Arizona school districts spent 54% of their available operating dollars on classroom instruction, making 2018 the second consecutive year to increase classroom spending. Since monitoring began in 2001, the highest level spent on instructional spending was in 2004 at 58.6%. Since this peak, classroom spending has declined by 4.6%.
From 2017 to 2018, Arizona school districts increased their operational spending by $119 million, with $82 million of the increase spent on classroom instruction. The state’s average teacher salary also increased from $48,372 to $48,951.
[D]despite the progress, Arizona school districts still fall behind the national average. Schools statewide spent about $3,500 less per student than the national average. Arizona school districts also received a greater percentage of revenue from federal sources and a smaller percentage from state and local sources when compared to national averages.
Youth Development and Capacity Building, Inc., located in Atlanta, Ga., serves the disadvantaged youth and communities through education and development. We host numerous youth educational initiatives throughout the year to develop positive minds and a clear future for our youth and community. By consistently adding programs, initiatives and projects that focus on our youth’s education and literary development, we help them strive for a better future. We also balance their health and nutritional values with an educational guide on healthy eating and portion control. We partner with state and local government agencies, community-based organizations, civic groups, higher learning institutions, and more to achieve our goals.
Thanks to DollarDays, we received school supplies, art supplies, office supplies and more. Some of the items helped the survivors of the tornado that hit Louisville, Miss., and the floods in the Georgia district. The school supplies and other items helped to tackle the sadness experienced by these children after the disaster by shifting the focus from the tragedy to a hopeful path forward.
One of our high school students in Louisville, Miss., received some of the items and explained that they helped expand her reading abilities. Also, our Volunteer Youth Director, Jean Harper, visibly displayed the art and school supplies in order to help with reading and learning strategies for the students. After we distributed the goods to students in need, we used the rest of the items for youth camps like the one in Brandywine, Md., (Zou Camp) that really needed new school and art supplies over the years for their programs.
Thank you, Good360 and DollarDays, for helping us improve the future of children throughout the nation.
In May 2018, just as school was about to close for the summer, thousands of teachers in Arizona walked out of their classrooms, joining educators in the “Red for Ed” movement in protest of stagnant salaries and the lack of funding for school supplies.
According to a federal Department of Education survey, 94 percent of public school teachers in the United States pay for supplies without reimbursement, spending an average of $479 per school year. The Education Market Association also found that $1.6 billion in school supplies is pushed onto teachers every year, with one in 10 teachers spending more than $1,000 of their own money.
Among these teachers is Monica Baird, an educator and entrepreneur in Phoenix.
“Leaving the business world and becoming a teacher was amazing,” said Baird. “Like many of the educators I know, I feel like teaching is something that I was born to do.”
After her first year of teaching, however, Baird calculated that she spent over $1,700 on her classroom and supplies. While she loved being in the classroom with her students, she struggled with the financial commitment.
“My passion for teaching meant that I also put a lot of my own resources into my classroom,” Baird explained. “At first, I was happy and excited to purchase the supplies, especially when I thought there was a tax write-off. Unfortunately, I learned too late that the most I could write off was $250.”
Building a better way
Baird wanted to find a better, easier way for teachers to get the classroom supplies they wanted and needed without spending too much of their own money. She also wanted to help teachers save time – after all, there isn’t a lot of time for shopping for supplies following a busy day of running their classrooms, organizing their curricula and managing their families.
“It was clear that teachers need a better, more affordable way to purchase the supplies that they use in their classrooms, so I decided to build it,” said Baird.
From her personal experience and her desire to innovate, Baird created ScholarsDollar.com, an educator-only online community where teachers can buy affordable products for their classrooms and open their own stores to sell or exchange extra classroom items they no longer need.
For teachers only
Baird officially launched ScholarsDollar.com in 2018. The site is only for educators, requiring members to send in their teacher certifications before they can join. Once validated, the teachers have full access to the site and the low-cost classroom and party supplies, toys, books and other academic products.
“The initial response from teachers was overwhelming, so I knew I had something that was needed in the marketplace,” stated Baird. “While it’s challenging to teach and run a business, I am passionate about ScholarsDollar.com, and I am committed to doing something that helps educators.”
