ATLANTA — A letter from Oprah Winfrey last week seemed like the world's best Christmas present — until teacher Ron Clark noticed an extra piece of paper flutter out of the envelope.
That's when the Atlanta educator saw the $365,000 check for the innovative private school he opened in one of the city's poorest neighborhoods in 2007. It was, quite literally, an answer to a prayer.
"We teach school all day and fundraise at night," said Clark, who finds private donors to pay most of the $14,000 annual tuition for each student. "To have an unsolicited gift come like that is incredible."
Clark surprised his students with the news of the donation Wednesday morning in a gathering at the south Atlanta school. The children, parents and teachers erupted in deafening cheers when he showed off the check.
Several cried at the news.
"Everything they learn is enhanced because of the teachers' dedication and creativity," said a tearful Gloria Nesmith, whose son, Cameron, is a fifth-grader at the academy. "And Oprah noticed. I'm just overwhelmed."
The donation, which likely will go to scholarships for students, would pay for 26 children to attend the school for one year, Clark said. The 80-student middle school depends almost entirely on donations to operate.
No comments:
Post a Comment