US School Teachers Turn to Social Media for School Supplies

Teachers in the United States found a way to reduce their financial burden of buying school supplies through a viral social media campaign. Fourth grade teacher Courtney Jones from Texas started the initiative on Facebook by creating a group named “Support A Teacher.” According to Jones, she decided to create the group to give teachers an opportunity to come together and help them gain a support system for getting what they need for their classrooms. After a while, Jones extended the campaign to Twitter and Instagram using the official hashtag #ClearTheList. This attracted more teachers to post their wish lists. The initiative became more successful when celebrities started supporting it, prompting their followers to do the same. As of early September, the campaign has received more than 2,000 requests. It is hosted by the crowdfunding site Donors Choose, and it estimates that around $1.3 million is needed to fund all the items on the lists. To get school items, teachers have to create Amazon wish lists. They can share their wish lists on social media using the official hashtag. Anyone can donate by giving money or purchasing an item on a list. Based on a recent survey by the US Department of Education, a teacher typically spends a minimum of $479 to buy classroom supplies. According to Jones, some teachers spend as much as $2,500 just to stock up on essential items. Aside from helping teachers clear their lists, donations will also have a huge impact on students’ classroom experiences. Sixth grade teacher Alexis Wilson said that the school items help her create engaging classroom activities. Kristen Gainer, another elementary school teacher, said that through the campaign, she was able to learn different teaching ideas and techniques from other teachers.