An Oakland Unified School District teacher got a very special shout out from a celebrity’s Instagram account as part of a social media challenge focused on helping teachers nationwide.
"Everyone, meet Ms. Bianca Garcia!" posted 13 Reason’s Why actor Brandon Flynn Tuesday on Instagram. "She teaches first grade and is my first teacher for the #10featuredteacherschallenge! She teaches in east Oakland and needs our help! Her wishlist is in my bio! Let’s help her her beautiful students!"
Frontman for indie rock band Grizzly Bear Ed Droste gave name to the hashtag #10FeaturedTeachersChallenge last month after launching a 10-day giveaway via Instagram after finding out teachers spend hundreds of dollars a year for classroom supplies out of pocket, Money Magazine reported.
Droste featured 10 teachers around the United States and directed his audience to their Amazon wish list. Since then, celebrities like Busy Phllipps and Kiernan Shipka have participated in the cause.
As for Flynn’s feature, Ms. Garcia said she teaches at a school that serves students of color, 96 percent of which are designated English-language learners.
"My school is in an area of east Oakland that sees lots of crime and our students face a lot of trauma outside of our school," Garcia said. "The mission of my charter is to bring good quality education to students who would not get It Based on where they live and the color of their skin."
The post has gotten over 86,000 likes and Garcia has already received some of the items on her wish list that could accommodate about 66 students.
