FIVE YEAR PRIORITY INVESTMENTS: TOMAS DE BERLANGA SCHOOL
FUNDING NEEDED ABOVE 2013 LEVELS
CONSOLIDATION OF DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL
Operations
1
Competative salaries and benefits
2
Innovative experiential learning investments
3A
Internet connectivity
Subtotal operations
Infrastructure
3B
Computers, intranet and Internet
4
Teacher/trainer resources center
5
Additional teaching/training spaces
6
Priority classrooms Improvements
7
Science lab improvements
8
New educational materials
9
Improved administrative area
10
Music studio/classroom
11
Student workshop (woodworking, etc.)
12
Library improvements
13
Improved playground and sports areas
14
Enlarged kitchen/dining area
15
Additional restrooms
Subtotal infrastructure
Model School Consolidation (total)
YEAR 1
YEAR 2
YEAR 3
YEAR 4
YEAR 5
75,000 100,000 125,000 150,000 150,000
20,000
20,000
20,000
20,000
20,000
20,000
20,000
20,000
$115,000 $140,000 $165,000 $170,000 $170,000
25,000
110,000
10,000
15,000
15,000
10,000
10,000
15,000
15,000
15,000
10,000
10,000
10,000
15,000
15,000
15,000
15,000
15,000
15,000
25,000
30,000
40,000
15,000
50,000
20,000
270,000
20,000
170,000
15,000
50,000
100,000
105,000
140,000
40,000
$385,000 $310,000 $270,000 $310,000 $210,000
TOTAL
600,000
60,000
100,000
$760,000
65,000
110,000
20,000
75,000
15,000
60,000
25,000
45,000
40,000
15,000
150,000
50,000
40,000
710,000
$1,470,000
The following funding needs correspond to the preceding budget projections.
1. Improved salaries and benefits. Need: $75,000-$150,000/year above current levels. Currently, most of the Tomas de
Berlanga School teachers are paid just over 1,000/month, which is well below what is paid to public school teachers in
Galapagos. Many of our better teachers arrive in Galapagos committed to the mission of the School, but knowing they
will have to draw on personal savings during their period of service. In order to recruit and retain the quality of teachers
needed for a fully effective model school, we need to significantly increase teacher salary and benefits. Our study of
national and regional compensation packages offered by bilingual schools in Ecuador and neighboring countries shows
that we need to raise what we currently offer by approximately $150,000/year above current levels. By improving the
quality of teachers, especially in the upper grades, we will be able to keeps classes at full capacity. If we are successful in
doing this, we will more than offset these proposed increases in salaries and benefits, as well as other operational
investments, with increases in student payments.
2. Investments in innovative experiential learning. Need: $20,000/year during years one-three. The Tomas de Berlanga
School is dedicated to providing unique experiential learning opportunities outside of the classroom environment. One
top priority is to involve students in citizen science activities through which they will assist scientists in data collection
needed by various conservation projects (tortoise restoration, land bird conservation, invasive species detection, etc.).
Funds are needed for teacher stipends (many of these activities will take place after school, on weekends and during
vacation periods), student and teacher transportation, and short-term technical expertise.
3A-3B. Computers, intranet and Internet. Need: $35,000 in year one and $30,000/year in future years. Quality
education, effective teacher professional development, and efficient school administration all require improved access
to computer technology at the Tomas de Berlanga School. Additional computers and software are needed for
classrooms and offices. An improved campus network (LAN) is needed to be able to access educational materials from a
campus server and to conduct administrative tasks. The campus also needs to be better connected to the rest of the
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world by the Internet. $25,000 in hardware investments are needed in year 1 for the Internet connection and campus
Intranet, followed by $10,000/year of investments in hardware in future years. $20,000/year is needed for the campus
Internet connection.
4. Teacher and trainer resource center. $110,000 in year 1. Currently, not all teachers have their own classroom and
there is little space available for teachers to work, plan and interact with one another when they are not with a class.
There is also no space available for the trainers that will be associated with the future outreach program. Current
teachers have identified a new teacher/trainer resource center as the single most important investment for improving
the work environment at the School and for fostering a true learning community among teachers. This investment will
also allow the outreach program to use the school campus as the base for its operations.
