Illinois educators feeling financially squeezed, many buying their own supplies, survey finds

Debra Ward Mitchell expects to spend $200 for Christmas on hats and gloves as gifts for her students.

“The dollar store has been my friend, but it’s not cheap anymore,” said Mitchell, 62, who helps run a program for teenage mothers at high schools in Thornton Township, which includes cities such as Harvey, Dolton and South Holland.

She is just one of many educators personally shouldering extra expenses for students while struggling to make ends meet. A recent survey by the Illinois Education Association found 97% of Illinois educators spend their own money on supplies and 94% work outside their contractual workday. Some 43% of IEA members polled have at least one additional job.

IEA, the state’s largest education association, released its survey of about 500 members ahead of the Nov. 5 elections when the economy was the top issue for many voters.

The October report said 59% are considering leaving the profession. Of those who are considering leaving, 65% say they are not earning enough money; 62% say their workload is increasing; and 65% say there is a lack of respect for the profession.

In Illinois, the average teacher salary was $73,916 for 2022-23, a 2.2% year-over-year increase, said a report from the National Education Association in April. Illinois ranked as the 12th best state for average teacher salaries but 24th for average starting salaries of $43,515 for 2022-23. For K-12 education support professionals like Mitchell, the average salary was $34,844.

Even with record-level salary increases in some states, the average teacher pay in the U.S. hasn’t kept up with inflation over the past decade, according to the NEA. When adjusted for inflation, teachers make 5% less than they did 10 years ago.

Mitchell has been an educator for more than 40 years and loves her work, but she is living paycheck to paycheck. “I had a little cushion before. But with prices rising, I’m feeling the brunt of it. It’s been a struggle,” she said.

In October, Mitchell spent about $200 on taffy apple ingredients for a school Halloween party. Apart from the holidays, she usually spends up to $100 per month on books and gift cards to award students with perfect attendance.

“Imagine if doctors had to buy their own supplies for surgeries. What about police officers and firefighters? Should they be required to buy their own equipment, too?” IEA President Al Llorens said in a news release. “Everyone deserves to have the basic tools to do their jobs. We know our educators got into these jobs because they wanted to work with students and help their communities, but their good will is being exploited. It’s not right.”

Annual inflation has fallen from a 9.1% peak in mid-2022 to a 3 1/2-year low of 2.4% in September. But prices have remained high, including apartment rents, restaurant meals and car and home insurance.

Consumer prices rose 2.3% in October from a year earlier, the U.S. Department of Commerce said last week. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, so-called “core” prices also picked up, climbing 2.8% in October from a year earlier, up from 2.7% in September, according to the Commerce Department’s personal consumption expenditures price index. The PCE price index is the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation.

People like Mitchell are not feeling much relief from higher costs. For Thanksgiving, she usually spends $250 to $300 to make eight pans of lasagna for her family. This year, she spent close to $500 on cheese, noodles and sauce, even after buying in bulk from Sam’s Club.

“It’s amazing. Cheese used to cost $5.99. Now it’s $8.99,” she said.

Monthly rent for her two-bedroom apartment in Homewood has risen from $925 in 2020 to $1,400. She reckons her electricity bill has tripled in recent years and is now $400 to $500 in the winter and $100 in the summer. During cold months, she wears layers of hoodies and socks to avoid racking up her electricity bill.

Like many educators, Mitchell is also working another job. She works part-time as a notary public; does data entry for a summer youth program; makes cakes and cleans homes. “Any odd jobs I can pick up, I’ve done it,” she said.

Mitchell has thought about leaving the profession but said, “I love what I do. I’m still doing extra but not getting paid to do extra.”

Marta Rodriguez, an educator in a dual-language pre-K program in Berwyn, also loves working with students. “It’s a passion for me; it’s a calling,” she said.

But a few years ago, she was close to leaving the profession to find work that paid more. Rodriguez, 58, started searching online for jobs such as medical scribe positions.

“I was close to resigning. It brings tears to my eyes to think about that,” she said.

Then in spring 2022 her union negotiated an “incredible” new contract with a big raise that let her stay in education and move out of her sister’s apartment. “Before that, I thought I would never be able to live on my own or get out of debt,” Rodriguez said.

In spite of the salary increase, her paycheck still doesn’t go far. “No one expected the cost of living would go up so much as well,” she said.

Rodriguez can cover rent and expenses, but said unlike her colleagues, she doesn’t have children to support. She knows many educators who work two jobs or struggle to provide for their families. “I’m the exception to the rule,” Rodriguez said.

Contributing: AP