A post by Bryan Nakawaki, VIP Leader at HandsOn Inland Empire
For John Naghshineh, the chance to “shop” for school supplies (free of charge) marks a welcome departure from the otherwise harsh reality of education funding shortages. A 14-year veteran of the Ontario-Montclair School District, Naghshineh, a first grade teacher at Lehigh Elementary School in Montclair, cannot recall a time when budgets were stretched so thin and supplies so hard to come by. “It’s really tough these days,” says Naghshineh. “Basic supplies are under lock and key. We can make requests, but they’re getting rejected more and more.” Nonetheless, students must have school supplies. For Naghshineh, that reality has on multiple occasions forced a major financial sacrifice. “It’s gotten to the point where I have to spend money out of pocket on supplies for my students,” he says.
Naghshineh is not alone. A 2010 report released by the National School Supply and Equipment Association revealed that in the 2009-2010 school year, teachers across the United States spent over $1.33 billion out of their own paychecks on supplies and instructional materials for their students. With additional funding cuts to education proposed almost every year, the end to teachers spending their own money on student supplies appears nowhere in sight.
That’s why the School Tools Teacher Resource Center (TRC) is so valuable. Managed by Inland Empire United Way, an AmeriCorps VIP partner site in Rancho Cucamonga, California, the TRC offers teachers from select low-income schools in the Inland Empire the chance to come in and select supplies for their students and classrooms at zero charge. Founded in 2005-2006, the TRC now serves teachers and students from thirty-eight different schools.
Lehigh Elementary is one of those schools, and Naghshineh could not be more appreciative of the assistance he receives from the TRC. When asked about the impact of volunteerism and community service on his life as a teacher, Naghshineh is quick to point out that unless teachers are lucky enough to be assigned a Teacher’s Aide, the only source of assistance they typically find is through community volunteerism. “For the lower grades, that’s okay,” Naghshineh muses. “People like to help out little kids. But for upper-grade teachers, there’s not typically much parent or community volunteerism.” As for ongoing service projects aiming to help teachers at his school — Naghshineh believes those are even rarer. “This School Tools program is the only one I’ve heard of in a long time. In fourteen years I’ve not seen anything else like it.”
Naghshineh hopes that more services and projects will emerge in the future to help teachers of all educational levels. “It’d be great if it happened more often, for companies and schools to partner up and help our kids and teachers,” he says. For now, though, he’s excited that Inland Empire United Way has offered him and his fellow teachers at Lehigh Elementary temporary relief from the sting of budget cuts. “Each year they give us less to spend. This year, they slashed our budget significantly. It’s tough to get money for supplies, and that’s part of why our teachers appreciate this Teacher Center so much.”
Asked for his final thoughts on the program, Naghshineh decided to keep his message simple and heartfelt.
“Keep up the great work,” the teacher remarked. “And hopefully I’ll see you next year!”
