Helping Teachers With Free Supplies
DULUTH, Minn. — Teachers go above and beyond to ensure their students get the best education possible. In many cases, this means teachers spend their own money on supplies or additional teaching aids for their classroom and this can add up.
Amanda Techek has been teaching for 14 years in a variety of roles and schools. On Tuesday, she picked up items she could use for her classroom at the free store called “Companies to Classrooms.” She teaches Special Education students from first to 12th grade. She knows first-hand that teachers spend money from their own paychecks on behalf of their students and says she’s done that every year she’s been teaching. Techek said “(I spend) anywhere between just a few hundred dollars. In some years it has been a thousand, if not more.”
Companies to Classrooms is a non-profit, free store that was set up 12 years ago. The store provides needed products for teachers at no cost. The non-profit works with companies that have outdated or unneeded materials such as furniture, letterhead, pens, pencils, and more to donate those supplies so that teachers can use them in their rooms.
The volunteer coordinator for Companies to Classrooms, Mary Streufert, shared a story about a new teacher. “The thing that warms my heart is when a brand new teacher comes in, just out of school hasn’t gotten a paycheck yet, got a classroom that’s empty and they come in and we tell them that everything in here is free, they have literally burst into tears”
John Magas, the Superintendent for Duluth Schools knows teachers are using their own money. It’s often spent on basic needs, but also on items that will help further a student’s understanding of the subject. He said, “We appreciate their dedication and we know that, and usually what it comes down to is we’re funded for the basics. But quite often teachers are always going the extra mile for kids. So they’re wanting to put more into their classrooms and their education so sometimes there is a lot of out-of-pocket expense.”
Companies to Classrooms is open for teachers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the school year, but teachers do need to sign up in advance on the group’s website. The Free store is located just up the block from Myers Wilkins School.
If your group or company has extra materials that could be used by teachers, including desk chairs, they can be brought to the Companies to Classrooms on Saturdays.
