Classroom Funding
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.
Teaching
Lenders Push High-Interest 'Back-to-School' Loans on Parents Via Social Media
Posts on Facebook and Twitter urge parents who need money for school supplies to take out payday and other loans, which experts caution have sky-high rates and school leaders say are unnecessary.
Teaching
Opinion
Response: Show Me the Money! Ways Teachers Can Raise Funds for Their Classrooms
Suggestions on how teachers can raise private monies to support their classroom are offered by Alfonso Gonzalez, Holly Spinelli, Susan Lafond, Amanda Koonlaba, and Barbara Gottschalk.
Budget & Finance
From Our Research Center
How Do Teachers Fund Their Classrooms? 6 Takeaways
Most teachers say they expect to contribute resources to their classrooms, but teachers aren’t only putting up the cash themselves. In addition to old standbys like grants and bake sales, many are turning to other fundraising opportunities, including online crowdfunding platforms like DonorsChoose.
Early Childhood
Photo Essay
Teacher Keeps Up Long Tradition of Hatching Chicks With Kindergartners
Cynthia Christopher's kindergarten class receives chicken eggs to hatch at Stonehurst Magnet School in Sun Valley, Calif.
Budget & Finance
School Districts Are Banning Teachers From Using DonorsChoose
As teacher-led crowdfunding grows ever more popular, school leaders are starting to voice concerns.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Shootings Spur Teachers to Appeal for Help in Buying Safety Supplies
In the wake of deadly school shootings, more teachers are turning to crowdfunding sites to ask for help buying emergency supplies for classrooms.
School Climate & Safety
After Recent School Shootings, Teachers Ask Public for Help Buying Safety Supplies
On platforms like Donors Choose and GoFundMe, teachers are fundraising for classroom barricades and emergency lockdown supplies.
School & District Management
The Average Teacher Spends $479 a Year on Classroom Supplies, National Data Show
In the midst of statewide protests over low teacher pay and school spending, new federal data show that nine in 10 teachers spend their own money—often hundreds of dollars—on classroom supplies.
Federal
New Senate Tax Plan Doubles Teachers' Deduction for Buying Classroom Supplies
The changes would allow teachers to deduct $500 from their taxable income for purchases they make out of pocket for their classrooms, from pencils to software
Budget & Finance
Senate Tax Bill Ends Deductions for State and Local Taxes, Classroom Supplies
A national teachers' union says the House bill would jeopardize nearly $250 billion in education funding over the next decade, but the Senate bill could put even more pressure on revenue for schools.
Federal
Teachers Would Lose $250 Deduction for Classroom Materials Under GOP Tax Bill
The tax bill proposed by Republican leaders scraps a benefit that many teachers have come to rely on: the $250 "educator expense deduction," which can be used to recoup the cost of classroom materials.