This time, I'm fundraising for a cause that will probably blow some minds: The "public" schools.
The story, as short as I can make it:
My son is in a government school (first grade), due mostly to his own agitation. We've talked with him about homeschooling, and he will probably eventually make that transition; but for now, he wants to be around a horde of other kids his own age, etc. Since we're paying for it whether he goes or not, since we're confident that we can monitor the ideas he's exposed to and correct the screwed-up ones, and since he likes it, that's where he goes.
Academically, he's ahead of his class and bored as hell. But he loves art -- art class, an after-school "art club," and constant sculpture and drawing at home. He quite obviously has some real talent going (one of his favorite activities is to watch cartoons on the idiot box while simultaneously creating astonishingly true-to-detail, hand-sized sculptures of the characters).
When I picked him up after "art club" today, I was talking with his teacher, who was busily cutting up a bunch of cheap paper she'd found somewhere into sketch-paper-sized sheets. Seems that she doesn't have enough "real" paper (i.e. 76-lb. white construction paper for painting and drawing) to make it through the rest of the school year ... and her requisition got turned down.
You see where I'm going with this, don't you? I'd like to purchase some of this for use in the Mrs. Schmutz's class. My target is $200 worth, but the minimum is $50 to get "free" shipping of the paper and make this a cost-effective thing.
Here's the drill: Anyone who contributes $5 or more to the cause gets a link at the bottom of this article (and, when I get to it, in my blogroll). Advisory: The links aren't quite as valuable as they used to be. Technorati seems to have "lost" about 200 links to this site since my last such promotion, so I'm in the top 4,000 instead of the top 3,000 ... but I suspect a permanent link is easily worth a fiver if you're looking for Google PageRank (Kn@ppster is a 6) and such. The offer runs until this article rolls off the front page (but the links will, of course, remain in the archive).
I'll even make it easy for you:
Please -- drop me a line after you contribute -- I don't want to miss any links or have the money get mixed up with other incoming PayPal payments.
For those seeking a spiff in the form of libertarian outreach, when I deliver the paper, I plan to ask the teacher to let her kids know the Free Market, in its Invisible-Handed Goodness, is carrying them as free riders ;-) I rather suspect that she'll understand and appreciate that, as she seems rather smart and competent to be working where she is.
Contributors to Daniel's Art Class Paper Drive
Mr. X
A Pox On All Their Houses
Social Memory Complex
Granny Geek
Running total: $40.00
Update (this section will change as things develop): With $40 contributed, I just placed the first order with Staples:
Order number: 9160425105
Item 432881
Construction Paper, 12" x 18", White Expected business-day delivery: Tue 02/28 Qty: 13.0
at $3.99 50 Sheets/Pack
$51.87
Subtotal: $51.87
Coupons: $0.00
Delivery: $0.00
Pre-Tax Subtotal: $51.87
Thanks for the help so far -- if more money comes in, more paper will be ordered. I'll also make sure that Mrs. Schmutz knows about the bloggers who helped her out.
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