Partnering with DollarDays has shined a whole new light in terms of what I can offer my customers and community.
Monica Baird, Owner & Founder, Scholars Dollar
Quality matters to teachers
As Baird was looking for places to purchase products, she came across DollarDays. DollarDays offers thousands of bulk school supplies, from colored pencils to backpacks. Since 2007, DollarDays has sold more than four million backpacks, four million pairs of scissors and 11 million boxes of crayons.
“Teachers want the best products for their classrooms because they know they will last longer and endure the many little hands that use them,” Baird explained. “Partnering with DollarDays has shined a whole new light in terms of what I can offer my customers and community.”
Saving quality teachers
Baird is building ScholarsDollar.com to be an exclusive service that educators around the country will want to join. Her online store delivers high-quality, low-cost products that teachers need for their classrooms while also developing an engaging community for educators to connect, collaborate and potentially earn money by building their own stores. Ultimately, Baird sees ScholarsDollar.com as one more way to keep good teachers in the classroom.
“We are losing too many quality educators that love teaching due to low salaries and the burden of funding their own classroom supplies,” said Baird. “I see ScholarsDollar.com as a means to help save these teachers, keep them in the classroom and benefit the lives of many children.”
She added, “The average teacher spends nearly $500 a year in classroom expenses. With DollarDays’ help, if I can help 125 teachers in Phoenix, I can collectively save them over $62,000 this school year. The opportunity to help even more teachers is exciting, and it is why I envision ScholarsDollar.com becoming the one-stop school supplies shop for educators everywhere.”
Ronald C. Pruett, Jr., DollarDays CEO, with Monica Baird of Scholars Dollar
Monica Baird of Scholars Dollars visits the DollarDays headquarters in Phoenix
Young Dreams Community Outreach was established in December 2009. The nonprofit organization focuses on children in our communities and their futures. We provide children with educational supplies, books, hands-on activities and positive interactions that will impact their lives. Our mission is to reach out to communities in the City of Miami and help homeless families, abused women, children, and the elderly. We provide clothing, food, hygiene products, school supplies, and toys in hopes to help reduce the effects of poverty.
Thanks to DollarDays, we were able to provide 1,300 children in the City of Miami with book bags and supply packets for their return to school. Many children were referred by local outreach agency, the Children’s Trust, which helps families in dire need. Our organization helps children experience and envision their dreams for the future. We provide children the opportunity to experience different careers during our back-to-school event while also providing them with educational supplies, fun activities and a great time. With charity and grants we are making a difference for the children’s futures. We hosted an annual free event for the public in need, providing book bags, supplies, career stations, introductions to local attractions, photos with Toy Story characters and so much more. Thank you Good360 and DollarDays for helping us provide a better future for the children in our community.
After the holidays, back-to-school shopping is the second-largest spending season of the year. The average household spends nearly $688 annually on school supplies, new clothing, and electronics like laptops and calculators, according to the National Retail Federation. With school supply lists getting longer and costs rising, more and more parents are searching for quality items at a reasonable price. With this in mind, we’ve outlined four of our favorite money saving tips for the back-to-school shopping season.
1. Do Your Research
Walking into a brick-and-mortar store may encourage you to buy items that aren’t on your list. Why not save time (and money) and hit the web? Nearly 40 percent of parents will turn to the Internet for back-to-school shopping in 2018, the National Retail Federation predicts. The reasons vary, but two stand out – for one, online retailers specializing in back-to-school products typically negotiate lower prices than traditional retailers. Secondly, purchasing school supplies online enables you to ship your order directly to your door, saving you a trip to the store (or multiple stores). Beyond internet research, ask other parents where they buy school supplies and where they’ve seen the best deals.
2. Buy in Bulk
Back-to-school basics such as paper, pens, folders and pencils are available in large quantities at lower prices. Stocking up on these fundamentals will allow you to supply your student(s) throughout the year. We recommend purchasing bulk school supplies online so the larger boxes can be delivered to you. Our exclusive Big Box™ line of school supplies is a great bulk option, with quantities ranging from 150 units to 500 units per box. Plus, if you have leftover supplies at the end of the year, consider donating them to your student’s school or teacher.
