Teachers Spend $1.3 Billion Out of Pocket on Classroom Materials

[proud2BlibKansan]

Total teacher expenditures on classroom supplies and instructional materials reached $3.5 billion in the 2009-2010 school year, including support from parents and PTAs.

By David Nagel07/08/10

Public school teachers in the United States spent more than $1.33 billion out of pocket on school supplies and instructional materials in the 2009-2010 school year, according to new research released by the National School Supply and Equipment Association (NSSEA), a trade association for educational product companies.

The report, "The 2010 NSSEA Retail Market Awareness Study," was based on a survey of 308 K-12 teachers in May 2010 conducted by Perry Research Professionals. It revealed that teachers spent on average $356 of their own money on supplies and resources, including an average of $170 on supplies and $186 on instructional materials. (Instructional materials were defined as software and games, as well as paper-based teaching aids and other non-equipment teaching materials; supplies were defined as printer paper, arts and crafts supplies, pencils, glue, and other similar supplies.)

Despite the total $1.33 billion out of pocket price tag for classroom materials, average individual teacher expenditures were actually down this year compared with previous studies: $395 in a 2007-2008 NSSEA study and $552 in a 2005-2006 NSSEA study.

Why the recent decline?

"Teachers are feeling the pinch just like others affected by the downturn in the economy," Adrienne Watts Dayton, vice president of marketing and communications for NSSEA, told us in an e-mail. "While teachers continue to supplement the resources in the classroom, parents too are asked to contribute to the shortages in school budget."

more . . . http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/07/08/teachers-spend-1.3-billion-out-of-pocket-on-classroom-materials.aspx

[gratuitous]

1. Mission accomplished!

It's far better for those overpaid and lazy public school teachers to lay out a billion dollars every year than to ask Charlie Sheen to part with an extra three cents in taxes on every dollar he "earns" above that first cool million every year. It's a complicated economic model thingy, so we don't really have time to explain it to you peons, but trust us when the teevee tells you that teachers spending their own money is greatly preferable to wealthy people paying their share of the taxes.

[Booster]

2. And add in the money the Texas firefighters spent out of their

own pocket for supplies to fight the fires. Bet Perry got a big chuckle out of that and the teachers in Texas. I've never particularly liked Republicans but now I'm beginning to despise them. They are $@%^#@% assholes.

[madrchsod]

3. illinois gives teachers a tax deduction for class room materials

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. So do the feds

$250. Big whoop. LOL

[littlewolf]

5. yep wife spends between 300-500 per year ....

I think we get 300 deduction on fed ... nothing on state ....

[Horse with no Name]

6. I was driving by the school the other day and saw a friend of mine walking out

It was 6 pm. She had an armful of crap she was taking home.

She said when she got home that she would spend another 3 hours there.

She also said that the school has some type of regulating agency down and they were supposed to stay in their "zones" or they got marked off. Apparently, she cut her finger and went behind the desk to get a bandaid and got docked for being outside of the zone.
They also docked her for having her bulletin boards in the room done before school started. She was told that they needed to be blank and to have the kids do them. She got docked for that as well.

At the end of the conversation, this educator with 20+ years had a resigned look in her eyes. She said she spent hundreds out of pocket each year, spent countless uncompensated hours to be micromanaged by politicians. She also said she was at the end and wasn't going to do it anymore. She even said that finishing the year was going to be a struggle for her.:(

Sad part is, I know hers isn't an isolated story.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Docking!?!?!

OMG. That's just despicable.

[w8liftinglady]

7. I couldn't begin to estimate how much my partner spent this year

...so far.
SO many kids are without...and he can't bear that.

Well over $1000.... so far.

[Initech]

9. But those teachers make too much money!!!

:eyes: :banghead: