are funded is probably no less nutty than letting Ellen do it. The system essentially ensures that wealthy areas get more money for their public school children and less for students from poor families — the very kids who need more help. And if you think that federal Title 1 money that goes to poor schools makes up the difference, you are wrong...


more at http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/ellen-degeneres-public-educations-new-funding-stream/2012/02/02/gIQA0GcDlQ_blog.html

[RockaFowler]

1. Love Ellen

She is doing so much to raise the awareness that our schools need help. I commend her for her efforts. She truly is a one-of-a-kind

[Little Star]

2. Ellen is a fantastic human being and she is funny too! k&r

[izquierdista]

3. Well, she IS the 1%

She may have started out like the rest of us, riding the school bus to go to public school, but her earnings from TV have definitely put her in the 1%. It's nice that she remembers what going without is like and can help people. But this just points out how the system has completely broken down. When it doesn't work, schools have to luck out and find a rich donor; when it works, taxes take care of that matching up of funds and needs.

[flobee1]

4. The 1%

isn't so much that they have that much money, its what they do with it. If she used it to buy politicians and buy special favours to make herself more money, she would definitely be the 1% and must be stopped by any means available. But she is using her status for the benefit of good.


not to mention people like her probably give Pat Robertson nightmares, so, Go Ellen!

[bullwinkle428]

5. K&R for Ellen's fantastic support for the 99%ers.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. She just gave (along with Target) $100,000 to Asbell Elementary School

for new playground equipment. If I understood it, this Fayetteville school is but one out of 50 winners.