Today is a new tradition called “Giving Day.” It is a time to support charities and causes that you care about. Giving to others makes you feel good. Give what you can afford.

 

When Pope Francis arrived in Uganda last week, he said:

 

“The Gospel tells us that from those to whom much has been given, much will be demanded. In that spirit, I encourage you to work with integrity and transparency for the common good.”

 

That should be the spirit of #GivingDay.

 

I would like to share with you the names of the groups that I am supporting. I hope you will consider sending a contribution to one of these groups. All of these organizations support the common good, with integrity and transparency.

 

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The Network for Public Education. NPE is fighting the privatization of public education and high-stakes testing. It advocates for a better education for all children, for the arts and a full curriculum, and for strengthening the education profession. The Network for Public Education Fund is fiscally sponsored by Voices for Education, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The donate button is on this page: http://www.networkforpubliceducation.org

 

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I will contribute to a program I created at Wellesley College to support public education and the common good. The fund, administered by the Education Department, sponsors an annual lecture, student internships in local public schools, research projects, seminars, subsidies for students who can’t afford to pay fees for state certification, and (after my death), an endowed professorship committed to public education and the common good. My hope is that this program will send forth well-educated young women who are prepared to devote their lives to teaching and to the improvement of public education for all, and that in time it will become a center for research to support our precious heritage: free public education. I gave the first lecture in the annual series a month ago; Pasi Sahlberg will be the speaker next year. To donate to this fund, send a check to:

 

 

The Diane Ravitch Fund for Public Education

Wellesley College
Development Operations
106 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02481

 

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Class Size Matters
Director Leonie Haimson has been a national leader as an activist and researcher for class size reduction, parent empowerment, and data privacy.
You can give here http://www.classsizematters.org/

 

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FairTest

 
FairTest has been leading the struggle against the misuse and overuse of standardized testing for decades. It continues to be an invaluable source of information for parents, educators, and policymakers.
https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/fairtest

 

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I would be thrilled if you support any of these tax-deductible projects. Please let the recipient know that you are donating at my request, and I will send you a personal thank you note for any gift of $100 or more.