It is unfortunately quite common for schools in the United States to expect teachers to dip into their own pockets to pay for essential classroom supplies and extras. Many teachers end up spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year on items like books, stationery, art supplies, and basic technology that ought to be provided by the school but often aren't due to tight budgets.
This puts teachers in a difficult position where we feel compelled to furnish our own classrooms yet receive no reimbursement, further straining our already modest salaries. The lack of proper funding for public education in America has led to an unreasonable burden being placed on teachers to provide out of our own incomes what students need for an effective learning environment. It is a systemic problem that leads many teachers to leave the profession after a few years due to unsustainable personal costs.
This article from CNN dives into the problem. From a political economy perspective, this situation stems from the exploitative nature of capitalism that commodifies education into a profitable industry rather than treating it as a basic public good. The inadequate funding for supplies is a reflection of how little the structures of power value a universal, quality education for all students compared to maintaining class hierarchies. One can further argue that public schools attended predominantly by students of color are the most underfunded. Those controlling school budgets are typically privileged people who have little personal stake in uplifting marginalized communities through education. Teachers, who disproportionately come from working-class backgrounds, are caught in the middle of these oppressive systems. Their unpaid labour to make up for budget shortfalls only further enables an inequitable status quo. True equity in public education requires not just more funding but a complete reimagining of schools as sites of empowerment rather than the exploitation of teachers and students alike.
The AutSide is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.
Unfortunately, I suspect it's worse than "privileged people who have little personal stake in uplifting..." I think we are at a political place in the US where those privileged people have a vested interest in degrading or destroying access to education for anyone who can't afford private schools.
Unfortunately, I suspect it's worse than "privileged people who have little personal stake in uplifting..." I think we are at a political place in the US where those privileged people have a vested interest in degrading or destroying access to education for anyone who can't afford private schools.
💯