U.S. public school teachers increasingly use crowdfunding campaigns for classroom supplies and equipment. Even well-funded schools raise money online. A range of factors prevent full public funding of educational basics.
MoreFrom classroom cleaning supplies to computers for students to use in the classroom, to underwater robots, public school teachers throughout the U.S. are turning to crowdfunding. When government entities can’t provide the funds, teachers increasingly open their own wallets or go online, according to the Associated Press.
A crowdfunded underwater robot for a classroom science project makes the point that even the best-funded schools use crowdfunding. In the majority of instances, however, teachers are looking for help to supply the basics.
In the case of a kindergarten classroom in Philadelphia’s Roosevelt Elementary School, teacher Shannon Raferty has a $200 budget for supplies for the entire school year. Rafferty spends $100 to $150 of her own money from each paycheck, reports the AP,  but it’s not enough. Rafferty is trying to raise $500 through crowdfunding.
Related: Best laid plans of mobs and men: The 5 biggest crowdfunding failures of all time
Allan Rogers’ third grade class at Jackson Elementary School in Jackson, Louisiana has students who lost everything in the recent floods. Jackson and other teachers in the school are crowdfunding for basic supplies and for classroom computers.
Back in the day when schools or classes wanted to raise money for special events like class trips or new band uniforms, it was common to have car washes, to rake leaves, and to sell anything from wrapping paper and candy to magazine subscriptions. But those strategies don’t work when the school communities are impoverished.
School crowdfunding as a result is increasing. According to the AP, educational crowdfunding campaigns on GoFundMe and DonorsChoose raised $31.2 million in 2010. In 2015 that number grew to almost $140 million and is on track to go even higher in 2016.
DonorsChoose, a crowdfunding site dedicated to supporting classrooms, reportedly has more than 50,000 campaigns for this year’s back-to-school season. Potential crowdfunding donors can look through the sites to make their choice from requests from barely funded schools seeking the most basic supplies to more well-funded districts looking for special project assistance.
According to Michael Leachman, the director of state fiscal research at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, local, state, and federal governments are still catching up post-recession. “It’s obviously disturbing that teachers are having to raise the money that they need to provide good education to kids,” Leachman said

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July 25, 2016 | By Carolina Fransen | Leave a Comment
Back to School Season is Right Around the Corner…​
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Tips to Get Ready for Back to School!
Back to school season can be such an exciting time of year. After a long summer break, getting back into a schedule can feel like a fresh start. There always seems to be a buzz in the air this time of year. Here are some tips for teachers to get ready and excited for Back to School events and activities!

1. Make use of all the Back to School sales and deals. Often times, students don’t come in with all the right materials. So stocking up at the beginning of the school year can help you prepare for that one student who doesn’t have crayons. Check out this article on ways to save money for Back to School supplies.
2. Decorate your classroom. Adding a personal touch to your classroom makes it feel more like home. That goes for you and your students. And when students feel comfortable, they are more apt to learn. Here are some fun bulletin board ideas you can use for decorating your classroom.
3. Get inspired. Read quotes from some of the world’s greatest teachers or about teachers. These quotes can often motivate us enough that we are eager to get started. Click here to read about what SimpleK12 CEO, Michael Werner, thinks makes a great teacher. Also check out some of these inspiring TedTalks for teachers.
4. Organize yourself! Start off the new school year as organized as possible. That means working ahead of time to get a syllabus, classroom rules, and some class assignments underway. For more tips about getting organized, click here. Also check out these organizational resources.
5. Plan some icebreakers for the first day of class. Depending on your school size, many of your students might already know each other. And yet, there are always new students coming in and you’ll want your students to get to know each other. Icebreakers can also help students get to know you and vice versa! Check out these icebreaker ideason Pinterest.

What are some ways you get ready for back to school? Let us know in the comments below.About the Author
Carolina Fransen is the EdTech Apps and Tools Editor at SimpleK12.com. She writes regularly about the use of educational technology in K-12 classrooms. She also loves investigating teaching jobs in some of her favorite locales. If you have an app, tool, website, or service that you think we should know about, please send your information or tip to editor@simplek12.com.



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