Our Mission:  

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To reimburse teachers for their out-of-pocket expenses for school supplies.

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It is estimated that our teachers are spending a total of $1.5 billion on out-of-pocket expenses per year.

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In 2020, the Washington Post published the results of a survey of over 1250 teachers in 35 states showing the extreme burden of teachers' current spending on out of-pocket-expenses, especially in lower-income areas The Post concluded that the situation is devastating and the problem much deeper than the public realizes with teachers having to go to great lengths to secure resources for their classrooms. Federal data shows that 9 in 10 educators spend an average of nearly $500 a year on supplies.

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The National Education Association reports that after having adjusted for inflation, the national average teacher salary has decreased by 4.5% over the past decade to $60,462  with 56% of our teachers holding Master's Degrees or higher. 

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The goal of this 501(c)3, nonprofit is to reduce or eliminate teachers' out-of-pocket expenses.  Teachers who have registered and been verified request reimbursements from Teacher Supplies for Kids.

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A counterpoint is often heard that teachers can deduct up to $250 per year on their taxes.  However, first of all, most teachers are spending more than double that amount on classroom supplies. Secondly, you must realize that this is only a deduction against the amount of income tax paid.  For a typical teacher in the 22% tax bracket, Uncle Sam would be essentially giving them $55 toward the $500.   Thus our teachers are currently paying 89% out-of-pocket for needed classroom supplies.

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Teacher Supplies for Kids was approved  as a 501(c) 3  organization on February 28, 2019 and is incorporated.  It was founded by Karen Snyder of Bethesda, Maryland, an award winning interior decorator and business owner.   

 

Why the Cause?

According to a survey conducted by Communities in Schools more than 90% of our teachers are paying for school supplies to help low-income children whose parents cannot afford the basics like pens and notebooks.  

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Teachers in lower-income areas are taking on a higher burden.