March
29, 2006
John
J. Ramos, Sr., Ed.D.
Superintendent
Bridgeport
Public Schools
45
Lyon Terrace
Bridgeport,
CT 06604
Dear
Dr. Ramos,
For
the past 3 years, Pequot Library in Southport, CT, has provided vouchers to
teachers in Bridgeport's public schools to buy books from our summer book
sale for their classroom libraries. The vouchers have been in amounts of
$75 to $100, and the teachers tell us this goes a long way. The teachers
have used books purchased at the sale (at a price of a dollar or two each) to
provide incentives to their students to read more and to develop a love of
reading.
The
vouchers are underwritten by the RenŽe B. Fisher Foundation, whose trustees are
eager to expand the program in Bridgeport as well as other areas of the country.
For
now, I am focused on a mission to attract more teachers from Bridgeport to
apply for the vouchers. In the past, the Bridgeport Education Association has
been enormously helpful in distributing flyers to let the teachers know about
the program. Unfortunately, many teachers are left unaware because the flyers
may not be posted in a prominent location when they reach the schools. To
give you an idea of the level of participation, of the 50 Bridgeport teachers
who expressed interest in receiving a voucher, 44 teachers actually attended
the sale, representing 22 schools.
Would
it be possible to publicize the program to the teachers through your
office? It's a very simple program, and there's not a lot of red tape
involved in applying for or receiving the vouchers. Alternatively, would you be
able to recommend a contact person at the schools and a reliable means for
reaching them.
I
am available to meet with you or one of your assistants to discuss the program
in more detail. I can be reached at home, day or evening at____________.
Thank
you for your time.
_________________
Volunteer
Coordinator
Books
for Teachers Program
Pequot
Library Book Sale
(203)________________