Ideally, teachers in our public schools would be provided with supplies, teaching materials, paper and other items needed to instruct students in their classrooms. In some years, they have been, to an extent; as recently as 2008, each teacher received $525 to be used for those purchases.
This year, they got $135 – just over a quarter of what they got three years ago. Meanwhile, the cost of those materials has likely increased.
Most public school teachers routinely dip into their own pockets to make up the difference. That speaks well of the teachers, but public funding so woeful that it makes such a sacrifice necessary is an absolute indictment of the elected lawmakers responsible for allotting adequate funding for education.
In the upcoming legislative session, Gov. Robert Bentley has included a $300 tax credit for teachers in his budget, which would allow teachers to recoup some of that money by directly reducing the amount of tax they would owe. That would be remarkable – if lawmakers pass it. Still, a $300 tax credit and a supply allotment of $135 is still $90 short of the $525 each teacher had available to supplies in 2008.
None of this would be necessary if lawmakers would make the tough decisions needed to ensure that adequate funding reaches the classrooms of our public schools. When determining priorities for the upcoming legislative session, House and Senate leaders should see that this issue tops their lists.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement