The teahcers get free health care for life. A few hundred for supplies is nothing.
Maybe not to you.
And in my state teachers don't get free health care for life. In NJ, presumably teachers don't get a choice. Maybe they'd rather take a real benefits cut, manage their own health care expense, and have some extra salary or stipend for supplies. But they don't get that choice.
The reason the issue is an agonizing one for many teachers is that since it's out of pocket, they have to choose between bills coming due and helping their students. Sure, especially in NJ there may be a fair number of teachers sitting pretty who could just cut back one latte a week, but every teacher isn't a big bad overpaid union flack.
In general, states and school districts allocate money for what they think schools need, and then teachers have to go out and buy what they actually need. It would be a winning conservative issue to empower teachers to have more control over spending priorities and put tax dollars to better use.
AMEN!!!!!!!
I am so tired of the argument “we pay for some supplies out of my own pocket”. My goodness - that teacher gets free or greatly reduced premiums for her healthcare. Tell you what - reduce my healthcare premiums that are about to skyrocket under Obamacare and I will spend $500 per year buying my own supplies. I will take that trade any day...
She had no advanced degree (she was nice, but not exactly the brightest bulb) and she's pulling down a BIG, tax-free pension and (practically) free healthcare.
Not a bad investment for a few quid spent on supplies (which are tax deducible), eh???
All those supplies are tax deductible. They need to quit whining about it.