In a tough economy, many U.S. teachers forced to work second jobs

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Plainfield, New Jersey — From the clip she was a child, Christine Regal of Plainfield, New Jersey, knew she wanted to beryllium a teacher.

"I conscionable emotion moving with kids," the 54-year-old Regal told CBS News. "I emotion the kids. I mean, I've been teaching for 26 years, and I inactive stay successful interaction with a batch of them."

But that devotion to her trade requires rather a fewer broadside hustles to wage the bills. Regal does meal and luncheon work astatine the simple schoolhouse wherever she teaches. She tutors students aft schoolhouse and works part-time astatine the Cheesecake Factory.

According to the yearly Walton Family Foundation‑Gallup Teaching for Tomorrow report released successful March, 21% of K-12 nationalist schoolhouse teachers surveyed said they were struggling financially, and 71% of teachers surveyed said they enactment astatine slightest 1 2nd job.

On Wednesday, the Labor Department reported that the Consumer Price Index roseate successful May astatine an yearly complaint of 4.2%, the highest specified ostentation complaint since April 2023.

"I'm getting deed everywhere," Regal said of her fiscal struggles. "Just this past weekend, it outgo maine $70 to enactment state successful my car. Last night, I went market shopping, 2 bags of groceries, $160. That's wherever I'm getting hit."

When schoolhouse lets retired for the summer, Regal says she volition proceed waitressing for other cash. She besides has to fund for schoolhouse supplies. She usually spends up to $1,500 per twelvemonth of her ain wealth to supplement her classroom.

"Luckily, I person a co-teacher wherever we divided everything, but I cognize she's feeling a deed herself and we've already had conversations, like, we're going to person to astir apt instrumentality it easy, particularly with her, due to the fact that she conscionable has a caller baby."

Regal, who is single, says she volition "probably" discontinue astatine property 60.

"I'm going to conscionable support hustling and conscionable support putting wealth away, and past commune that erstwhile I deed 60, that things volition beryllium a batch different."

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