Teachers are invited to shop alongside Emmy-winning actress and comedian Lisa Ann Walter, from “Abbott Elementary” and “The Parent Trap,” for school supplies at BIC’s “Supply Closet” on Thursday, Aug. 3.
Walter will serve as honorary “hall monitor” and guiding teachers through the supply drive as they shop for BIC stationery for the new school year.
The public is also welcome to join the event and write “thank you” notes for their own teachers, as well as donate to the Kids in Need Foundation’s wishlists for teachers. Teachers are asked to bring their school IDs with them to gain access to the event.
Most teachers across the United States continue to be strained as roughly 90% of teachers spend anywhere $500 to $820 out of pocket for school supplies in a single school year, according to the National Education Association. Teachers are digging into their own pockets to purchase supplies such as paper and notebooks, binders and clipboards, and crayons and pencils.
As of most recent, eligible educators are allowed to deduct up to $300 of qualified out-of-pocket expenses on their taxes, according to the IRS.
In an interview with amNewYork Metro, Walter — who plays Melissa Schemmenti, the fourth-grade teacher from South Philly on “Abbott Elementary” — said she knows that public school teachers are one of the most deserving, but under-recognized groups.
“My mom was one,” Walter said. “There’s always been increasing discrepancy in who is getting the resources that we need to teach the next generation of our children.”
She said she’s noticed that a “discrepancy between the haves and the have-nots” and there are only some schools providing their students with STEM-focused, cutting-edge technology.
“If you’re going to school without science labs without computers, without the tools that they need to compete, then you see a difference in the outcome,” Walter said.
Growing up in the Washington D.C. area herself, Walter was able to attend schools with “very diverse student bodies her whole life.”
It was in these environments that she learned about the school-to-prison pipeline, where Black students experience “nearly all school-related arrests” despite comprising less than two-thirds of the city’s public school population. The school-to-prison pipeline remains “alive and well,” according to Georgetown Law.
Walter said she’s learned a lot about the modern-day American education system, and how this leads to a stronger society.
“If you start kids off loving to learn, with the tools that they need to do it, they have it throughout their whole life,” Walter said. “Then they can compete not just against other kids for great colleges, but we as Americans can compete globally.”
Understanding teachers’ needs
A mother of four herself, Walter deeply understands the needs of teachers and children. She recalled getting pregnant a year after she graduated college — “I’ve been a mom as long as I’ve been an adult” — and said she’s recognized that each of her children require different methods of instruction.
Walter said while her sons are more hands-on and visceral learners, her daughter is self-motivated and didn’t need as much guidance.
“Learning about different teaching styles and about how we can use schools to help our kids in their future is really fascinating and it was eye-opening for me,” Walter said.
Walter recalled her own experience relying on Wite-Out when she moved to New York City to pursue her acting career and worked as an editor for a work-study program.
“It was incredibly hard because it was typewriters,” Walter said. “I wouldn’t have survived without Wite-Out. It was a crazy thing that we all used back in the day.”
While she’s glad to have left those days in the past, Walter still relies on her Glide ballpoint pens when she writes longhand.
“Now I’ll write my act out longhand,” Walter said. “I have really great penmanship because my mom was a teacher.”
While she wishes the event didn’t have to feel necessary, Walter said she understands that public school teachers across the board aren’t as well-funded and resourced as they could be.
Walter praised BIC and Kids In Need Foundation, the companies that have partnered up to organize the event, for their generosity. She said she hoped the event would be ongoing and allow more opportunities for the broader community to donate to teachers.
“I’m just happy to be part of it,” Walter said. “At least for this for these products, the teachers won’t have to dig into their own pocket to get supplies for their students.”
Details At A Glance:
What: Back-to-School Supply Closet with Lisa Ann Walter
When: Thursday, Aug. 3, 5 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: 76 East 13th Street, New York, NY 10003
WHEN: Thursday, August 3rd from 5:00pm – 8:30pm
