HOUSTON — Teachers across the country, including some right here in Houston, are turning to strangers for help. The hashtag #CleartheLists has gone viral.
Teachers are asking for help buying school supplies.
However, who owns those donated supplies and how much are teachers really spending out-of-pocket?
Houston Federation of Teachers union president Zeph Capo said in Houston middle and high school teachers spend around $500 a year on school supplies and that number jumps closer to $1,000 for elementary teachers.
Michelle Williams is going into her 19th year of teaching but it will be her first at Kashmere High School. She knows teachers struggle to make sure their classrooms are ready at the beginning of the school year.
“Composition notebooks, pencils, erasers, crayons, scissors, glue, because if you want to do like projects or anything those come out of your funds not the schools,” Williams said. “I’ve come out-of-pocket a lot of years especially when my students didn’t have and the schools didn’t provide.”
Williams has spent up to $500 a year.
A study by the National Center of Education Statistics with the U.S. Department of Education found 94 percent of teachers pay for classroom supplies out-of-pocket.
“Because our schools are low-income schools, a lot of our children don’t come with school supplies and if they do we get them at the beginning of year but they’re not replenished,” Williams said.
Capo understands why teachers are taking part in campaigns like Clear the Lists.
But, he said districts like HISD have policies that state the district may keep donated materials because they’re intended for the classroom and not the teacher.
Katy ISD issued this statement:
“Katy ISD does not have a specific policy regarding Amazon Wish Lists, but the District’s local policy does speak about solicitations made on behalf of the District or a campus. Our regulation provides information on the District approved website for crowdfunding (project funding), which is through DonorsChoose.org. Katy ISD employees must complete a Classroom Crowdsourcing Request & Agreement, for fixed and trackable assets only, which is approved by the campus principal, assistant superintendent, appropriate executive director and the chief information officer (if applicable).”
According to Humble ISD items received via crowdfunding or grants are the property of the district, and specifically, the campus named in the original request. Principals reserve the right to retain all items received from crowdfunding or grants on their campus in the event the teacher who received the donations transfers within or outside of the district.
Williams thinks districts need to budget more for supplies so teachers don’t have to dip into their own money.
She said, “These are things that is not just a luxury, these are necessities for our students.”
Also, Capo said HISD has a policy that every teacher may be reimbursed up to $50 for school supplies they’ve bought out-of-pocket.
He said that’s easier said than done because some principals may decide to use that money elsewhere.
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