KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics on both sides of the state line. If you have a story idea to share, you can send Charlie an email at charlie.keegan@kshb.com.
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Word spread quickly in a teacher group chat that McLain’s Bakery was giving free coffee to teachers on Wednesday.
“I immediately texted my friend, and I was like, 'We have to go,'" said Claire O’Gorman, special education teacher in Kansas’ Gardner Edgerton School District.
The free coffee was a jolt for teachers who’ve been shopping — and spending — to prepare their classrooms for the new school year.
“I’ve spent a lot of my own money on decorations, just some different things to make it more welcoming,” said Aimee McDonald, a third grade teacher in Missouri’s Park Hill School District.
Most teachers said their schools or parent-teacher associations help them pay for some classroom items. Even when low teacher salaries are a constant talking point, teachers are still expected to use their own money on back-to-school supplies.
Teachers share tips in those group chats: where to get discounts, how to set up an Amazon wish list and which retiring teachers can pass along used supplies.
“Facebook marketplace is a big one, especially for furniture,” O’Gorman said.
Pre-K teacher Mary Fuelling budgets money in her personal life for back-to-school items.
“I’d say, in August, I usually spend a couple of hundred dollars on my classroom, just getting supplies, materials, updating things like that,” Fuelling said.
Money can’t buy everything. O’Gorman said seeing a student hit a goal motivates her.
“When a student finally hits that and gets the biggest smile on their face, it’s one of the most rewarding things to see,” she said.
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