This fall, s are headed back to the classroom for another year of lessons in all the classic subjects: math, English, history, biology. But there鈥檚 another subject that鈥檚 been sneaking into school curricula: plastics.

A from the nonprofit Plastic Pollution Coalition documents the many ways the plastics industry has been inserting its agenda into classrooms across the U.S. 鈥� including through lesson plans and worksheets, hands-on science experiments, and a program called 鈥淧lastiVan鈥� that travels from city to city teaching students about 鈥�.鈥�

Industry interests offer these resources to teachers for free or for cheap, according to the report. The materials tend to highlight the necessity of plastics while downplaying their significant downsides to human health and the environment.

鈥淲hen that information is provided to kids, it obfuscates the true impacts of plastic pollution,鈥� said Madison Dennis, senior policy and advocacy manager for Plastic Pollution Coalition and one of the report鈥檚 main authors. Besides harming marine life, plastics can , clog storm drains and , and . The Plastic Pollution Coalition is calling for stricter school policies against the use of industry-sponsored learning materials.

The report lays out four case studies of plastics industry 鈥減ropaganda鈥� for schoolkids. One involves the , or SPE, a trade group that recently became a division of the Plastics Industry Association. SPE鈥檚 include activities like a 鈥減lastic scavenger hunt,鈥� which aims for students to 鈥渦nderstand that plastics are ubiquitous and their importance to society and their personal life.鈥� A video titled 鈥淵our Bottle Means Jobs鈥� explains how plastics recycling supports local employment.

Another case study highlights the , an initiative of the Dow Chemical Company. One of the association鈥檚 lesson plans teaches elementary and middle school students how to compare the strength of various types of plastic bags that can be found in a grocery store. After a brief experiment, the lesson invites them to 鈥減retend [they] are an employee for Dow Chemical Company鈥� and are designing a plastic bag for a customer.

While many of the materials claim to support STEM learning objectives, they do so while promoting familiar industry talking points, emphasizing the affordability and safety of plastics. Some acknowledge plastic pollution as a serious problem, but they blame irresponsible consumer behaviors and, instead of recommending less plastic be produced, propose more recycling as the primary way to address it.

In reality, only of all plastics are recycled worldwide, and scientists have repeatedly warned that recycling will be unable to keep up with projected growth in plastic production. has shown that industry groups knew this decades ago, but promoted recycling anyway in order to defuse growing concern over plastic pollution.

Wendy Johnson, a science education specialist at the , said the industry鈥檚 lesson plans and worksheets don鈥檛 reflect good pedagogy. Materials claiming to be aligned with state-level STEM standards don鈥檛 say which standards they support, or how they鈥檙e aligned. Lesson plans instruct students to read teachers鈥� notes, or list industry-specific vocab terms like 鈥渟tretch blow molding鈥� or 鈥渢hermosetting.鈥�

鈥淏y using all of these technical terms, it鈥檚 tricking people into thinking 鈥� that they鈥檙e doing science,鈥� Johnson told Grist. What the materials really teach, she said, is 鈥渋deological perspectives about the economy,鈥� like the desirability of cheap consumer goods.

鈥淚t鈥檚 so clear that the purpose isn鈥檛 to make really clear, easy-to-use materials,鈥� Johnson added. 鈥淭he idea isn鈥檛 to teach,鈥� but to get industry talking points into classrooms. The report documents plastics propaganda finding its way into schools since at least the 2000s. Between 2009 and 2011, for example, a plastics trade group lobbied the California Department of Education to add a section on 鈥淭he Advantages of Shopping Bags鈥� to the state鈥檚 high school textbooks. The PlastiVan initiative has been ongoing since 2011, and SPE claims it鈥檚 reached over in total.

Plastic Pollution Coalition suggests that the problem is particularly significant in schools located near petrochemical facilities. In Beaver County, Pennsylvania, for example, Shell operates a 386-acre plastics production complex and has invested millions of dollars in the development of plastics-related curricula and recycling programs, both for grade schoolers and for community college students. It has also donated hundreds of backpacks filled with school supplies, and bought one school a basketball court 鈥� seemingly in exchange for .

Shell didn鈥檛 respond to Grist鈥檚 request for comment. Neither did SPE, the American Association of Chemistry Teachers, nor the school district in Beaver County.

The report hints at a broader problem with STEM education in U.S. public schools. Teachers often lack the time and money needed to design their own curricula, or to buy high-quality materials and lesson plans needed for in-class labs or science projects. When vested interests come along offering support 鈥� whether it鈥檚 the , the , the , or the 鈥� it can be hard to say no.

