We have all heard the stories of teachers spending money out of their own pockets to purchase supplies for their classrooms. According to a recent survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, “94 percent of teachers spend their own money to stock their classrooms with the necessary supplies and resources. According to the survey, a teacher will shell out about $479 on average, although 7 percent spent more than $1,000”.
For new teachers, beginning their careers in the classroom is a blank canvas. They need essentials supplies to make their classroom a warm, inviting and educationally stimulating environment for their students. For many, this is a steep hill to climb – especially with many juggling student loan debts and a lack of previous income to work from. In addition, teachers in this era are dealing with many unknowns of how COVID-19 will affect their classes.
When they are learning new education management tools under the anxiety of what to do if a student or co-worker contracts the Coronavirus, purchasing the needed supplies for their classroom is just one more weight on their shoulders.
The Greater Gainesville Chamber’s Alachua County Education Compact Foundation would like to help raise funds to purchase supplies for the 150+ new teachers starting their careers in Alachua County Public Schools this fall. This way, we can help them create a better and safer environment for their classrooms, and a more educational one for our county’s students.
You can donate at https://www.theamazinggive.org/organizations/acec.