Source: United States General Services Administration
May 3, 2023
I watch “Abbott Elementary”, a TV show about teachers in an underfunded school district. The characters often complain about trying to do their best while not having the tools they need to do their jobs. I admire how they come up with solutions and appreciate their resilience.
The reality is worse.
Here in the National Capital Region—our nation’s capital—many students and teachers don’t have chairs to sit in or desks to put their books and notebooks on. In many schools, students sit on the vents along the wall. I can’t imagine how they concentrate enough to learn every day.
Afra Brown of the Prince George’s County Office of School Health explained that some teachers had been injured by splintered desks and unstable chairs.
Here’s where GSA comes in.
Our Federal Acquisition Service initiatives, like the Personal Property Management Program’s Computers for Learning and Furniture for Schools, help local teachers and students.
On Thursday, April 20, local teachers and school administrators met at the GSA Personal Property Center warehouse in Springfield, Virginia. They were able to get
- 60 laptop computers;
- basic school supplies like copy paper, pens, and paper clips; and
- all of the desks and chairs they could transport.
NCR Regional Administrator Elliot Doomes was there to talk to the teachers and administrators. Doomes explained he was excited about distributing furniture and supplies. These GSA programs increase children’s chances of getting an education: “Education is key, and providing children access to technology prepares them, our future leaders, for success.”
FAS Regional Commissioner Darrick Early echoed Doomes sentiments, saying , “Transferring computers to schools like the ones you work for gives students the resources they need to
succeed. The goal of CFL is to make modern computer technology an integral part of every classroom so that every child has the opportunity to be educated to his or her full potential.”
Tamala Jones, Property Disposal Specialist, announced that each teacher would receive 60 laptops and a collection of basic school supplies. They could then choose from the vast array of desks, and the sea of chairs that crowded the entire warehouse.
All the teachers had to do was simply add the name of their school to the items. GSA warehouse staff then loaded the furniture into the teachers’ vehicles. Some teachers used their personal money to rent a vehicle to move the furniture.
Helen Compton of the Richard Wright DC Public Chartered School spoke of a recent social and emotional learning directive requiring her district to create a “calm space for teachers” as a part of their commitment to wellness. “If it were not for GSA, we would not be able to comply with this order.”
They were grateful for GSA’s donations and happy to be back in business, teaching students who want to learn.
The recurring sentiment was gratitude when asked if the teachers wanted GSA to know anything.