鈥淎s a teacher, I鈥檓 always looking for free stuff,鈥� said , a K-8 environmental educator in California who consulted on the Plastic Pollution Coalition report. Hicks said their education and background make them comfortable vetting materials for greenwashing 鈥斅燽ut that鈥檚 likely not the case with most teachers.

Dennis recommended that school boards adopt policies banning educational materials sponsored by the chemical, fossil fuel, and plastics industries. She also emphasized the need for better school funding more generally, so that teachers and districts aren鈥檛 so desperate for ready-made learning materials.

One way to achieve this would be to eliminate tax breaks for petrochemical processing and plastics production facilities, which .

Katie Allen, executive director of , a California-based environmental nonprofit that develops educational materials on plastic pollution, pushed back against the idea that schools should ban all industry-sponsored content.

鈥淥nce you start banning one thing, where does it end? What I want to do is give educators the benefit of the doubt and allow them to make their own decisions,鈥� she told Grist. She argued that teachers should be trusted to properly contextualize industry materials 鈥斅燼nd that they could even use them to teach critical-thinking skills.

That said, there are plenty of educational materials on plastics that are developed by non-industry sources. Algalita, for instance, offers free lesson plans on topics like plastic garbage patches in the oceans and biomagnification 鈥斅爐he phenomenon where plastics build up inside sea creatures as you move up the food chain. The Story of Stuff, another nonprofit, offers a broader focused on the costs and consequences of producing consumer goods 鈥斅爄ncluding those made from plastics.

Those learning materials still come from organizations with an agenda. But Hicks argued they鈥檙e more trustworthy, since nonprofits usually aren鈥檛 trying to sell something.

Another option is for teachers to simply design their own curricula. That鈥檚 what Jacqueline Omania, a recently retired elementary school teacher in Berkeley, California, . She turned her classroom into a zero-waste laboratory, and each year for 11 years, Omania and her students developed a set of zero-waste classroom agreements, vowing to minimize their plastics use 鈥� by swapping individual glue sticks for a communal tub of glue, for example 鈥� while also advocating for more systemic change, like by campaigning for a policy requiring Berkeley restaurants to .

鈥淭here are so many challenges in the world, but plastic is something tangible,鈥� Omania said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 right there in front of them, and they can see the difference that they鈥檙e actually making through their actions.鈥�

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OKLAHOMA CITY 鈥� State leaders say they鈥檙e still pursuing solutions to reverse a yearslong decline in traditionally trained teachers entering the classroom, all while emergency certified educators continue to fill essential teaching roles. 

The number of graduates completing Oklahoma teacher preparation programs, including college degrees in education, has fallen by about 40% since 2013, state officials told the Oklahoma State Board of Education on Thursday. 

Traditionally certified educators who completed these programs have represented less than half of all first-year teachers entering the state鈥檚 public schools since 2018.

To help fill in the gap, Oklahoma districts hire thousands of emergency certified teachers, who might not have traditional classroom training, when a candidate with full or partial credentials is unavailable. Uncertified adjunct instructors, who must have relevant career experience but aren鈥檛 required to have a college degree, also have taken on a growing role in public schools.

The state Board of Education has placed increasing scrutiny on Oklahoma鈥檚 reliance on emergency certified teachers, who were a rarity a decade and a half ago. The board votes monthly to issue emergency certifications.

鈥淚鈥檓 not against it,鈥� said Becky Carson, a retired teacher and one of the most vocal board members on the issue. 鈥淚 just want to make sure that the educators that we鈥檙e putting there are supported and we鈥檙e giving them the right training and being able to remove those that might not be (in) the best place for them.鈥�

Research shows teacher聽听补苍诲听 impact student academic achievement, she said. If Oklahoma wants to rise from the bottom of national education rankings, Carson said, 鈥渨e have to look at all aspects that could be of a concern that鈥檚 putting us there.鈥�

The state issued 3,928 emergency certifications for the 2025-26 school year, state data shows. 

So far, 1,392 more have been approved for 2026-27, said Jeff Smith, program director for teacher certification at the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

More than 470 of those teachers are renewing past emergency certifications, he said. 

The number of applicants seeking renewals 鈥� some as many as eight times after failing to pass certification tests or not completing required coursework 鈥� has been one of the state board members鈥� top complaints.

Sixty of the 638 applicants approved Thursday have been issued an emergency certificate more than three times, according to an Oklahoma Voice analysis of state records. Emergency certifications are typically renewed every one to two years, according to state administrative codes.

