A new specialty license plate in Arizona, the latest of more than 50 designs, will fund an organization that aims to give small grants to teachers in the state’s public schools, the Arizona Republic reports.
The new plate design, shown at the right, was displayed on the web about a month ago, but as of now, drivers can pay an additional $25 and get them for their cars. About $17 of that fee will go to the “Extraordinary Educators” fund, which will provide small grants for teachers who want to develop unique projects, including field trips and classroom activities, as well as for those who might need to purchase additional classroom supplies.
The idea was launched by Sasha Glassman, a member of the governing board for the Madison School District near Phoenix. In Arizona, the rule is, after the legislature approves each new plate, which is often an uphill battle to begin with, the qualifying nonprofit organization has to raise $32,000 in start-up funds and produce a design that meets various approvals. Extraordinary Educators would have to sell 1,880 plates to break even, but Ms Glassman said she hopes to make a million dollars.
The odds aren’t exactly in her favor, mainly because of the stiff competition on specialty plates in Arizona. But in Massachusetts, 10 of the state’s 19 specialty plates raised over a million dollars last year, including $20.1 million for a fund that benefits development on Cape Cod and $18.3 million raised for the Massachusetts Environmental Trust.
As far as the schools go, the drive couldn’t come at a better time. Funding for public education has been cut severely in Arizona since the beginning of the Recession. The state ranks third among all states in terms of the depth of those cuts.
And although license plates won’t replace that funding or even make a dent in the cuts, the funds raised may provide a few good educational opportunities for kids who have good teachers. Let’s hope the distribution of the small grants will be managed properly to maximize the efficiency of spending on those educational opportunities.
And let’s further hope that the new plates make the public more aware of the drastic cuts suffered by schools in Arizona in recent years.