The National Teacher and Principal Survey reported that around 95% of public school teachers spent their own money to buy supplies for the classroom. Even more teachers do so without getting reimbursed. This number averages from $500-1,200 per school year and is expected to increase. Art classrooms are underfunded, and we’re here to explain why — and what you can do.
Minimal Federal Funding
Art teachers in particular are notoriously underfunded and responsible for paying for supplies out-of-pocket. The average cost of basic acrylic paints with six colors is around $39.99 per student. Multiply that with the average classroom of 20 students over six class periods, and that brings the cost of paint alone to over $4,700 per year. Many art teachers expressed how much they get in federal funding, and it can be as low as $1-3 per student, per year… and that’s not even including Title I schools.
Did you know? In addition to having to spend hundreds out-of-pocket, teachers in the US can only deduct up to $300 of supplies on their tax returns each year.
Today’s world continuously changes, and it’s a lot different than it was 20 years ago. Shoot, it’s changed a lot in just the past decade. With the increased usage of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, it’s more important than ever to keep the classroom creative. That’s why we’re on a mission to empower art teachers and students to create art with their own hands, but this can’t be done without basic supplies. Art classrooms are underfunded, and we can do more to support our teachers.
Kids Viewing Art → Empathetic Adults
Our kids are the future. Whether you have children or not, we should support them in any way we can. In terms of academic skills, researchers have found positive relationships between musical skills and literacy. Arts enrichment in preschool activities is related to school readiness skills, higher achievement, and improved vocabulary. Several studies with adults show that awe fosters behaviors intended to benefit others, encompassing actions like altruism, cooperation, and compassion. In encounters with vast mysteries, awe makes individuals feel humble, and less entitled. That allows them to shift their attention toward the needs and concerns of others rather than themselves.
In short, supporting the arts from a young age will encourage our children to become more empathetic adults.
How Can You Help?
One of Art Den’s goals: support art teachers where we can. We’re on a mission to help teachers with supplies for their classrooms. We’re here to raise scholarships for students to pursue careers in the art world. We’re also here to provide resources on how art teachers can stretch supplies in their classrooms, find resources, receive funding, and write to their counties for budget increases.
Want to donate? Visit artden.org/donate to contribute towards our goals today!
