Classroom Funding
Budget & Finance
Every Student Needs School Supplies. But Who Pays for Them?
Some districts cover the costs of classroom materials, while others expect parents or teachers to pay.
Budget & Finance
Opinion
What Teachers Are Likely Missing From Their Back-to-School Wish Lists
Pens, paper, and markers are, of course, necessities. But for schools to thrive, more than basic supplies are required.
Teaching Profession
Most Teachers Spend Their Own Money on School Supplies. Should They?
Some district leaders say they shouldn't have to.
Teaching Profession
Interactive
The Teacher Tax Deduction Got Bigger. But How Far Does It Go?
Use this interactive to tally up classroom expenses.
Teaching Profession
The IRS Increased the Teacher Tax Deduction. Will It Help?
Teachers use the deduction to offset the cost of classroom supplies.
Budget & Finance
Teacher Requests on DonorsChoose Spike for SEL and Mental Health Resources
Educators are asking for class resources to help improve students' mental health and foster SEL skills like creativity and collaboration.
Teaching Profession
Teacher Showers: Helping Hand or Symptom of a Profession in Trouble?
It's a boon to new teachers, but others worry about it reinforcing the idea that teachers should pay for things out of pocket.
Budget & Finance
Teachers Take to Twitter to Crowdfund Classroom Supplies
Teacher wish lists posted under the hashtags #Clearthelists and #Adoptateacher are trending on Twitter.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Why I Left Teaching (Spoiler: It Wasn't the Students)
A public school teacher explains how three troubling trends drove him out of the profession this year.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Why This Teacher Will No Longer Pay for the ‘Privilege’ to Wear Jeans
Getting to wear jeans occasionally at my school hardly seems worth the outlay, explains a teacher.
Budget & Finance
Opinion
Teachers Need More Money for the Classroom. Here's How I Would Spend It
An elementary teacher explains what he'd do with a $3,000 classroom-supply budget.
Teaching Profession
Teachers Can Apply PPE Costs to Their $250 Educator Tax Deduction. Is That Enough?
Many teachers were hoping the $250 tax break would be increased for this school year, given other expenses they've had to contend with.
Teaching Profession
Schools Need Extra Supplies Since Kids Can't Share. Per Usual, Teachers Are Paying
While schools are making bulk purchases of hand sanitizer and face masks, it's less clear if district money will cover all of the other new expenses teachers will encounter this year.
Teaching Profession
This Teacher Is Suing Her District Over Working for Free, Buying School Supplies
School districts have "unconscionably and impermissibly shifted operating costs of the classrooms directly on the financial backs of our teachers," the lawsuit alleges.