According to a recent survey carried out by the Economic Policy Institute, teachers in Michigan and California spend an average of six hundred and fifty dollars (USD 650) on school supplies, for which there is no reimbursement.
The study also concluded that the national average sum teachers invest in classroom supplies is about four hundred and fifty-nine dollars (USD 459).
Teachers spending the least are located in North Dakota and West Virginia, with respective expenses of three hundred and twenty-seven dollars (USD 327) and three hundred and thirty-three dollars (USD 333).
The findings of the study show an interesting relationship between the amount teachers invest from their own pockets and the success of their school region in the annual U.S. News Best States rankings. Data shows that the areas where teachers have to spend more of their own money perform worse than the areas where teachers spend the least on classroom supplies.
Teachers in Michigan face difficulties
Unfortunately, the recent findings are not surprising, considering the fact that Michigan has been in an educational crisis for some time now.
The fact that teachers have to spend so much of their own money to provide their pupils with a functional environment, which facilitates the learning process is worrying.
Not only that, but Michigan is also facing a crisis when it comes to qualified school librarians. According to recent research, the number of professional school librarians in Michigan has dropped by more than seventy-three percent (73%) over the past sixteen (16) years.
Teachers in Michigan are forced to work into an increasingly demanding environment in terms of finances. Hopefully, the government will take a note of that and introduce some changes in the way budgets for the state educational system are determined.
