by Jilliann Denbo

Teachers year-round struggle with providing for their students. They shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not their students are getting enough supplies for the whole school year.

“Many educators say their districts simply aren’t supplying everything their students need to be engaged, comfortable, and ready to learn,” stated an NEA Today article by Amanda Litvinov in 2023.

The lack of help or funding forces teachers to reach into their own pockets and pay for supplies they shouldn’t have to. No one really understands how much teachers pay for school supplies every year.

“I spend my own personal money on my classroom each and every year. I would say I spend more than 1,000 dollars per year,” said Northaven preschool teacher Michelle Denbo, my mom.

Teachers having to spend this much every year, and it being the bare minimum, is not okay. No one truly takes the time to think about how much support teachers need, and not just from principals or other teachers.

“Every donation turns our classrooms into more learning opportunities; every single donation, no matter how big or small, helps,” said Denbo.

Every teacher and parent knows that it is very hard to be able to pay for supplies, especially in today’s economy.

“Within the past two years, the annual inflation rate has spiked to its highest level in 40 years. That’s made back-to-school shopping hard on many families, and difficult for the educators who are expected to subsidize their classrooms to help their students reach learning benchmarks throughout the year,” stated Litvinov in her article, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Teachers truly go the extra mile to make sure every student has exactly what they need no matter what. 

“We didn’t get a budget last year, and I really tried not to spend my own money, but we quickly ran out of a lot of things. We do a ton of crafting and making cute food items, along with holiday celebrations; I normally end up having to come out of pocket,” said Denbo.

While the financial part of being a teacher is full of struggles, these purchases give children an opportunity to fully learn and have complete focus.

“Yes, buying things for my classroom is hard most of the time. But everything is always worth it when I get to see the smiles coming from my students’ faces,” said Denbo.

Support educators like Denbo by taking the time to think about donating and supporting each and every educator.