CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As students get ready to head back to school, teachers are also preparing -- but that comes at a price. The conversation around teacher pay has been a hot one, but there are hidden fees teachers face that some people don't know about.
If life is an equation, Hafsah Ebrahim and Zakia Smith have found a clear answer. Starting this year, they will both be teachers with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail," Smith said. "That's what I have always been told."
They've been studying for the ultimate test: How to be the best they can be for their students.
“I have a lot of trainings for new teachers," Ebrahim said. ”A whole lot of studying."
Both said this study guide to success failed to mention that preparation comes at a price.
For the most part, many of the things you find inside a classroom like supplies and organization methods is paid for by teachers out of pocket.
“My theme is the jungle theme and I want them to be little explorers and be exploring math," Ebrahim said.
In response, they launched a GoFundMe, asking the community for help, because they say Amazon Wish Lists add up quick. They have already racked up hundreds of dollars worth of items that will make their classrooms more engaging for students.
It's a common denominator among the profession, and it doesn't take the smartest student to find "X" in this problem.
"I don't have that money," Smith said.
Contact Austin Walker at awalker@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.