Teachers Spend $38.10 a Month to Feed Students
Posted by Jeff Wiedner on Monday, December 28, 2009
When I read Share Our Strength’s recent Teachers Report, one statistic jumped out to me: the average middle school teacher spends $38 per month of his or her own money to provide food to hungry students.
It’s shocking that in one the wealthiest nations in the world, thousands of teachers witness enough hunger in their classrooms that they feel compelled to personally reach in to their pocketbooks — at a cost to them of nearly $350 a school year.
However much we appreciate our teachers’ efforts to feed children in their classroom, we can’t a long-term solution. As Lisa, a teacher from Saegertown, Pennsylvania, told researchers:
I buy [snacks] with my own money and it is getting harder and harder for me to do this.
Beyond the $38 per month figure, the Teachers Report sheds light on the scope of childhood hunger today:
- 39 percent of 4-6 grade teachers believe hunger is a problem in schools today,
- One third of teachers reporting that the economy has affected their students a “great deal,” and
- Almost two thirds of teachers believe their students rely on school meals for their primary source of nutrition.
Beyond the Statistics
Despite the economy and despite state budget cuts, we have to believe that momentum is on our side. Studies like the Teachers Report continue to shed light on the problem of childhood hunger. Politicians increasingly acknowledge the status quo for school lunch programs will not do. And more Americans recognize that childhood hunger must be addressed.
Together we can make sure that no kid ever has to go hungry again through efforts like Share Our Strength’s national plan to end childhood hunger — and that no teacher ever feels they must speed $38 of their own money to feed their students.
As Stephen, a teacher in St. Louis, told researchers:
As big as the problem is, it’s a solvable one.
Stephen is right: we can solve this, if we all do our part.
- To find out more, download the report here.
- Add your support by making a donation to Share Our Strength here.
December 28, 2009 | | Tags: childhood hunger, classroom, teachers
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