5. Additional teaching/training spaces. Need: $10,000 in year 1 and $10,000 in year 2. When the School is in operation
there is currently no available space under roof for training activities, meetings or for teachers to get their students
outside of the normal classroom environment. In year 1 and 2 we will build simple, open-air structures in strategic
locations on the campus. These simple buildings will be sufficiently large for groups of up to 30 students or trainees.
6. Priority classroom improvements. Need: $15,000/year in years 1-5. A number of classrooms are in need of structural
improvements (new roofs and changes to allow better use of natural light and ventilation) and all are in need of
upgrades in furnishings. Over the course of five years improvements will be made to all classrooms.
7. Science lab improvements. Need: $15,000 in year 1 and $15,000 in year 2. Investments in furnishing (work tables,
sinks, ventilation and storage space) and equipment are needed to provide a proper science lab at the School that can
support student learning at all age levels.
8. New educational materials. Need: $15,000 in years 2-5. Additional funding is needed over the next five years to make
investments in new educational materials, such as a new math program, and innovative, relevant teaching tools
(teaching materials, books) to help teachers link the new Ecuadorian Curriculum to actual classroom learning activities.
Some of these materials will be developed by school educators; others will be obtained from educators from other
schools and education outreach programs.
9. Improved administration area. Need: $30,000 in year 1. The School’s current administration area is too small. Both
the Director and school psychologist need work with sufficient privacy for meeting with students, parents and staff. Also,
additional storage space is needed for school supplies and equipment. These funds will be used to expand the current
administrative area.
10. Music studio/classroom. Need: $30,000 in year 2 and $15,000 in year 3. A new space, isolated from classrooms and
administration offices, is needed for the music program. In year 2 this structure will be built, with investments in
furnishings and instruments made in year 3.
11. Student workshop (woodworking, etc.). Need: $40,000 in year 2. This multi-use workshop, equipped with
woodworking equipment and a range of basic tools, will provide students an area to learn about woodworking and basic
handyman skills which most youths in Galapagos do not have the opportunity to learn.
12. Library improvements. Need: $15,000 in year 2. Structural improvements, furnishings and new books and reference
tools are needed (printed and electronic formats) to establish a quality library at the School.
13. Improved playground and sports areas. Need: $50,000 in year 3; $100,000 in year 4. The School’s current
playground needs to be enlarged and upgraded to provide a safer, more formative environment for the student
population. Additionally, the school’s basketball court and soccer field need to be improved, with a roof constructed
over the basketball court to allow students a place for sports and exercise in the garua season and periods of extreme
heat during the dry season.
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14. Enlarged kitchen/dining area. Need: $50,000 in year 1. The current kitchen and dining area at the school is too small
to effectively serve current students and staff, let alone the additional demand that will be created as the School begins
to serve as a teacher training center. Investments are needed to expand the kitchen area and eating area and to upgrade
cooking equipment. These improvements will also allow the kitchen facility to be used for educational purposes.
15. Additional restrooms: Need: $20,000 in year 1 and $20,000 in year 2. Additional lavatories are needed for the
student population, staff and trainees.
Teacher Training and Mentoring Component
15A. Program design and implementation. Need: $75,000 in year 1. These funds are needed to contract the services of
a highly experienced team of educators from the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) at Teacher’s
College, Columbia University, during the program design/implementation process and to cover the travel and
professional fees of additional educators who will be involved in the design of the outreach program and initial teachertraining activities.
15B-15H. Program staff and professional services. Need: $65,000 in year 1 and $340,000/year in years 2-5. During the
second half of 2014, a Program Director/Lead Mentor will be hired to complete program design, assist in fundraising,
initiate training and mentoring activities, and recruit the remainder of the training/mentoring team. Beginning in 2015,
the outreach program will involve a core group of at least five master teachers/mentors in specific thematic areas
(natural sciences, English language, literacy, math, and buen vivir). These full-time professionals will be aided by shortterm specialists and a program administrator. The total costs of this team will be $340,000/year.
16A-16C. Operations. Need: $20,000-30,000/year in years 2-5. This funding is needed to mobilize the mentors/trainers
throughout the Archipelago and to fund workshops throughout the academic year.
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