A Woman In California Handed $9,100 Checks To Every Single Teacher In Her School District
Teachers at the Ross Valley School District in Marin County, California, were called to an assembly on August 14 and handed sealed envelopes by their principals. Inside each envelope was a personal check for just over $9,100. The woman who signed them, Maja Kristin, a long-time Marin County resident, had donated $1 million of her own money to the district — enough to give each of the school's 100 teachers a life-changing bonus. She made the decision after learning that the Ross Valley School District received funding in the bottom 4 percent of all school districts in California, and that its teachers were the lowest paid in Marin County — one of the wealthiest counties in the United States. "We as citizens we can write direct checks," Kristin told the assembled teachers as they opened their envelopes. The reactions were immediate and overwhelming. "It's life changing, I mean, I couldn't be more grateful," said teacher Sydney Dean. "This feels great to have people right here in the community wanting to support public education and public educators," said teacher Eric Brandt.
The funding gap has a structural cause. Ross Valley property values are high, but longtime residents staying put means Prop 13 keeps assessed values far lower than neighboring districts. Teachers chose to stay despite lower pay. Kristin chose to do something about it. She told reporters she hopes her donation encourages other Marin County residents who value public education to step forward in their own ways. Teachers lined up to personally thank her. For 100 teachers in one California county, August 14 was a day that changed everything.