鈥淲hy are we having people that are having to ask for that renewal eight times?鈥� Carson said. 鈥淲hy aren鈥檛 we being able to get them to pass the test if that鈥檚 the reason?鈥�

Data agency staff presented at the board鈥檚 meeting Thursday showed the stark reality of the pipeline feeding Oklahoma鈥檚 teacher workforce.

Emergency certified educators, once considered a stop-gap measure, were the most common of all first-year teachers in 2025. They represented 38.8% of teachers in their first year and more than 5% of all Oklahoma educators, state officials said.

Traditionally certified educators made up 87.8% of the overall teacher workforce in 2025 and only 37.1% of those in their first year, but their numbers could rise in 2026. So far, they represent 45.5% of 2026 first-year teachers, but state data doesn鈥檛 yet reflect the full hiring cycle.

Provisional educators, who have completed some requirements but still have testing or coursework to complete, represented 7.6% of all teachers and 24.1% of first-year educators last year.

That presents a striking difference from 2010, when emergency certifications amounted to 0.5% of incoming new teachers. Those with traditional certifications counted for 96.3% of the classroom teacher workforce and 64.7% of first-year entrants. The rest held a provisional certificate.

The data sheds light on an 鈥渦nfortunate situation鈥� that state leaders must work together to solve, said Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber. The state House Common Education Committee leader, who attended the board meeting Thursday, said he鈥檚 going to participate in interim studies and a working group with the state Board of Education to explore solutions.

鈥淚 think if you look at those numbers, you kind of understand where our test scores are, where they鈥檙e at and why they鈥檝e been there,鈥� Lowe said of .

The weakening teacher pipeline wasn鈥檛 a shock to Carson, she said, given how many educators complain of classroom behavior issues and a lack of support.

State lawmakers in recent years have ,  for aspiring educators and  in the hopes of combatting the education workforce shortage.

A state initiative known as TeachForward is helping 450 emergency certified educators earn a standard certification within one year, Education Department staff said Thursday. Six Oklahoma universities partnered with the program to offer accelerated coursework and exams at no out-of-pocket cost to participants.

The agency also touted a program it will launch Monday to give 463 early career teachers a week of professional development and mentoring throughout the school year. The program serves first- and second-year teachers with any type of certification.

State Superintendent Lindel Fields expressed enthusiasm for the program鈥檚 potential to help retain participating teachers in the classroom long term.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of talk about recruiting teachers. The real problem is keeping teachers,鈥� Fields said during the state Board of Education meeting. 鈥淓verything we can do to help those teachers be successful in this program is super exciting.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: info@oklahomavoice.com.

According to a survey of more than 3,000 teachers conducted by AdoptAClassroom.org, a nonprofit crowdfunding platform, teachers received a median classroom school supply budget of $200 last school year 鈥� an amount that 93% of the respondents said was not enough to cover their in-class needs.

Many teachers choose to subsidize the remainder of the costs, but it comes at a steep price. Out-of-pocket spending among teachers has increased by 44% since 2015, the survey found, with teachers reporting that they spent an average of $860 of their own money on supplies and other expenses during the 2022-2023 school year.

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鈥淭eachers spend their classroom supply budget fast,鈥� Melissa Hruza, Vice President, Marketing & Development at AdoptAClassroom.org, told 社区黑料. 鈥淓ven though they are willing to provide basic items like food and supplies for their students, their ability to pay for it is decreasing.鈥�

One big reason: teacher pay has failed to keep up with the sky high rate of inflation in recent years. Adjusted for inflation, teachers are making $3,644 less than they did a decade ago, according to the National Education Association.

Communities and parents appear to be recognizing the challenges teachers face. AdoptAClassroom.org said its site has received more donations to teachers for the 2024-2025 back-to-school season than last year.

鈥淐omparing July and August 2024 to the same period in 2023, the number of contributions to educators on AdoptAClassroom.org is currently up 13% from 2023 to 2024 so far this year,鈥� Hruza said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 also been a 9% increase in the number of both new fundraisers and total number of teachers with active campaigns.鈥�

GoFundMe has seen a similar bump. So far this year, more than $12 million has been raised for K-12 education on the crowdfunding platform. In 2023, total funds raised for educators reached over $24 million 鈥� a 7% increase from the previous year.

鈥淸P]eople don鈥檛 always see the hidden costs that end up on teachers鈥� hands, like providing additional resources for students who can鈥檛 afford small items like pencils,鈥� Shawn An, a first-year earth and environmental science teacher at Julius L. Chambers High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, told 社区黑料.

To ensure he and his students were fully prepared for this school year, An launched a GoFundMe campaign called A Classroom for Future Scientists, with a goal to raise $1,000. He ended up receiving $1,045 in donations.

