Memphis teachers use #ClearTheLists to fund classroom supplies

Memphis-area teachers are joining a national social media campaign to find funding for additional classroom supplies. 

A sampling of these Amazon wishlist's, shared with hashtag #ClearTheLists, includes everything from typical school supplies like pink erasers and boxes of tissues to useful but less recognized items like chair bands and other classroom seating options. Packs of meme stickers are also appreciated, as rewards for good work. (“Your performance on this test is excellent,” one sticker with a cat photo says.)

Teachers receive some funding from their districts to replenish classroom supplies each year. Shelby County Schools teacher Ashley Willcutt told The Commercial Appeal that number is usually around $200 to $250. While that may sound like a lot, she said, it’s often not enough to furnish and stock a classroom. 

By sharing an Amazon wish list with #ClearTheLists, “I’m hoping I can get everything I need to grow my students in every area of need,” said Willcutt, an instructional resource teacher.

Nationwide, about nine in 10 teachers end up dipping into their own paychecks for classroom supplies, at an average of almost $500 each year, USA Today reported in September 2018. 

Lauren Rickman, a Shelby County Schools seventh- and eighth-grade science teacher, said she personally spends at least $300 on her classroom each year to create an inviting and safe learning environment with "everything that (students) need to be successful."

Credit: Laura Testino, Memphis Commercial Appeal