3. Buy Now, Save Later
The back-to school rush typically begins in late July, giving parents a limited amount of time to purchase mandatory school supplies. This short period is often chaotic and stressful, and the last-minute rushing can cause families to exceed their budgets. Consider shopping throughout the year for items that can be used year-round, like pencils, notebooks and even crayons, as many retailers choose to have school-supply promotions during the off-peak season.
4. Shared Classroom Supplies
Classroom supplies are a newer addition to many school supply lists, and a growing number of teachers now request for incoming students to bring shareable items such as tissues, cleaning supplies and washable markers. Rather than increasing your household spend, team up with other parents and invest together. Several of these products can be purchased in large case packs known as “classpacks.” Get your student’s class quality products without breaking the bank.
We hope these tips help you save more this back-to-school season. As a reminder, if you have a surplus of back-to-school items, including backpacks, consider donating them to your local teachers or schools.
Parents aren’t the only ones who spend big on back-to-school supplies. Thousands of teachers around the United States offset their school supply budgets by forking over close to $600 of their own money just for the most basic of supplies. Some of the most sought-after items include staples, copy paper, holiday decorations and colored pencils, but, for many educators, the list has grown to hygiene items and clothing. It’s these day-to-day necessities that leave teachers scrambling to ensure they have the items their classrooms need to run smoothly.
Two-thirds of all classroom supplies are purchased by teachers, and more than 91 percent of teachers offset the lack of basic supplies for students that fall under the poverty line. The costs quickly add up, and out-of-pocket teaching supplies can equal close to $1 billion every year.
The Impact of a Well-stocked Classroom
Sadly, without these expenditures, many classrooms would lack the resources children need to learn or to participate in creative projects, and with the majority of public school students living under the poverty line, many parents simply can’t afford to pay for supplies.
When teachers are able to provide their impoverished students with adequate supplies, their learning experience is transformed – their limitations become opportunities and equality in the classroom environment.
Finding a Solution
The year 2018 has carried a continuous debate around education policy, school choice, vouchers and teacher training. Budgets are spread further and tax dollars are intensely debated. What we must remember is that students need tools to learn, and it’s incumbent on parents, school districts and policymakers to fight for these resources. Parents must urge their local school districts and state legislatures to adequately fund education, including instituting programs that outfit teachers and schools with the supplies students need in order to learn. Teachers must remain vocal about the supplies they need the most and advocate for the districts that have the greatest needs. We should not let a lack of basic supplies keep them from doing their jobs. It’s time to support our teachers, give them the tools they need and ensure that all classrooms are well stocked throughout the school year. Our children deserve better, and understanding there’s a need helps to create conversations about solutions.
It’s our hope that every classroom will soon have access to unlimited supplies pencils, pens, highlighters, chalk erasers, crayons, STEM toys, books and highlighters – simply, tools that help our children learn. The basics can seem so basic in the right light.
From backpacks to binders, to USB drives and glue sticks, the rising cost of school supplies is putting a definite pinch on the average families’ budget. When families are simply unable to choose between the grocery bill and the school supply list, it’s our children that suffer, often creating a class system in our public schools.
Experts say school districts have considerably less funds for supplies, so they are forced to push the costs onto families or even more likely the teachers. Basic classroom staples like markers, construction paper, cleaning supplies, tissues, copy paper and printer ink become limited and must be stretched throughout the year. While the requests may seem like mild annoyances for a middle-class family, it can feel like an insurmountable burden for poor families, who already struggle just to outfit their own kids for school. Many parents have to make the difficult choice between basic grooming and hygiene necessities or back to school supplies, prior to the school year starting. It can just be too much of a stretch for them.
A middle-school student might run $1,000; up from $525. And sending a fully equipped high-schooler off to class can cost nearly $1,500 — compared to $800 just 10 years ago.
All together that’s an average of about $1,000 — nearly the same as the average U.S. monthly mortgage payment.
