Originally published in TEACH Magazine, July/August 2019 Issue
By Alex Newman
While summer’s long lazy days stretch before us, teachers are already thinking ahead to the fall. It’s time to start prepping the classroom—and to spend money.
A U.S. Department of Education survey in 2018 revealed that 94% of teachers spend an average $479 USD of their own money on classroom supplies, with 7% spending $1,000 or more. The numbers are pretty much the same in Canada—the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU) estimates that teachers spend an average of $525 CAD, and some a lot more.
Alex Newman is a Toronto freelance writer and editor. Visit her website, alexnewmanwriter.com.

