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This teacher needs your help!

Mr. Kelly from Saint Louis, MO is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mr. Kelly is requesting

The Achievement Gap is a Literacy Gap

My students need 30 copies each of "After Tupac and D Foster", "Slam", and "Speak".

FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Kelly's classroom raised $921

This project is fully funded

The achievement gap in America today is in many ways a literacy gap. Starting at low grade levels, students in low-income communities quickly fall behind on reading, which limits their growth across the curriculum. I work in a low-income, high-need middle school in Missouri.

In tackling the literacy gap, an important first step is finding texts that excite my students, and texts to which they can relate. Unfortunately, my school has very few class sets of books which my students enjoy.

We had incredible success in the first half of the year with a few Coretta Scott King award winners, and the titles I have chosen are ones that students in similar schools have thoroughly enjoyed. In choosing these texts, "After Tupac and D Foster," "Slam," and "Speak," I am hoping to engage my students in reading and in themes that will help them grow. While my students are only middle schoolers, we have an ongoing conversation about how their work now will set them up for college. Providing them opportunities to get excited about reading is one of the best ways to get them excited about their futures.

Your support will make it possible for my students to get excited about reading. They will learn not only about themes that will help them grow and mature as individuals, but they will also develop a love for reading that will propel them to defy the odds and go on to do great things in high school and college.

Mr. Kelly Gateway Mst Middle School Grades 6-8

Celebrate Black teachers and kids! This project supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of students are Black.

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Saint Louis, MO View local requests

Nearly all students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

50 students impacted 12donors

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Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Mr. Kelly is requesting.

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TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Speak Laurie Halse Anderson • Barnes and Noble $8.00 30 $240.00
After Tupac and D Foster Jacqueline Woodson • Barnes and Noble $7.19 30 $215.70
Slam! Walter Dean Myers • Barnes and Noble $6.29 30 $188.70

Materials cost

$644.40

Vendor shipping charges

 $64.44

Sales tax

 $27.26

3rd party payment processing fee

$9.67

Fulfillment labor & materials

$9.00

Total project cost

$754.77

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$165.68

Total project goal

$920.45

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $920.45

12 Donors

-$910.57

Donations toward project cost

-$754.77

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$155.80

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$9.88

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Kelly and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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