Research Shows Nearly All Teachers Spend Their Own Money On School Supplies

According to a new survey reported on in the New York Times, 94 percent of teachers spend their own money on school supplies.

And it's not a small amount spent by teachers without reimbursement. The Department of Education reports:

"Among teachers who spent any of their own money on classroom supplies without reimbursement, the average (mean) amount spent was $479, and the median amount spent was $297. About 44 percent spent $250 or less, while 36 percent spent from $251 to $500."

The average income of a Buffalo Public School teacher is $51,181 according to Glassdoor -- that's about $9000 under the national average for teacher salaries in public schools.