Upworthy's book GOOD PEOPLE, now available - take a look!

Shop
 Explore 

school supplies

Parenting

Mom calls out teacher who gave her son a 'zero' grade for not providing class with supplies

Her viral video sparked a debate as to whether or not providing school supplies should be mandatory for parents.

@shanittanicole/TikTok

A zero grade for not providing school supplies?

The debate as to whether or not parents should supply classroom supplies is not new. But as prices continue to rise, parents are growing more baffled as to how they can be expected by teachers to provide all the various glue sticks, colored pencils, rulers and other various items the incoming students might need.

What’s even more perplexing, however, is penalizing the children of parents who won’t (or can’t) provide them.

This was the case for Shanitta Nicole, who discovered her son received a zero grade in his new school for not bringing school supplies for the entire classroom.

Nicole was especially surprised by this reaction since she had already gone through the effort of making sure her son had every supply he needed from the school’s list, which was slightly different than the one they previously had.

And yet, the 7th grade teacher informed her son that he was still expected to provide for the classroom, not just himself. And, thus, a zero grade, for failing the assignment, so to speak.

Even though Nicole thought the rule was “weird,” she went out and bought the bulk items, which included tissues, Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, pencils, Expo markers, and red pens.

And yet, the next week—her son still has a zero. Concerned, Nicole emailed her son’s teacher.

“I’m like, ‘hey…my student has a 83 in the class and everything else in the class is 100s and 98s and he still has a zero for something called ‘classroom supplies.’” she said in a video.

“‘We bought the supplies anyways, but I don't feel like it's the parents' responsibility to supply your classroom. And I definitely don't think it's appropriate to assign a grade to students based off of whether or not they've supplied your class with supplies. That doesn't make any sense.’”

@shanittanicole Am I doing too much? #fyp #school ♬ original sound - Shanitta Nicolee 💖

And while Nicole’s email did get the teacher to reconcile the grade, there was no mention to her other concern regarding the responsibility for parents to provide the entire class with supplies.

“So, I emailed the principal because I just, I might be extra, but I just want to see what's going on. Why do I have to buy supplies for the classroom?” the frustrated mom concluded.

Nicole’s video quickly went viral on TikTok, and several weighed in to agree that the teacher’s actions were misguided.

“That is so unfair!! Especially for the kids whose parents CANT afford groceries let alone classroom supplies,” one user wrote.

Another added, “You are not wrong. It is 100% ok for [the teacher] to ask for supplies, but mandate it for a grade? Absolutely not.”

And this point is truly what Nicole took umbrage with, as she noted several times in the comments. It has less to do with being asked to help and more to do with her son’s grade depending on it.

In a follow-up video, Nicole shared that the school principal did end up reaching out, notifying her that while, yes, teachers are allowed to ask for donations, it should never be mandated.

@shanittanicole Replying to @yafavv._.dancer😍😘💞😍😍💞 Graded Supplies Update #fyp #school ♬ original sound - Shanitta Nicolee 💖

“What the teacher was trying to accomplish, but it definitely wasn't appropriate,” the principal told Nicole.

While the teacher might have not handled this situation in the best way, it goes without saying that this is a larger systemic issue—one that isn’t exactly fair to parents, teachers and students alike.

Most public school teachers spend a significant amount of their own money on classroom supplies, to an average of $673 per year, according to a recent survey of more than 1,100 educators by the Association of American Educators (AAE). That number only goes up for teachers in high poverty schools.

At the same time, according to a 2022 survey with Savings.com, the typical parent also spends nearly $600 on school supplies. Plus things like clothes, backpacks, haircuts etc.

In the grand scheme of things, there’s no use placing full responsibility or blame onto teachers or parents. Because either way, students get caught in the crossfire. This is clearly a universal burden that needs attention.

This article originally appeared on 10.5.23

From Your Site Articles

kids

Education

Your kid's teacher will spend hundreds on their classroom. Here's what they have to buy.

The breakdown of what they're spending their own money on is eye-opening.

via Pexels

Teachers spend a lot to make their classrooms good learning environments.

With the United States having one of the best education systems in the world (yes, really), one might assume that American teachers get everything they need to do their jobs well. But that's simply not the case.

While teacher pay varies a lot by state, teaching is a famously underpaid profession when you calculate everything that goes into it. But on top of that, most teachers end up spending their own hard-earned money on their classrooms to make sure their students get a quality educational experience.

How much are teachers spending on classroom supplies and what are they buying? Here's how it breaks down.

A CouponBird survey of 2,500 teachers across the U.S. found that 93% of respondents spend their own money on their classrooms with average yearly spend of $915. (The teachers were split between the age groups they teach: 41% elementary school, 23% middle school and 36% high school.)

Where to teachers spend the most and the least? The highest spending states were Texas ($1,396), Pennsylvania ($1,387) and Arizona ($1,375) and the lowest spending states were Idaho ($490), Louisiana ($456) and Oklahoma ($447).

What's extra interesting is what these teachers say they spend their money on. Here's how those numbers broke down:

- Consumable School Supplies: 97%
- Classroom Decor: 76%
- Educational Aids (Books, Games, etc.): 67%
- Snacks: 44%
- Cleaning Supplies: 36%
- First Aid Supplies: 31%

If teachers want to spend their own money on extras, that's one thing, but none of those categories seem "extra," do they? School supplies shouldn't have to be purchased and paid for by individual teachers, but even cleaning supplies? Yikes.

Elementary school teacher Natalie Ringold asked her fellow teachers to share how much money they spend on their classrooms on average each year, and the responses were telling.

See on Instagram

"Let’s just say I work another job in the weekends to pay for what I need for my students. The smiles on their faces and the full bellies in the classroom make it all worth it."

