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Sunday, July 16, 2017 THE SUNDAY
Tribune GILBERT
SETON, page 4
MESA, page 8
CASTEEL, page 10
(Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer)
Heather Maxwell sorts through books in a guided reading program. Maxwell ended up purchasing baskets to display books in her Litchfield Park classroom.
Teachers find low-cost and free treasures at Tempe shop BY RALPH ZUBIATE Tribune Managing Editor
L
ast year, the average teacher spent about $500 out of his or her own pocket for classroom supplies, according to the Education Market Association. One in 10 spent $1,000 or more. All told, that’s about $1.6 billion in supplies that parents and school districts nationwide expect teachers to pay for. Treasures 4 Teachers in Tempe is trying
to help reduce that cost. With a warehouse full of donated materials, Treasures 4 Teachers offers educators low-cost and free books, art supplies, office supplies and pretty much everything you can think of. Barbara Blalock, the founder and executive director, came up with the idea when she visited a second-grade classroom in 2004. According to the Treasures’ website, the teacher asked her students to get out a piece of paper and pencil. A young girl
went up to the teacher and gave up her shoe, for which the teacher gave her a pencil. Blalock found out the teacher didn’t have enough pencils, so she made students give up a shoe to borrow one, knowing that they wouldn’t leave with the pencil and without their shoe. Blalock realized she wanted to help make sure all teachers had enough resources – and that kids kept their shoes. See
TREASURES on page 11
START DATES
School districts across the East Valley are preparing to begin the new school year. Here are the main area districts and their start dates: Chandler Unified – July 24 Gilbert Unified – Aug. 2 Higley Unified – July 24 Kyrene Elementary – Aug. 3 Mesa Unified – Aug. 8 Queen Creek Unified – July 25 Tempe Elementary – Aug. 7 Tempe Union – Aug. 7