Neighbors 4 Neighbors

Teachers Dig Deep To Prepare For School

To Donate Call Neighbors 4 Neighbors: 305-597-4404

Coral Gables (CBS4) ― Summer is over for teachers in South Florida. Students returned to school in Monroe County on Monday. Teachers headed into their classrooms in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties Monday. All are facing tighter budgets and fewer supplies to help them get their jobs done.

In Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, the walls are empty and the desks aren't yet in place. Teachers are filling those blank canvases with everything they need for the new school year. Some get help from friends and family. Even though they're not getting paid, teachers at Coral Gables Elementary would rather give their time to make sure everything will be perfect in one week.

"It's kind of really exciting to see the transformation of blank walls," says teacher Sylvia Torres, "It's like the kids, they come here filled with anticipation of a new year. We decorate the room and slowly it starts coming together."

This year, teachers aren't just giving their own time, but reaching into their own wallets as well. They're digging deep and facing a tough year of budget cuts. "It's something that's unavoidable. You have to share a little bit of your own wealth with the students," says Jill Rodriguez-Gonzalez, a teacher at Coral Gables Elementary. "I think the students shouldn't feel anything is different just because of budget cuts happening in the county. The students need to feel safe and secure."

Cheli Cerra, the Principal at Coral Gables Elementary, says she was able to find some funds for some much-needed supplies. She also mentioned that the parents often help make ends meet. "We're working hard with everybody to make sure nothing changes and we are able to offer students everything we have in the past."

But many of the supplies students get and have in their classrooms are bought with money straight out of teachers' wallets. With shrinking budgets and more demand, it's getting tighter for them to do this. If you're interested in donating or adopting a classroom, you can call CBS4's Neighbors4Neighbors: 305-597-4404.

In the end, it's the love of teaching that keeps many dedicated educators like Isabel Sanchez in the classroom. She tells CBS4's Liv Davalos, "The kids. You have to love the kids and love teaching and having them learn something new every day."

She's been teaching for 28 years, but it's not just the students who will be a little nervous on the first day of school. "You're scared just like the kids," Sanchez says, "You don't know them or the parents and don't know what to expect. But then, it just gets better."

By week's end, the walls will be filled and classrooms ready to welcome students back to school. The teachers are doing everything they can to make this new school year a promising one, filled with new experiences for everyone.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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