If there is more than one child in the household those costs can multiply and often begin to feel overwhelming. In fact, a recent research poll done by the nonprofit Junior Achievement, states 60 percent of U.S. parents struggle to pay for their school supplies.
Buying in Bulk Saves Throughout the Year
Buying school supplies in bulk is one of the best ways to save money, especially over the long run. If you’re looking for ways to get more “bang” for your buck as well as keep a nice hefty stock of items you use every single day in your classroom or in your student’s bag, then shopping bulk wholesale is the only way to go.
Check out these amazing products that you can use all season long.
As the need for school supplies increase nationally, more organizations are attempting to step up to fill the need. Here are a few partners that currently support back to school and school supply shortages:
Homelessness is not a modern phenomenon. The first cases of the homeless in America date back to the 1640s, according to Street News Service. Wars fought between the settlers and Native Americans displaced people on both sides. Back then, people would show up to a town and make a case for why they should be allowed to settle there. In most New England towns, the newcomers would sit before the town fathers and explain how they would pull their weight and not be a drain on everybody else. The people who were denied and told to move on were Catholics, people with physical disabilities, mental disabilities, alcoholics, widows, orphans and the elderly. We ended up with a transient class moving from town to town, so this new world did not offer opportunity for everyone.
When the Industrial Revolution was starting in the 1820s, people were moving from farms into cities, creating a poor urban underclass. [This] led to our first anti-panhandling ordinances, and our jails soon became our shelter system. [I]n 1830, Congress passed [the “Indian Removal Act,”] the first federal policy that caused massive homelessness; [this act] uprooted Native American tribes in the southeast and moved them to Oklahoma. [Workplace injuries during the] Industrial Revolution, [disabilities caused by] the Civil War, [and, then, large-scale displacement as a result of] disasters like the Chicago fire in 1871, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the massive 1927 Mississippi River flood […] created more homelessness. Then the Great Depression hit in 1929, and massive numbers of homeless people hit the streets like America had never seen before or since.
The same issues that caused homelessness 300 to 400 years ago are still haunting us today. Tragic life occurrences like the loss of loved ones, job loss, domestic violence, divorce, family disputes, depression, untreated mental illness, natural disasters, war, post-traumatic stress disorder and physical disabilities are responsible for a large portion of the homeless. In this land of plenty and this land of opportunity, over 600,000 Americans experience homelessness on any given night, with 138,000 being under the age of 18. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the [U.S.] rate of homeless persons is 18.3 per 10,000 people, ranging from 120 in Washington, D.C., to seven in Mississippi. Veterans are at 25.5 per 10,000, with the high again in Washington, D.C., [at] 146 and the low in Virginia, at nine.
[W]e, as a society, need to focus on the homeless children in our communities. Homeless children, as defined by the federal “No Child Left Behind” program, include not just those living in shelters or transitional housing, but also those sharing the housing of other persons due to economic hardships; [those] living in cars, parks, [or] bus or train stations; [and those] awaiting foster care placement. According to NBC News, the National Center for Homeless Education reported local school districts have 2.5 million homeless children […] in public schools, [or] one in 30. […] Of [this total], 76,000 homeless students are living on their own and […] exchange sex for food, clothing, shelter and other basic needs, [and] 75% percent of [these adolescents] have either dropped out or will drop out of school. […]
America has not been able to solve the homeless problem for close to 400 years. What would make us think we can solve it now?
Throughout our history, we have learned that homelessness cannot be solved by the government alone, especially in times of government gridlock and lack of funds. This is a major issue that affects all of us, and, at this time of year, it involves the classmates of our kids. This is truly a local issue causing hardships on our […] schools.
There are many ways the average citizen can help out, either by volunteering their time or donating their money. The Covenant House opens up its doors to help homeless youth in 27 cities. Safe Horizons helps out children and families. Stand up for Kids helps get our children off the streets, and Move for Hunger helps feed them. […]
We all suffer when we allow our neighbors to go homeless, even for just one night. Our society suffers when we deny any of our children a good night’s sleep and a nourishing meal. With the limitless potential that many homeless youth have to make a lasting positive contribution to our communities, whether it is in science, humanities or sports, we cheat not only them but ourselves by not allocating dollars, either in taxes we collect or the disposable income we can spare. Every child should have a shot at attaining our American dream. This is not a political or religious issue; it is a moral issue that our entire society must embrace. With a little help from all of us, these 600,000 Americans can find shelter for another night.
