Union gives $400K to teachers for supplies

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) gave $400,000 this month to hundreds of U.S. teachers so they could buy supplies for their classrooms. “Teachers need supplies all the time,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “They dig out of their own pockets ... not just for things like cleaning supplies, but for supplies that kids need — books, materials, crayons, scissors. And in places where parents can't afford this, teachers do it all the time.”

Class discussion: Have teachers ever given you supplies that they purchased with their own money? Shouldn’t school systems provide all the supplies that students need? Have states cut or diverted spending for public schools and colleges? Why is there a growing shortage of teachers in many states? Are teachers being asked to solve more of society’s problems with less resources? Are educators facing more legal and personal threats over what and how they teach?