Idaho Education Association Fund Helps Students In Need

Teachers can already do a lot to help students in class, but there are plenty of teachers in Eastern Idaho who go the extra mile to give assistance even after the bell rings.

Mitzi Ellingson is mad about science.

So mad, in fact, that she spends her days teaching physics to ninth graders at Clair E. Gale Junior High in Idaho Falls.

What gets her the most mad, however, is that some of her students are at a disadvantage.

American public schools guarantee kids a free education, but sometimes the cost of learning can be pretty shocking.

“I have had the opportunity to see many different types of kids throughout my 17 years as an educator, and I know that there are needs out there,” said Ellingson.

Books, calculators, trinkets, and what if a student has trouble focusing on the chalkboard?

The mounting costs might seem perpetual to parents. That is why Mitzi is also a proud member of the Idaho Education Association, and presides over the Idaho Falls association.

“When a teacher or a member of the association is in a classroom, and when they see that they have a student who’s in need — whether it’s eyeglasses, a hearing aid, anything like that — they can go to the IEA which is in Boise, Idaho,” Ellingson explained. “They can just give a phone call and ask for some funds to help that student and their family out because they might not be eligible for insurance or the Lions Club.”

The IEA runs a children’s fund based solely on money collected by teachers, who, in return, get to see their students thrive in the classroom.

“I had a family that was in dire need,” Ellingson recalled. “It was December and they were unable to make their rent for that Christmas month. And so, we were able to assist that way so they could stay at their home.”

While much of the money is collected through fundraisers, including an upcoming potluck and a magnet sale, many educators have no problem donating as much as $50 a month to the cause.

“That shows you how dedicated teachers and professionals in this field are to the kids that we serve,” Ellingson said. “We know that there are needs out there and we want to try to help wherever we can; not just in the classroom.”

The Idaho Falls association of the IEA hopes to raise $2,000 by April.

While the money still benefits students in many ways, the IEA Children’s Fund no longer contributes to rent payments.