鈥淲hat this funding created is the opportunity for me to bring the basic necessities into the classroom I need to succeed, like organizers and writing utensils to grade with,鈥� An said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 helped me create a space where I can be efficient and to find resources for students to engage in the work we’re asking them to do.鈥�

Lightening the load

To help teachers afford the supplies they need, GoFundMe launched its own fundraising initiative called the Education Opportunity Fund. Since the fund鈥檚 launch in 2020, GoFundMe has raised more than $240,000 and has distributed more than 550 grants to teachers in order to help them afford classroom supplies and other educational resources, Leigh Lehman, GoFundMe director of communications, told 社区黑料.

鈥淭he grants were an additional step to offer help to educators and lighten their load a bit, and there are still grants available for teachers who are in need,鈥� Lehman said.

Grants of can be put toward common classroom items like school supplies, books and class decorations. Funds can also be used for other educational resources or items like field trips, playground equipment, updated technology and extracurricular activities.

Similar to GoFundMe’s grant initiative, AdoptAClassroom.org provides funding through their Spotlight Fund Grants program. This program targets classroom initiatives that address things like social-emotional wellness, Indigenous language, arts, STEM education and racial equity. Eligible teachers can apply for grants of $750 or more on AdoptAClassroom.org.

鈥淧eople all around the country want to find ways to help more teachers,鈥� GoFundMe鈥檚 Lehman said. 鈥淭hey understand there is a gap in funding and that teachers are incredibly stressed.鈥�

Keeping kids engaged

Hana Syed Khan, a fourth grade teacher in New Jersey鈥檚 South River Public Schools district, started her own GoFundMe campaign, A Classroom Built on Kindness, in August to support her efforts to make her classroom 鈥渁s useful, accessible and hands-on as possible.鈥�

Entering her fifth year of teaching at a new school in a new district, Syed Khan knew she had to be more creative with the amount of classroom space she has, materials needed and the resources available.

Her campaign raised $1,920 in funds, which she used to purchase a spin-the-wheel device, a carpet for reading time, books for the classroom library and the classroom staple Better Than Paper.

鈥淭he [kids] want to touch everything, and they should be able to. It鈥檚 their room,鈥� Syed Khan told 社区黑料.

Through sharing via family group chats, her husband鈥檚 LinkedIn account, word-of-mouth and other social media platforms, like and , Syed Khan said she 鈥渇eels fortunate to have set up the fundraiser and leverage community support for her classroom.鈥�

She plans to keep her fundraiser open to donations so she can continue to afford classroom activities and incentives with hopes to keep students engaged through the year.

鈥淪tudents in this district suffer from chronic absenteeism, which may stem from lack of transportation, parents鈥� schedule or a lack of motivation for themselves,鈥� Syed Khan said. 鈥淐lassroom incentives, like parties at the end of the month, are a really big part of what I want to use the funds for next.鈥�

Drawing from his own school experience, An said he understands that many of his students face challenges outside of the classroom. Bringing smaller tools and supplies like writing utensils and paper to class is not the first thing on their mind.

鈥淭hat can be a real barrier for students to access what teachers are asking them to do,鈥� An said. 鈥淯sing the donations to directly address those barriers helps students stay engaged to do their best in the classroom.鈥�

He used a portion of the donations he has raised to purchase a rolling cart that allows for easy access to classroom supplies.

An and Syed Khan hope their efforts inspire other teachers to overcome the fear of asking for help. For Syed Khan, it was difficult to find the right words for the campaign and the video she included to go along with it. She wanted to ensure her classroom needs were as clear as possible to potential donors.

鈥淭rying to figure out what to say to grab people鈥檚 attention was the most challenging part,鈥� Syed Khan said.

鈥淚t definitely wasn鈥檛 easy,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut when people see someone speaking and explaining what the funds will be used for, it can attract many people because they see a real human.鈥�

An experienced similar doubts about asking for help. He credits his family for providing feedback on his campaign narrative and helping him to frame his message.

鈥淢y family and I went through a co-writing process to get the point across that this was me, just as a person, asking a personal favor of people who were available,鈥� An said.

GoFundMe currently hosts webinars for educators and education-related organizations to help them learn how to effectively fundraise. They鈥檝e also updated their with tips for teachers to share their campaign and keep communities engaged.

鈥淪eeing more teachers turn to external sources of funding to help support their students鈥� needs is definitely eye-opening,鈥� An said. 鈥淚t highlights the fact that not as much care is funneled into education as I think it should be.鈥