#CLEARTHELISTS: Online fundraiser helps teachers get what they need for their classroom

Washable markers, adhesive colored paper, vinyl page protectors, hand sanitizer, wall tapestries and comfortable, flexible seats for little ones.

These are some of the items on teacher wish lists across Hamilton County. Though they aren't the traditional school supplies, they are the types of items teachers say make a difference for students and their classrooms.

And with the help of a viral online campaign, Hamilton County Schools officials are trying to get community members to support teachers and clear these items off their lists.

Whitney Whitaker is an English and language arts teacher at Brown Middle School. Her classroom has soft lighting and tranquil music playing in the background. She doesn't use harsh overhead lights, and her students sit at round tables so they can work together collaboratively.

Whitney Whitaker, an English/language arts teacher at Brown Middle School in Hamilton County, strives to make her classroom a comfortable and inviting place for her students. Photo courtesy of Whitney Whitaker. Contributed Photo/Times Free Press

Her husband told her that she spends between $1,500 and $2,000 a year on her classroom. Whitaker does receive some funding for classroom supplies through state BEP (Basic Education Plan) funding, but she said she uses that on "nonnegotiables" such as pencils, notebook paper and composition books.

"There's just not enough," she said. So she put some of the supplemental items she hoped for on her own Amazon wish list when she heard about the "#clearthelists" campaign.

Erin Kirby, new teacher induction specialist for the district, said Whitaker's story isn't unique. Most teachers spend $500 to $800 on average on their classrooms, and new teachers can spend more than $1,000 when they are first setting up their classrooms.

Earlier this year, Kirby helped sponsor a new teacher supply drive, but she happily jumped on board helping organize this project. Kirby asked teachers to send her a link to their wish lists so she could promote it. Right now, the district has several dozen teachers on a constantly updated list, hoping that community members purchase items off their lists.

"Teachers are asking for items to be able to really make [their] kiddos feel comfortable and feel equipped for the 7-to-8.5 hours they are away from home, the classroom is their home away from home," Kirby said. "Honestly, this is money that teachers will spend anyway. For our community members to be able to say, 'Here's $5,' that's pretty amazing. Small help adds up to a big help."

Board member Tucker McClendon, of District 8, said he's already heard from teachers whose lists have been cleared. Though the district tried to allocate more money to schools for supplies, McClendon said the district - and the community - can always do more.

"In the grand scheme of things, with this budget the board did make sure we are giving more resources to our schools, so this is just kind of building upon that and really rallying our community," he said. "I think we can always do more."

McClendon called the fundraiser simple. It allows supporters to easily view lists on Amazon, click on an item, purchase it and it will be shipped directly to the teacher.

"It's a very out-of-the box, easy way to support our teachers since it's all just done with the click of the button. I thought it was a fun way to promote our teachers and our students at the beginning of the school year," he said. "It can be glue, it can be Kleenex, it can be hand sanitizer, it's all stuff from $5-15 that the public can easily view and it shows up at the teacher's classroom."

Whitaker never even met the man who cleared her list. Even when he purchased a chair for her to sit in at a small group table, the stranger dropped it off in the school's front office with a note.

"He was super sneaky; he dropped it off and then he left and then my other stuff arrived in the mail with a note that said, 'I'm a teacher too, have a grace-filled year," she said. "My students are already super blessed this year."

To check out Hamilton County Schools' teachers' Amazon wish lists, click here.

Contact Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com or 423-757- 6592. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.

Whitney Whitaker, an English/language arts teacher at Brown Middle School in Hamilton County, participated in the online fundraiser, "Clear the lists," in efforts to gather supplemental supplies for her students and classroom. Photo courtesy of Whitney Whitaker. Contributed Photo/Times Free Press