"I don't have any idea what caused you to single out my middle school special needs classroom out of all the needy classrooms in the state for your great generosity, but I want you to know that I think it is magnanimous of you and a really selfless act."
Democratic gubernatorial candidate and north Louisiana special-education teacher Tara Holliswas taken aback recently when a political action committee tied to Gov. Bobby Jindal, whom Hollis wants to unseat in October, made a hefty donation to her classroom via the national Adopt a Classroom project. The non-profit PAC, Friends of Bobby Jindal, donated $5,000.
Hollis, who is running a series of commercials on YouTube and making the rounds in the state, penned an open letter to the governor thanking him for the gift. Obviously the letter also serves as a vehicle for highlighting state cuts to education during Jindal's term in office:
I don't have any idea what caused you to single out my middle school special needs classroom out of all the needy classrooms in the state for your great generosity, but I want you to know that I think it is magnanimous of you and a really selfless act.
Governor, there are so many classrooms in need in our state that I feel deeply guilty about being the sole recipient of such largesse. The same budget cuts that have placed my school district in such difficulty have affected schools in all of the state's 64 parishes. As you know, the local school board is the largest employer in virtually every pParish in Louisiana.
I was thinking that perhaps you would be willing to extend the same generosity to adopt at least one needy classroom in each of Louisiana's roughly 2,000 public schools. I think you will find that such a gift to teachers and classrooms far more worthy than I would have a profound impact on our state.
The Adopt a Classroom project is run through a website at which teachers can highlight their financial needs and link with philanthropic organizations and individuals. According to Hollis, a typical donation runs about $100, making the Friends of Bobby Jindal donation a windfall of epic proportions.
It's unclear whether the governor is even aware of the donation by Friends of Bobby Jindal.