All of us have bragged about the great teachers we’ve had who have helped us along in life, but not every teacher is wonderful. Some teachers just don’t strive to improve and help kids.
According to About Education, ineffective teachers share similar characteristics:
They lack the ability to manage their classrooms. If they can’t control the students in their classrooms, they won’t be able to teach them effectively.
[They] lack real content knowledge. They will quickly lose credibility with their students if they do not know what they are teaching, making them instantly ineffective.
[They] lack motivation. [These] teachers do not challenge or stay engaged with their students.
[They] lack organizational skills, [making them] unproductive and overwhelmed.
[They possess] poor people skills, which affects students, parents, other staff members and administrators [and] can quickly become the downfall of a teacher.
On the other hand, greatly effective teachers:
[L]ove to teach and have a passion for teaching young people
[D]emonstrate a caring attitude
[R]elate to their students one on one
[T]hink outside the box
[A]re willing to be creative and adaptive to individual needs
[A]re proactive rather than reactive
[A]re excellent communicators to everyone who surrounds a student
[C]hallenge their students to do better
[W]hy would anyone ever want to become a teacher? The budgets for our classrooms dwindle each year, and teachers continue to take money out of their own pockets to provide their students with supplies. [S]chools are getting older, and fewer new schools are being built annually. Based on the school shootings over the last few years, teachers must now worry every day about the security of their students and themselves. […]
[Despite] these [concerns], teachers continue to inspire, and new, idealist[ic] college graduates are joining their ranks. This year, 284,000 new teachers joined public schools, compared to 222,000 a decade ago, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. Public schools employed 3.1 million teachers this year, putting the average pupil-to-teacher ratio at 16 to 1, […] the same as it was in 2000. Public school expenditures this year were $634 billion, [or] $12,605 for each student. The […] average [percentage] of high school [students who dropped out fell to] 6.8% […] from […] 10.9% in 2000. The percentage of students enrolling in college in the fall immediately following high school […] is 65.9%; in 1976, it was 48.8%. Looking at the decline in dropouts and the increase in kids starting college, […] our current crop of teachers must be doing something right.
It does pay to stay in school. Today’s working adults age[s] 25 to 34 with a bachelor’s degree earn around $46,900 [annually], while those with an associate’s degree earn around $35,700. High school graduates earn around $30,000 [per year], and the median is $22,900 for those without a high school diploma.
The fact that the United States is ranked the 14th best educational country in the world according to Pearson is a real wake-up call. […] South Korea is ranked first, followed by Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Finland, the United Kingdom and Canada. Pearson found the top-ranked countries offer teachers higher status in society and have a culture emphasizing education. Society’s attitude about education and its underlying moral purpose seems to be stronger in the top-rated countries. […]
It continues to amaze me that people want to become teachers. New teachers make around $36,000 [annually] and can earn $58,000 after 20 years, so striking it rich does not seem to be the reason to pursue this noble career. These teachers have a spirit that the rest of us just don’t possess. This school year, teachers took an average of $513 out of their own pockets for classroom supplies, food for hungry kids in their classes, instructional materials and books for their student. […]
It is up to concerned citizens and parents to make a difference for our kids and give teachers more help. The National Teacher Assistance Organization gathers donations […] for professional assistance to teachers. At Donors Choose, public school teachers post classroom project requests, and you can donate to the project that most inspires you. At Class Wish, you can help fund any teacher in the country. […]
It takes an entire village to bring quality education to the next generation. Our teachers care about their students [and] their neighborhoods, and they want to mold our kids into adults who care about our community. Great teachers start to move the minds of their students along the path of knowledge, preparing them for the journey of life and propelling them into the future of adulthood. Now that teachers are finishing up this school year and preparing for the next, it is up to our legislatures, our community leaders, parents and ordinary citizens to support all of our kids before it is too late. Our teachers have the compassion and willingness to bring our kids back into the top-10-rated countries in the world, [b]ut it is up to the rest of us to realize that a highly educated society means success and prosperity for all. […]
Listening to the [2016] presidential debates, all [of] the candidates want to make America better than it is today. They want America to lead the world, not to follow. According to Ranking America, [the United States leads] the world with the largest prison population at 2,217,000 prisoners, followed by China at 1,657,812 and Russia at 646,085. We also [claim the world’s] highest divorce rate, […] and [we have] the most lawyers per person (one for every 265 Americans). [T]he one thing we do not lead the world in is education.
