Brittany Mahomes leverages her social media following to request support for teachers
Brittany Mahomes is using social media to support teachers before the school year kicks off in a few weeks.
On Monday, Mahomes, co-owner of the KC Current and wife of the Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, encouraged teachers to reply to a tweet with their classroom wish lists.
She then retweeted the replies to her 270,000 plus followers. Some teachers have also tagged Mahomes on Instagram, where she has shared wish lists with more than 1.1 million followers on her Instagram story.
“I encourage you to just click on one of these wish list and help these teachers out,” she tweeted. “They deserve it.”
The entrepreneur and fitness trainer is using her platform to share out each wish list with her followers. Mahomes has not posted anything about buying items from wish lists herself.
The initial tweet has more than 3,500 likes and more than 300 retweets from teachers and supporters across the country.
Most teachers shared their wish lists along with where they teach and what subjects they focus on. Some geeked out about being retweeted by the celebrity. Others simply thanked her for being so supportive of teachers and using her platform to make a difference.
Teachers based in California, Maryland, Illinois and even Hawaii tapped in to share their wish lists with Mahomes and her followers. Many used the hashtag #clearthelist to connect with more folks who support teachers by helping them gather supplies for their classrooms.
Classroom wish lists can include a wide range of supplies not already provided by schools and districts to help teachers create the best learning environment for students. Some lists might include a rug for reading time, while others might include extra tissues.
“I’m a 5th-grade teacher and would love help sharing my classroom wish list,” one teacher using the handle @kgould32 replied to Mahomes. “My list has books, snacks for my students, science materials, and classroom supplies.”
Another teacher in the Kansas City area is using their wish list to help convert a staff lounge into a unique lounge space for students.
“I started my teaching career in kc! I’m an art teacher trying to transform an old staff lounge into an art cafe for hs students- Anything helps! #clearthelist,” user @aewedwards1 tweeted.
Teachers on average spend around $478 of their own money on supplies for their classrooms, according to a 2015 analysis by the National Center for Education Statistics. The analysis also found that teachers who work for city schools were more likely to spend more out of pocket on classroom supplies than teachers in suburban or rural areas.
“Thank you for using your platform to help share our lists! We spend thousands of our own $ on supplies. With budgets tight, every little bit helps,” one Olathe-based teacher tweeted.