As the nation discusses increasing costs for parents of students going back to school, a new study found that teachers are sharing that burden now, more than ever. Over 90% of teachers have spent money out of pocket for classroom supplies this year.
The study, conducted by Study.com, found that 47% of teachers felt feelings of guilt or inadequacy over not being able to spend more on their students.
“We are putting a lot of strain on our teachers financially, along with all sorts of other strains of just doing their job,” Madeline Weirman, the project manager overseeing the study shared.
Teachers are spending out of pocket to prepare to return to class
A survey of 367 teachers across the U.S. found that over 50% of teachers are spending over 100 dollars to set up their classroom for the first day of school.
Teachers who work at underprivileged schools were more likely to have to provide for their classrooms. 62% of teachers who work at a Title 1 school spend $100 or more on back-to-school supplies.
34% of responding teachers said the quantity of supplies their school provides is inadequate. Educators with that response were 59% more likely to spend over $200. In addition, 20% of teachers say the quality of supplies their school provides is inadequate. Educators with that response were 50% more likely to spend over $200.
“Our schools are, sadly, under-resourced and there is an unstated expectation that educators will spend their own money on school supplies and equipment,” Princess Moss, Vice-President of the National Education Association said. “That should not be. We don’t ask nurses and doctors to provide their own equipment for doing their jobs.”
Back to school support:Where to find free school supplies for 2023/2024 academic year
Teachers are relying on Amazon Wishlists
The survey also found that teachers are relying on Amazon Wish Lists to fund their classrooms.
The average cost of a wish list for the 2023/2034 school year is $281, a 12.4% increase in cost since…
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