Atlanta teachers surprised with classroom supply shopping spree

ATLANTA - Dozens of teachers at Atlanta's Cascade Elementary School were surprised on Tuesday with a free "pop-up shop" filled with school supplies.

The teachers were told that they needed to come to an "expectations meeting" in the school's media center, but instead they were greeted by volunteers by Georgia's Own Credit Union.

What we know:

The teachers were able to take $5,000 in school supplies, including markers, Command strips, Sharpies, crayons, Kleenex, glue, scissors, and snacks for their students. 

Officials with Georgia's Own said that the surprise supplies were to help ease the financial burden for teachers as the school year starts. 

According to a recent study by the National Educators Association, public school teachers are expected to spend an average of $820 out of their own pockets on supplies for their classroom this year. For a Title I school like Cascade Elementary, the price tag can be hundreds of dollars more.

What they're saying:

"Cascade just went through an incredible renovation this past year, and they were actually displaced from the school while they had their HVAC replaced and some other repaired, so they're moving back for the first time on Monday." said Marin Kraushaar, the executive director of Georgia's Own Foundation. "So we thought it would be a great opportunity to set their teachers and administration up for success just by making their lives a bit easier and taking some of the burden off their plate."

Dig deeper:

This is the fourth year in a row that the credit union has delivered this surprise to an Atlanta elementary school.