What I'm Reading Now

I just finished reading Still Life with Bread Crumbs, by Anna Quindlen.  If you've read my blog before, you know that I love the way Anna Quindlen writes.  I found this book a little more difficult to get into than some of her others, but about halfway through, I was really hooked.  Of course, what I really loved was the dedication:
                     "For all the teachers who helped make my work possible- and for my favorite teacher, 
                      Theresa Quindlen"

How can you not like someone who appreciates teachers and gets the fact that the teaching profession makes all other professions possible?

Happy reading,
Christine

What Teachers Spend

Plenty of people make a lot of noise about teacher salaries, but we never hear anything of what these teachers give.  The current issue of NEA Today lists these statistics on teacher spending:


99.5%    Percentage of teachers who reported buying essential classroom materials out of pocket

$945      Average amount of money teachers spent on out of pocket expenses during the school year

30%      Percentage of teachers who say they've bought warm clothing for their students

67%      Percentage of teachers who say they've purchased food for their students to meet nutritional
             needs

$37      Average amount teachers spend a month on food for students who come to school hungry

$1.6 BILLION   Estimated total out-of-pocket teacher spending last year 

Check out the current issue for these statistics and more


Happy reading,
Christine