LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Stephanie White knows exactly what it’s like to be a teacher. From 2000-2007, she taught 8th grade and high school math.

What You Need To Know

  • Stephanie White created the $5 Friday’s Facebook group to help Louisville-area schoolteachers

  • White says she got the idea several years ago from a national group

  • James Byars is a physical education teacher at Maupin Elementary in Louisville

  • White says they have helped fund more than $11,000 in teachers campaigns

She’ll tell you what inspired her to become a teacher. When she was a teenager, she tutored students who struggled with math. She had a real passion for mathematics, and wanted to share the subject.

“The best part about being a math teacher was teaching kids that math is something you can actually enjoy.” White, the Louisville $5 Friday’s Group creator, explained to Spectrum News 1.

You might not realize it, but many teachers spend money out of their own pocket to buy supplies or items for their students. In 2020, the Economic Policy Institute reported teachers spend an average of $450 a year on school supplies.

In fact, Kentucky teachers, according to this report, spend more than $400 a year ($404) of their own money on supplies for their students.”

“Teachers are pulled in different directions. They want to do all this stuff for their kids, but at the same time, they can’t have such a personal expense to it." White said.

So, she decided to do something to help Louisville-area teachers. She got the idea several years ago from a national group. 

She hopped online and created the $5 Friday’s Facebook group to help Louisville-area schoolteachers. Here’s how it works every week:

“I have a Facebook group called $5 Friday’s for Kentuckiana Schools. On Fridays, I will select from donors choose a local teacher who has a campaign running for something that they need for the school. I will post it and people will contribute $5. With many people contributing, it can help fund." White explained to Spectrum News. "Sometimes we fund and finish the campaign.” 

White said they have helped fund more than $11,000 in teachers campaigns. 

“The purpose of this group is to make people happy!" White said with a laugh.

But, it’s rare for White to actually get to see the end result of happy teachers and students. 

So, she’s on her way to do something very special here at Maupin Elementary in Louisville. She gets to meet a teacher and students helped by the local $5 Fridays group. 

Meet 27-year-old Physical Education teacher, James Byars. He’s been a teacher for 5 years now, and this is his second year teaching at this school. He sent in his fundraiser at the end of Sept. because he wanted to buy pickle ball equipment for his students. 

“I just want them to pick up a new experience that they can use out in the world. Hopefully for students that may not be interested in basketball or football, maybe this is something that they may be interested in.” James Byars, a physical education teacher at Maupin Elementary School explained to Spectrum News 1.

He said the Kentuckiana $5 Fridays group raised about $200 for him! Now, he said the roughly 250 kids he teaches really enjoy the new equipment.

Byars explained, “It was awesome to know that other people out there have the same passion for my students as I do.”

A passion shared by White and Byars, amplified by the generosity and kindness of people’s $5 donations. 

White told Spectrum News 1 that there is also a group just like that one that helps Lexington-area teachers as well.