The […] United States is ranked [No. 14 in the world when it comes to education], according to Pearson, [which should serve as] a real wakeup call. […] South Korea is ranked first, followed by Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Finland, the United Kingdom and Canada. Pearson found that the top-ranked countries offer teachers higher status in society and have a culture emphasizing education. [T]o think—just three decades ago, the United States was ranked first in the world [for education], and, if we could’ve hung onto that ranking, education would be a nonissue in this year’s elections.
[I]n 1990, the U.S.A. ranked first in the world in four-year degrees attained; today, we sit at No. 12. […] [Just last year], Atlas reported the U.S. government spent […] $154 billion […] on educational accounts, including the Department of Education, school nutrition programs, Head Start, student loan subsidies and veterans educational benefits. Education costs were 4.2% of the total budget, [a percentage surpassed by more than] 100 other countries worldwide. […]
The connection between a good education and income is overwhelming. Today’s working adults ages 25 to 34 with a bachelor’s degree earn [an average of] $46,900 [annually], while those with an associate’s degree earn $35,700 [per year]. High school graduates earn $30,000 [annually], and the median is $22,900 [per year] for those without a high school diploma.
Business leaders recognize that U.S.-based firms cannot compete without an educated populace and a skilled workforce, according to Harvard Business School. Of the 34 countries that signed the Convention for Economic Corporation and Development, [the] United States [ranks] 27th in mathematics, 17th in reading and 20th in understanding science. […]
How can we reverse this slide? [Your initial response may be to] throw more money into education, but that is not the right answer. America is the greatest, most technologically advanced country in the world, and we need to put this advantage to work in all schools. […] [O]ur schools need to let go of archaic practices and embrace technology to engage students, connect learners with educators, and invest in redesigning traditional school models that embrace the Internet and technology. Our own kids are way ahead of us on this. When you see a three-year-old teaching her grandmother how to use the Internet, you know this new generation is ready for just about any technology our schools can throw their way. Once we wake up and realize that our kids can use modern technology to learn the sciences and math in an engaging, relevant and personalized learning experience, this newest generation will drive us back to being No. 1 in the world. [D]on’t [think] that technology [alone can] enhance our kids’ experience; […] the real keys to strong schools are great teachers and principals who can implement technology creatively and efficiently.
During this election year, we can’t count on Congress to help our schools with additional funding in the near future. Our teachers take an average of $513 out of their own pockets [every year] for classroom supplies, […] instructional materials and books—[w]e cannot ask for more from these dedicated public servants. [I]t is up to concerned citizens, parents and business owners to make a difference for our kids. The nonprofit NPower has [a] community corps skill-based volunteering program engaging technology professionals with our schools, so if you are not technologically inclined, you should donate to help them help others. Code.org believes that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science, so donate to help this cause. […]
One or two business leaders are not going to make a difference in fixing our educational system. It is a country mindset that needs to permeate every school in every city like the attitude found in all the countries now beating us. Our past presidents have set national goals, and we, as a country, have risen up to achieve these goals. Think of Roosevelt taking on the Great Depression or Kennedy telling America we will land a man on the moon by the end of the decade. During this upcoming national election, we need a candidate who truly wants to take America back to being the No. 1 educational country in the world. We know that a better-educated populace will create new businesses and higher-paying jobs that will lift our entire economy. Every business person I know wants that for their company and for their kids.
