West Michigan Teacher Starts GoFundMe to Buy Books For Students [Video]

A teacher at  Kenowa Hills Middle School has turned to online fundraising to purchase books for his students.

Fox 17 reports that Ray Koopmans, a Spanish teacher, has raised $7,000 with his GoFundMe campaign.

Mr. Koopmans points out the importance of reading in learning a new language:

“As a secondary to my teaching, we have reading. It’s just another way to get them to see and hear things that they can understand. The bottom line is we want students who can speak and write and the best way to get them there is to provide them with things to hear and read."

 

Koopmans' campaign on GoFundMe asks for funds to help build a library of reading materials and some classroom sets of books.

"This will allow some flexibility in the class so that I can work with students at their level while those students on pace will be capable of gaining input through reading.  The textbook can layout the roadmap for the year, but it is the teachers job to make the language come alive and relate to the students.  A textbook does not talk nor can it realize when a student doesn't understand.  That is why I ask for donations to buy basic reading materials for students so they get enrichment while I get others up to speed."

 

According to Fox 17, GoFundMe reports that there have been more than 4,500 fundraising campaigns for education so far this year in the state of Michigan, raising about $1.2 million dollars.