Tight times make for tough teaching

Markers are dry in classrooms across the country. There is no tissue paper for wiping the dry-erase boards. Teachers have had to fund their classrooms for far too long. They spend, on average, $1,200 a year of their own money on classroom supplies. That's on top of the supply lists posted by schools and fulfilled by parents, who spend perhaps $30 to $50 at the start of the school year. And that is on top of the books, worksheets, erasers and chalk provided by the school. The slowing economy has made it harder for school systems to keep classrooms fully equipped, and it has put a pinch on teachers. This is where the super-rich such as the co-founder of Google should put their money instead of paying $35 million to take a joy ride in space.