"😂😂 I dont keep track bc I don’t wanna know."

"😝🤣 We do not speak of that number."

"I'm mortified to say... but probably around $1500. Not defending myself, but still in the new teacher era... trying to set up my classroom so it's functional and comfortable lol."

"First year teacher… definitely past the 3k mark."

"$2000 as a 3rd grade teacher after it’s all said and done."

"Over $1,000 per year as an elementary music teacher."

"From the summer to the end of the year probably around $1,500 as a 1st grade teacher."

"This will be my first year teaching ! I’ve spent almost $1000 already on furniture/rug , classroom supplies etc. and I still need more ! But..hopefully it will be less next year as it will just need to be maintained. 🙌🏼"

"Probably around $500 these days. This is year 20 for me."

Some people might argue that there are other jobs where workers are expected to pay for some things out of their own pockets, but this is public education we're talking about. Something every society needs to function and advance. Something we've deemed important enough for the government to provide (though some disagree). It hardly seems logical that teachers should pay for any of their classroom supplies out of their own pocket.

To add insult to injury, teacher's aren't even able to write most of their out-of-pocket expenditures off on their taxes. In 2022, the IRS raised the limit of what teachers could deduct from $250 to $300. Seriously? We have teachers spending upwards of $1,000 a year of their own money on supplies for their job and they can't even write them all off?

To help bridge the gap, some teachers are making use of crowdfunding platforms to help spread out the burden a bit, offering people who value education and have the means to pitch in a chance to donate to their classrooms. If that's you, check out DonorsChoose and filter by location to find a teacher or classroom near you. Lots of people each giving a little goes a long way, so let's do what we can to help teachers get what they need for their students.

From Your Site Articles

teachers

Pop Culture

American mom living in Japan shows her son's adorable required school supplies

Okay, these are so freakin' cute.

Photo credit: Canva

We all need those adorable hats and loafers.

July is almost over, which means that a return to school is just around the corner. That also means that back-to-school shopping has begun.

But what might that look like in other parts of the world? Thanks to the internet, we need not wonder.

Moriah is an American mom who began living in Okinawa, Japan, in January 2024 after her husband got stationed there. She regularly posts videos showing just how different daily life is in her new home, not least of which being her son’s school.

In a now viral TikTok clip, Moriah shared her son’s latest school supply haul. And let’s just say…it looks a little different than what we normally see in the U.S.

Moriah began her clip by saying that everything cost 65,000 yen, which roughly amounts to $420. That’s a pretty hefty price for just one kid, but wait til you hear what was purchased.

For the first item, prepare to be overwhelmed by cute kid fashion. Moriah showed off an adorable black and white “summer hat,” to match his summer uniform. In winter, he’ll have a different uniform, and a different matching hat. Plus an outside hat…Japan has their hat game down pat.

But wait, there’s more! Moriah’s son also gets a name tag that looks like it was plucked right out of a wholesome anime, which will be pinned onto his uniform each day, in addition to two gym shirts with his name in Japanese sewed onto the front, three pairs of gym shorts, two sets of the blue short overalls, two of the button-up shirts, an art smock and last but not least…a bow tie.

“They wear this during formal events,” Moriah explained.

Of course, the boy needs matching shoes for all these outfits, which are also part of the supply haul. Then his school outfit will be complete with an “itty-bitty” backpack.

And now, we get to the actual supplies.

@momentswithmoriah Japanese school supplies 🤩 #okinawa #okinawajapan #japanese #japaneseculture #shoppinghaul ♬ sonido original - SONIDOS LARGOS

First up: a pianika, which is a small, portable breath-powered keyboard that’s standard for most Japanese elementary schools.

“All of the kids get these and learn how to play them and then they'll have a school event where we get to watch and see what they've learned,” Moriah explains before playing a couple of notes.

Then there’s the drawing pad, a jump rope, art supplies like scissors, glue pastels, markers and clay, all of which fit into a nifty supply box that’s top also acts as a mold for the clay that they use. There’s even a pouch that holds onto all “communications for the parents.”

Because organization is clearly a priority, Moriah says that she has to label each and all of these supplies. But she luckily has her kid’s name in Japanese on a stamp to make that task a little easier.

And that’s it! At least, for brand-specific school supplies. Moriah said her family would later go out to stores to get things like her son’s lunch mat and water bottle, which could allow for a little more personal flair.

The mom then shared that when she first attempted this three months ago, it felt really “daunting.” But now with a bit more experience under her belt, she’s “actually excited to get everything organized and ready for the start of the school year in September.”

Though Moriah and her family might only be in Japan for 3-6 years (according to her follow-up video), she’ll certainly have racked up quite a few memories while there, in addition to fun videos for us! It’s always cool to see how different cultures navigate life. Granted, even within Japan, different schools are bound to operate differently, but still, this is a prime example of how the internet is a great way to celebrate and explore differences.

To follow along on more of Moriah’s Japan journey, follow her on TikTok and Instagram.

From Your Site Articles

kids

school supplies

Mom calls out teacher who gave her son a 'zero' grade for not providing class with supplies

Her viral video sparked a debate as to whether or not providing school supplies should be mandatory for parents.

Your kid's teacher will spend hundreds on their classroom. Here's what they have to buy.

The breakdown of what they're spending their own money on is eye-opening.

American mom living in Japan shows her son's adorable required school supplies

Okay, these are so freakin' cute.

'Wicked' author reveals how one line in 'The Wizard of Oz' inspired Elphaba and Glinda's story

Doctor breaks down how to recognize ADHD in adults. The symptoms may be surprising.

Father of 3 shares what he learned about his wife’s ‘mental load’ after she left for 8 days

Trevor Noah shared the one question U.S. journalists should be asking themselves every day

American woman forced to change her name after learning what it means in Australia