When Kimber Bermudez struck up a conversation with a fellow passenger on flight to Florida about her job as a teacher, something unexpected happened — people started giving her cash. She’s a teacher, and she was talking about how the majority of her students are in low-income households and any bit of assistance helps them.
Other passengers overheard, and she received more than $500 in donations from people around her. The man she was speaking with even asked for her contact information to discuss a company donation, CNN reported. She said she plans to buy Spanish and English books and classroom supplies.
Most public school teachers spend their own money on classroom suppliesBermudez is not in an uncommon situation. Teachers, especially those in public schools, often pay for school supplies with their own money, and look to donations or discounts for help with those expenses. Almost all public school teachers (94%) have spent their own money on school supplies without getting reimbursed, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, which surveyed teachers between 2014 and 2016. They spent on average $479 out of pocket over those years, though the median was $297. About 44% spent less than $250 and 36% spent between $260 and $500.
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Teachers at city schools spent more than their suburban or rural counterparts ($526 compared to $468 or $442, respectively), and a higher percentage of them spent more than $1,000.
Why are teachers footing the bill? Many public schools are under-funded, and state spending per student was lower in fiscal year 2015 compared to previous years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics’ latest data. Teachers earned about $58,000 per year on average in 2016, according to the National Education Association, but 36 states fall below that national average.
A Massachusetts teacher spends $5,000 a year of her own moneyCarrie Mueller, a kindergarten teacher in Massachusetts, spends about $5,000 a year of her own money on school supplies and classroom needs.
“Honestly, teachers don’t get paid enough at all, but I don’t think we do it for the money. I certainly don’t,” she told MarketWatch. “I’ll continue to provide my students with all they need regardless of how much I make,” she said.
During her first year teaching, she bought a carpet for morning meetings with the children, a calendar, a word wall (a display that holds a collection of words for the students to use in their conversation and writing), pencils for her students to use, and books to build a classroom library. Having a carpet meant her children didn’t have to sit on the cold floors during their meetings.
In her eight years teaching, Mueller has always tried her best to keep her classroom stocked for her students. She also asks parents to donate a few items — folders, crayons, maybe a pencil box — but tries to keep that list small and pays for the rest out of her own pocket.
Without colorful words on the walls and a variety of books, teaching can be difficult and, in some cases, simply uninspiring to the children. Jem Ace, a former teacher in Maryland who now works as an educator in Abu Dhabi, said children should feel excited about going to school and motivated while they’re there. “You come in with nothing and to make it feel warm and welcoming is a really big thing,” she said.
Schools may reimburse their teachers, but it often doesn’t amount to much. Ace said she’s seen some schools offer teachers $200 for supplies, while Mueller said it was about $75 at her school. Educators are allowed to take a $250 tax deduction when they spend their own money on their classroom.
Apps, crowdfunding and store discounts help teachers pay the billsBut teachers often need more resources to pay for classroom needs, and are trying alternatives to meet those needs. One parent, Vlada Lotkina, co-founded ClassTag, an app that rewards teachers for parent-teacher communication and engagement. Classrooms will earn ClassTag coins when teachers and parents talk with one another, or when parents volunteer or attend events (like parent-teacher conference).
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ClassTag Coins can be traded for free school supplies, made possible through the company’s partnerships with major brands. So far, 2,000 classrooms are using ClassTag, though the service will become available nationwide this August.
When she heard how much teachers spent of their own money, Lotkina assumed they were investing in the latest technology (such as tablets and smart boards). “Turns out, they are spending the majority of it on the basic things, like disinfecting wipes, pencils, Crayola and notebooks and folders,” she said.
Teachers also take advantage of sales, like Amazon’s AMZN, +1.51% Prime Day and Target’s TGT, +0.85% supplies discount for teachers in July. Mueller said she was searching Amazon’s site on Prime Day for clearance books and writing instruments.
Some teachers are even taking to crowdfunding. Donorschoose.org is a crowdfunding website that allows people to donate to classrooms and items of their choice.
Programs like that are beneficial for teachers, especially for larger items. Mueller said she has used it for a couple of years. The first time, she was able to get five refurbished mini iPads and asked for money and a white board last year, though she wasn’t able to raise enough.
