Anonymous
Post 07/09/2022 22:00     Subject: New teacher, I cannot afford to set up my classroom…

Did you ask your admin?
Anonymous
Post 07/09/2022 21:43     Subject: New teacher, I cannot afford to set up my classroom…

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The average pay for a teacher in MD or VA is over $70k. Not exactly poverty wages.


Cool, cool, cool. Then you won't mind donating a small % of your check to your job, right? I mean, heck, it's hard for the federal government or wherever to pay for stuff too, so you won't mind kicking in a few hundred dollars each month, right?


I mean, I am very pro-teacher. But just to be clear, I am a federal employee and I spend lots of my own money on my job.
Anonymous
Post 07/09/2022 21:23     Subject: Re:New teacher, I cannot afford to set up my classroom…

Anonymous wrote:ER Physician’s pay for their license, board certification, ATLS certification, continuing medical education units, and in some cases extra liability insurance.

Not to say teacher’s should have to pay for their supplies, they shouldn’t, but other professions have to pay for professional fees/items.


Teachers do pay for professional fees and items. I pay for my license every five years, for professional affiliation groups, for National Board Licensure, and for attendance at conferences to pursue professional development. I have zero problems with any of that. But why am I expected to buy the things I need to practice my profession: crayons, scissors, glue, pencils, paper, kleenex, and the 1000 books I am told (and agree I need) in my classroom library?

Again, that's like asking a doctor to pay for oxygen tubing, oxygen, anesthetic, syringes, gloves, etc.
Anonymous
Post 07/09/2022 20:14     Subject: New teacher, I cannot afford to set up my classroom…

Talk to your principal or AP for sure. There is someone at your school who is responsible for furniture and who probably knows where there are extra bookshelves— usually an administrative assistant.

My team of 5 teachers has a young teacher who is pretty consistently broke. The rest of us have paid off our loans at this point— we aren’t rolling in dough, but we can afford to buy our kids little gifts or treats for holidays, post-testing, etc. When we talk together about things like this, she is up front with us when she can’t afford it, which is usually. We either split the cost of her share or change the plan so it doesn’t require $ from us. We’re just so glad she’s teaching— we need young blood!

Don’t be shy about explaining to your team that you’re not in a position to pay out of pocket, and set that boundary NOW, especially if you have a Pinterest teacher on your team who is going to expect you to come up with $ every other week for some cute project. They should be understanding.
Anonymous
Post 07/09/2022 19:33     Subject: Re:New teacher, I cannot afford to set up my classroom…

Anonymous wrote:ER Physician’s pay for their license, board certification, ATLS certification, continuing medical education units, and in some cases extra liability insurance.

Not to say teacher’s should have to pay for their supplies, they shouldn’t, but other professions have to pay for professional fees/items.





And so do teachers. Teachers in MD had to pay for Praxis tests to become licensed. Then, they need to be recertified every 5 years. My district only reimburses me 1/2 of the cost of the 6 graduate credits I need for this recertification. How much does the average physician get paid compared to the average teacher?
Anonymous
Post 07/09/2022 19:32     Subject: Re:New teacher, I cannot afford to set up my classroom…

Teacher Supplies, a 501c3 in Bethesda, will reimburse you for out of pocket expenses. Thank you for caring for and about our kids!

https://www.teachersupplies.org/
Anonymous
Post 07/09/2022 19:25     Subject: Re:New teacher, I cannot afford to set up my classroom…

ER Physician’s pay for their license, board certification, ATLS certification, continuing medical education units, and in some cases extra liability insurance.

Not to say teacher’s should have to pay for their supplies, they shouldn’t, but other professions have to pay for professional fees/items.
Anonymous
Post 07/09/2022 19:19     Subject: New teacher, I cannot afford to set up my classroom…

Anonymous wrote:The average pay for a teacher in MD or VA is over $70k. Not exactly poverty wages.


Source?
This says in VA it is more like $58k, and that’s not first year average.
https://www.wsls.com/news/virginia/2022/04/27/teacher-pay-in-virginia-is-further-away-from-the-national-average-than-ever-report-shows/

Anonymous
Post 07/09/2022 19:00     Subject: New teacher, I cannot afford to set up my classroom…

Anonymous wrote:The average pay for a teacher in MD or VA is over $70k. Not exactly poverty wages.



You're right. However, as has been stated repeatedly, she has seen none of that money yet. Even so, why should teachers buy necessary school supplies with their own money? ER doctors don't purchase syringes, medication, or other tools from their own pocket. In particular, this burden is often unequally borne by teachers in those high-poverty schools that do not have PTA or parent funding.
Anonymous
Post 07/09/2022 18:58     Subject: New teacher, I cannot afford to set up my classroom…

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our PTA gives every teacher a gift card before school starts - can you ask if yours does that?

Seconding creating an Amazon wishlist and posting it on all your social media (with what you posted here) and making it sharable and asking ALL your friends and family to share it too. I've bought from the wishlists of friends of friends before.

Also, teachers post on Buy Nothing all the time and people LOVE to give away their things. I had a teacher take a beanbag for her classroom last summer.


Hahaha title one school here. You think our teachers get gift cards?!?


I have incredible amounts of respect for teachers - especially those who do so in areas that do not have the resources to take care of their teachers and students in the way that both deserve. I hold out hope that the Dems for all their teacher union support - put their money where their mouths are and do better to support them In ways that matter.
Anonymous
Post 07/09/2022 18:16     Subject: New teacher, I cannot afford to set up my classroom…

Anonymous wrote:The average pay for a teacher in MD or VA is over $70k. Not exactly poverty wages.


Cool, cool, cool. Then you won't mind donating a small % of your check to your job, right? I mean, heck, it's hard for the federal government or wherever to pay for stuff too, so you won't mind kicking in a few hundred dollars each month, right?
Anonymous
Post 07/09/2022 18:16     Subject: New teacher, I cannot afford to set up my classroom…

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why are you not getting paid? Most school districts pay year round even though schools out? For that alone, I say it’s fake.


It's her first job. This means she doesn't get a paycheck until probably the end of August or beginning of September. What field are you in that you start getting paid months before you start?


DP: I know you are trying to help but don’t feed trolls
Anonymous
Post 07/09/2022 18:15     Subject: New teacher, I cannot afford to set up my classroom…

Anonymous wrote:Why are you not getting paid? Most school districts pay year round even though schools out? For that alone, I say it’s fake.


It's her first job. This means she doesn't get a paycheck until probably the end of August or beginning of September. What field are you in that you start getting paid months before you start?
Anonymous
Post 07/09/2022 16:54     Subject: New teacher, I cannot afford to set up my classroom…

The average pay for a teacher in MD or VA is over $70k. Not exactly poverty wages.
Anonymous
Post 07/09/2022 16:33     Subject: New teacher, I cannot afford to set up my classroom…

Anonymous wrote:Why are you not getting paid? Most school districts pay year round even though schools out? For that alone, I say it’s fake.



What are you talking about? And no, not all school districts allow teachers to spread out their paychecks to cover the summer.