Teachers Expected To Pay More Out Of Pocket For Classroom Expenses This Year

CNNMoney.com (8/25, Yousuf) reports that the New York City Council this year scaled back its fund to reimburse teachers for classroom expenses by nearly 30 percent. "That breaks down to just $110 per teacher -- or roughly $4 per student per year." Consequently, teachers, who already dip into their own pockets to purchase items for the classroom, are likely to spend even more of their own funds. A national survey by Kelton Research shows that "a whopping 97 percent of teachers frequently dip into their own pockets to purchase necessary classroom supplies." On average, teachers spent more than $350 of their own money last year. Al Campos of the National Education Association noted, "They're not required to, but teachers will pay out of their own pockets to make sure their students have the supplies they need to receive a quality education."