CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The return to mostly in-person classes this year has brought with it out-of-pocket costs for teachers on supplies. In a regular school year, teachers pay hundreds of their own dollars to ensure the comfort and productivity of their students.
On average, teachers spend between $1,000 and $1,500 during a fiscal school year on supplies, according to data from the Tennessee Education Association. The state offers some help to offset that: At the start of each school year, teachers are given a one-time stipend of $200 for prepping their classrooms from the state’s education fund.
Constance Brown, president of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Association, told Clarksville Now that local schools are actually ahead of the game when it comes to ensuring teachers have what they need this year. The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System is giving all of its teachers an additional $150.
“All of our teachers this year will get $350 to spend on their classroom,” Brown said.
But that still leaves average out-of-pocket costs between $650 and $1,150.
Brown, who has been a teacher for over 25 years, said teachers will always spend out-of-pocket to cater to their own teaching style, as well as to how their students learn.
“We see something we need our kids to have, and the teachers will buy it,” she said.
“It’s enormous what teachers spend out of pocket. I can tell you I have all kinds of things in my classroom that are necessary for me to give the best education experience possible that aren’t considered necessities because we all teach with our personalities.”
Funding for schools
Beth Brown, president of the Tennessee Education Association, told Clarksville Now that these out-of-pocket expenses are a small piece of a bigger problem.
“We have schools in our state that are chronically underfunded; we are 46th in the nation for funding,” Beth Brown said.
She said this shouldn’t be happening given our current budget conditions. In June 2021, the state’s Finance and Administration Department reported revenues for June were $1.9 billion, which is $372.3 million more than was estimated.
“Our state is missing an opportunity to make a real investment for additional counselors, nurses and (instructional program) specialists that students really need, particularly in a year where we’re still in a pandemic, and we are still seeing a disruption to student learning.”
Resources to help teachers
Robin Burton, executive director of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Foundation, told Clarksville Now that each year they are seeing a growing demand in supplies through their Teacher Warehouse.
With donations and sponsorships, they are able to keep their stock up. From the Stuff the Bus event this year, the Teacher’s Warehouse was able to collect over 12,400 school supply items with an estimated value of $9,500.
“On average, last year, we saved teachers about $54,000 in out-of-pocket expenses through the Teacher Warehouse,” Burton said.
They offer online orders and have a rewards system for teachers to buy supplies.
Due to last year’s forced transition in more virtual communication, the Teacher Warehouse also now offers things like laptop sleeves and headphones.
Back to School Bash
CMCEA will hold a Back to School Bash this Saturday at the Wilma Rudolph Event Center from 2 to 6 p.m.
“We want to give back to educators,” Constance Brown said.
All CMCSS employees, students and their families are invited to the event, where there will be giveaways every 15 minutes for school supplies, plus food, music and more.