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Wednesday, September 4, 2019

#CleartheList How a viral campaign is helping U.S. teachers buy supplies and raise political pressure | CBC News

How a viral campaign is helping U.S. teachers buy supplies and raise political pressure | CBC News

How a viral campaign is helping U.S. teachers buy supplies and raise political pressure
Union hopes #CleartheList puts education funding on the 2020 election agenda

Jodi Haque, a Brooklyn public high school teacher, opened her door recently and found a delivery of more than 50 books, everything she would need for her special education classes for the coming school year — all donated by Canadians.
A few days earlier, Haque received an email saying a Canadian couple she'd never met had bought close to $500 US worth of reading material for her classroom. They found a wish list Haque posted on social media using the hashtag #CleartheList, a campaign to help teachers find donations of much-needed school supplies.


"I was honestly so, so blessed," said Haque, who helps students aged 14 to 16 with a wide range of learning disabilities. The moment, however, was bittersweet as she reflected on the need to rely on the generosity of strangers to provide for her students. 
"It's sad that strangers are helping out more than the people that are elected to help us," Haque said.
A sixth-year teacher, she estimates she spends $500 to $700 a year of her own money purchasing everything from bookshelves, pencils and paper to cleaning items like hand sanitizer, tissues and paper towels. Her school provides $250 for supplies, though that number can vary.
"It frustrates me to no end knowing that my kids who need the most are constantly lacking the basic materials in order to be successful," Haque said.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, speaks during a 2018 news conference in New York. Weingarten says a wave of teacher strikes and walkouts in 2018 helped change the conversation CONTINUE READING: How a viral campaign is helping U.S. teachers buy supplies and raise political pressure | CBC News