"This is to make classrooms more vibrant, exciting, engaging." - Teacher Instructional Support Grant

Dr. Denise Watts: This is to take the classroom learning and experience to a new level.

Jennifer Hughes: I was so happy the day that I got that email that we were all going to get this, and I could not wait to come and share this with all the people that I work with.

Ken Slats: Teachers like Jennifer Hughes at Southwest Elementary set to take advantage of the one time $500 teacher grant for unique supplies and extras.

Jennifer Hughes: A lot of teachers, we spend our own money getting supplies and trying to decorate our classrooms and make them welcoming for our students. We really want them to have such a great experience.

Dr. Denise Watts: The basics are covered. This is to make classrooms more vibrant, more exciting, more engaging. So we are super excited about that and we know we'll see the benefit in our student experience.

Alfred McGuire: It helps the kids to have a piece of ownership when they come into the classroom, and it allows teachers to really work to develop those strong relationships with the students as well. Just by adding those unique pieces.

Jennifer Hughes: All teachers take a lot of pride in their classroom. And that's kind of your home away from home. And it just said something. It says something about you as an educator.

Ken Slats:  Unique in a sense of inviting, inviting for students to want to come to school, to want to be a part of a class. It's an investment from the district level to our educators.

Dr. Denise Watts: We believe in our teachers. We know the teacher is the number one factor that influences student learning, and this investment in them is just one way we want to signal how important they are and how we want to equip them with what they need, and more to do the very best they can to inspire our students.

Alfred McGuire: When the news came out that teachers were receiving those funds, I mean, it was a tremendous, piece that added to the morale and what was going on on our campus. And teachers are just excited about, again, just knowing that they're being supported and having, you know, the $500 just does a lot of that. It really helps to build a morale and a collaborative culture here on our campus.

Jennifer Hughes: This is a statement that they actually that there is value, that they do value us and that they understand and they see the things that we're trying to do and accomplish and that they're supporting that, that they're getting behind us in that mission.

Ken Slats: Full support for teachers to create their best environment for learning, for RPS. I'm Ken Slats.