As compensation continues to be one of the top reasons that teachers are increasingly dissatisfied with their profession, new research suggests that the vast majority of them have no choice but to spend their own money on classroom materials. And despite this gracious act by many with few personal resources to do so, teachers still worry they’re not doing enough for their students.
The survey, which was conducted by Study.com, indicates that more than 90% of educators use their own money to equip their classrooms with essential materials and that they often do so discreetly. In fact, nearly one-third (30%) spend anywhere from $100-200 on back-to-school supplies. Twenty-eight percent spend between $50-100.
For some educators, such spending is necessary, regardless of how financially difficult it is to do so.
“Our schools are, sadly, under-resourced and there is an unstated expectation that educators will spend their own money on school supplies and equipment,” Vice President of the National Education Association Princess Moss told USA Today. “That should not be. We don’t ask nurses and doctors to provide their own equipment for doing their jobs.”
Aside from leveraging their own finances to buy classroom supplies, teachers say they depend on the following resources for help:
- Their schools (46%)
- Parents (28%)
- Donations (19%)
- Amazon wish lists (19%)
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Most notably, among those who rely on Amazon wish lists for assistance, nearly one-third (32%) said between 25-50% of their supplies come from those lists. Only 12% receive anywhere between 50-75% of their materials from them. Overall, the average cost of a teacher’s back-to-school Amazon wish list is $281. So what do those lists contain?
Here’s a list of the most common items teachers request ahead of the school year:
- Stationery
- Books
- Clothing
- Bags
- Food
- Electronics
- Cleaning supplies
- Shoes
- Art supplies
The most concerning finding from this research suggests that teachers feel guilty about the fact that, because of their salaries, they can’t provide their students with more.
According to the data, 69% of teachers said inflation impacts their ability to pay for back-to-school supplies. Thirty-eight percent said their personal spending on school supplies has increased over the last three years, and a similar number said they sacrifice personal luxuries in order to afford these materials. However, nearly half (47%) of them said they experience feelings of guilt or inadequacy regarding their inability to spend more on classroom supplies. Furthermore, teachers at Title I schools are 18% more likely to experience these feelings.
What can leaders do?
At a time when teachers continue to plead for livable wages, school administrators should simply help teachers buy classroom supplies, the survey suggests. In fact, more than one-third of teachers said the quantity of supplies they’re given by their schools is “inadequate.” These teachers are more likely to spend $200 or more out of pocket on back-to-school supplies than their counterparts who say they receive adequate support.
“It goes to the whole point of respecting the profession and respecting the educators who are a part of that profession,” Moss told USA Today. “We know that educators have been chronically underappreciated and underpaid for decades, so the public should be concerned about this.”
