It’s a well-known fact that most educators in public schools don’t earn substantial incomes. Teachers enter the profession driven by their passion for teaching rather than the pursuit of wealth.
While it’s easy to acknowledge the modest earnings of teachers in theory, it becomes more poignant when you examine an actual teacher’s salary. This reality hit home for many when one teacher decided to share her own income, shedding light on the stark truth.
Elisabeth Milich, a 2nd-grade teacher at Whispering Wind Academy in Arizona, experienced a minor salary increase in 2018 that left her disheartened. She posted a snapshot of her salary, accompanied by an explanation on Facebook, saying, “This is my new pay after completing a few professional development courses. I couldn’t help but laugh when I compared the old salary to the new one. Is a college degree worth this?”
Her previous salary stood at $35,490, while the new one was marginally higher at $35,621.25, representing an annual increase of just $131.25.
A $35,000 annual income is far from generous, and to compound matters, many teachers, including Milich, are compelled to purchase their own classroom supplies. Milich elaborated in her now-deleted Facebook post, stating, “I buy every roll of tape I use, every paper clip I use, every Sharpie I grade with, every snack I provide for kids who don’t have them, every bulletin board decoration. The list goes on.” She further disclosed that, despite her love for teaching, she relies on her husband’s income to cover their household expenses. Milich expressed empathy for her single mother colleagues who juggle multiple jobs to make ends meet.
Milich concluded her post with a cautionary note that if teachers continue to receive subpar wages, it could result in unqualified, burnt-out, and ineffective educators teaching our children.
Her post gained rapid traction, being shared over a thousand times. While the majority of comments were supportive, Milich eventually removed the post due to some negative feedback.
Months later, Milich received an unexpected message from a stranger named Ben Adam in New York through Facebook. Adam asked her, “Has anyone offered to provide supplies for your classroom?” When Milich replied in the negative, he expressed his intention to supply her with the necessary classroom materials.
Subsequently, Ben Adam personally covered the cost of school supplies not only for Milich’s classroom but also for several other classrooms. He established a website named “Classroom Giving,” where individuals can volunteer to purchase school supplies for teachers by fulfilling their Amazon wish lists for classroom materials.
The heartwarming story of this act of kindness and generosity is presented in the video below.
