The education publishing company Scholastic surveyed 3,694 teachers (including 76 school librarians) and 1,027 principals this past summer and found that a majority feel their students, both low- and high-poverty, face barriers to learning outside of the classroom. To help make a difference, the surveyed teachers:
- On average, spent $530 of their own money on classroom items.
- On average, spent $672 in high-poverty schools
Moreover,
- 70% indicated they’d bought food and snacks for their students.
- 65% purchased cleaning supplies.
- 26% bought clothing for their students.
- 56% purchased classroom books.
Plus, on average, the surveyed principals spent $683 for classroom or student supplies over the past year, with those in high-poverty schools averaging $1,014. 79% indicated they’d bought food and snacks for students.
Another interesting finding: While most teachers have classroom libraries, 31% have fewer than 50 books. Those in elementary schools have, on average, 362 books; middle school teachers average 189 books, and those at the high school level have just 93.
And so it goes…
I thought money was pouring into schools from state and federal funds. What’s happening to the money?
Less money has been going schools’ ways, to the point where, if teachers don’t bring in their own printer paper, they’re out of luck when it comes to making copies. I saw that for myself just yesterday in a highly regarded public elementary school yesterday.