Teacher offered to boost student grades if parents provided school supplies

Hope Schreiber
·Writer
Parents of students attending Langston Hughs High School in Atlanta, Georgia, are concerned after a teacher sent out a note offering extra credit in exchange for school supplies. (Photo: Google)
Parents of students attending Langston Hughs High School in Atlanta, Georgia, are concerned after a teacher sent out a note offering extra credit in exchange for school supplies. (Photo: Google)

A teacher sent out a note asking for school supplies in exchange for extra credit and parents are not happy, with one even saying he felt “bribed.”

The note, sent by an educator at Langston Hughes High School, reads: “Time is rapidly winding down! We have only 8 days before finals week. With that being said, please make sure to take note of your scholars [sic] grades. There are a couple of things I’m still adding but all grades will be set in place by the start of the next week. Most grades are in the range they will remain in due to the fact that makeup work is no longer being accepted.”

“The only thing to really help boost grades after this week is supplies. I’ve provided scholars with a list of items that can be turned in for extra credit,” the request concludes, followed by a list if items including printing paper, pencils, pens and index cards.

Many teachers, despite their modest income, frequently spend their own money on supplies due to insufficient school funding. According to USA Today, 94 percent of public school teachers stated they used personal funds to purchase supplies during the 2014-2015 school year without reimbursement. On average, teachers spend nearly $480 a year on supplies, which significantly exceeds the federal $250 tax deduction available to teachers. However, parents of students at Langston Hughes High School are wondering if this request constitutes as a bribe.

One father spoke to 11Alive explaining how he believes extra credit for providing monetary items is teaching students the wrong thing.

“I'm a convicted felon, and I went to prison for taking short cuts in life, and I refuse to allow my daughter, my son … to feel it's OK to take these short cuts because I'd never want them to go through what I went through,” Artis Brunson said. “We have to prepare our children for success, and if we're giving away stuff for things of value, then we are giving them the wrong value system."

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