I want them to look at it, touch it, feel it. If they rip it, no loss. Other books come from book clubs, which tend to throw in extras, like stickers that she can use as rewards for good behavior. It would be great if the school district could do it. But I think it's part of my job to do what I can to let the kids have what they need.
Teachers also seek funding outside the school district.
Many have written successful grant proposals on their own time - like the Goals 2000 grant that bought the computers and a grant for books that Bornstein, the elementary school reading specialist, wrote and won from the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce. Understandably, the district has a hard time attracting and keeping new teachers. We turn into a training ground for them. After so many years in Allenstown, they risk losing pensions and seniority by moving to a new district. One such teacher is Barbara Lund, a science teacher who has taught in Allenstown for eight of her 25-year teaching career.