Bill doesn’t go far enough to help teachers

More funding needed for classroom supplies

A bill making its way through the state Legislature hopes to reduce the burden of school supply costs on teachers.

HB 2377 would allocate $8.7 million this coming school year for teachers to use for any school supplies. Sounds like a lot of money, right? Unfortunately, that translates to only about $150 per teacher, according to a report by Capitol Media Services. In a classroom of 30 or so students, $150 doesn’t go very far.

HB 2377 also contains a provision allowing for a dollar-fordollar tax credit for teachers against what they owe in state income taxes for their out-ofpocket expenses, up to another $150 a year.

The bill passed the state House with bipartisan support, but it also faces bipartisan opposition, Capitol Media Services reports.

The bill is a positive step toward improving classroom spending, but frankly, it just doesn’t go far enough.

Including the tax credit for teachers is almost an admission of that, recognizing that classrooms are underfunded, and attempting to make it up on the other side with a credit.

Teachers are underpaid as it is. They should not be expected to pay for classroom supplies out of pocket and wait for the tax credit to get “reimbursed.”

What we would prefer to see, instead, is for classrooms to get more funding upfront. Give teachers the money in their classroom budgets to cover the expenses at hand, be it pencils, crayons, paper or markers.

Teachers have so much on their plates to worry about. Are they reaching all of their students? What can they do to improve little Timmy’s math scores? How can they help little Sarah improve her reading comprehension? What’s the best way to connect with little Simon, who seems to be disconnected from his peers? Those are just day-to-day concerns. One still has to factor in teaching to the classroom as a whole and preparing students for state standards testing, and a host of other challenges.

It’s a travesty that they have to worry about having the supplies necessary to most effectively do their jobs.

While the intent of HB 2377 is good, it doesn’t go far enough to truly make a difference. If legislators want to have an impact, raise the amount of money, and help teachers properly equip their classrooms.