But sadly they do. The government isn't going to fix a problem they don't think they have. Teachers can complain until they are blue in the face but if teachers continue to solve the problem for them they have no motivation to change.
It would require a collective decision by all teachers to stop paying out of their own pocket.
You don't buy the cow when you get the milk for free.
Interesting it works in reverse here in NZ, schools are on a decile system, rated on various socio economic factors, house prices, #of people on welfare etc. A decline 10 school is the "richest" and a decline 1 the "poorest"
A decline 1 school gets significantly more funding than a 10 despite the fact that decline 10 families pay more in income and property tax.
It is believed that the decline 10 schools can fundraise the difference, not something that always happens because many parents protest this fact.
And the schools that often end the worst off are the decline 5s who have neither the funding they need or the parents to make up the shortfall
Would it be there right away? No.
Would it lead to being there? Likely, at least more likely than it is now.
I think
@Happyinwonerland is really being attacked here for saying the same thing I did right at the start of this thread.
I think it sucks that teachers are being underpaid and overworked, I think it is terrible that they are purchasing school supplies out of that small salary.
I think that teachers are doing their best with what they have got and that people that have gone into and stayed in this profession truely care about the kids and that is wonderful, and that is why I think posters seem to be taking such offenders to the idea that is being suggested that you "let these kids down"
However you are propping up a broken system. Nothing will change as long as you do this.
You need to let parents, taxpayers and lawmakers see how dire the situation is. Lawmakers are counting on guilting you into doing this.
But it is going to lead to further issues down the line where another group of children is going to end up even worse off. People will stop wanting to become teachers and hen what?
If all teachers did this collectively the children would remain in an even standing with each other, your performance reviews would stay comparable and you would think in an interview you would be given the chance to explain that your poor review came from not having resources to meet the standards.