Free BIC Supplies Given To NYC Teachers
New York City teachers can gear up for the upcoming school year with the help of Ms. Schemmenti from the popular ABC show “Abbott Elementary.” The show’s star, Lisa Ann Walter, is teaming up with stationery company BIC and a national nonprofit to host a school supply giveaway event next month at a popup “supply closet” near Union Square.
The main aim is to ease the financial burden on teachers who often spend their own money on increasingly expensive classroom materials. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index analyzed by Deloitte shows that the cost of school supplies has risen by nearly 24% over the past two years.
Teachers with an educator card who are in or near Manhattan can visit the event, where BIC will provide them with free school supplies, loading them up like it’s “school Halloween,” as described by Lisa Ann Walter, who plays a fictional second-grade teacher on the Emmy Award-winning sitcom set in Philadelphia.
Having grown up with parents who graduated from New York City public and Catholic schools, Lisa’s mother was a real teacher in the Washington, D.C. public schools. Lisa acknowledges that although her mother faced some struggles to get up-to-date textbooks, she didn’t experience the glaring disparities in school resources that are prevalent today.
The giveaway event will cover basic supplies such as pens and pencils, all of which are free for teachers with a school ID. Other attendees can express gratitude to their favorite teachers by writing thank-you notes or recording video messages. Additionally, they can contribute to “wishlists” through the Kids in Need Foundation, which provides supply boxes to teachers in schools with high poverty rates.
While New York City’s program called “Teacher’s Choice” offers teachers $250 per year to help pay for supplies, many educators report that it’s often insufficient to cover their needs. Schools with affluent parent associations can raise additional funds, but many schools with high poverty rates have limited access to extra cash.
BIC’s Vice President of Marketing for North America, Katty Pien, emphasized the importance of providing teachers with quality supplies like pencils, pens, and highlighters to create classrooms that foster creativity and learning.
In addition to assisting teachers with much-needed classroom materials, the event also serves as a way to show appreciation for educators like Freddye Davy, who was Lisa Ann Walter’s favorite teacher during her school days in Montgomery County, Md. Mrs. Davy was one of the first students to attend an integrated public school and recognized Lisa’s academic needs, giving her opportunities to challenge herself rather than shaming her for being ahead of her peers.
Lisa Ann Walter believes that teachers should have the autonomy to differentiate between students and meet their individual learning needs.
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