Under a new programme, teachers in Michigan Schools will be able to tap onto school funds to pay for extra educational materials. Before this, teachers had to fork out money from their own pockets to pay for enrichment materials.
Teachers Pay Teachers is an online marketplace that allows school administrators to set up accounts for individual teachers who can build wish lists and make purchases. With the platform, teachers and administrators can collaborate and make curriculum decisions together. Each teacher request for materials comes with a detailed product description and a preview, as well as reviews from other teachers who have used the materials. There are 3 million items for teachers to choose for all grade levels and ranging in prices from free to several hundred dollars.
Sue Hankins, principal at Memphis Elementary School, said the programme is “the ultimate classroom problem solver” and greatly helps teachers to save time spent on creating the materials themselves. She added that it is time for schools to step in and help teachers after watching them spend their own money on educational supplements for years.
This is a great example of the sharing economy at work even if it is not from the usual glitzy tech start-ups. It is heart-warming to note how teachers often go the extra mile and that the schools and institutions recognise this and take measures to help ease the strain on teachers.
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https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2018-06-25/michigan-schools-help-teachers-avoid-solely-paying-for-materials