By: Krug Stillo

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and his wife, Alex, pledged $1.3 million to public school teachers in New York City after a New York Post report highlighted how heavily educators rely on donations to cover basic classroom needs.

The Post’s August 30 story revealed that nearly 3,000 teachers had turned to DonorsChoose, an online fundraising platform, this year just to provide essential supplies for their students. The report prompted the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation to act quickly, according to Juan Brizuela, a DonorsChoose spokesperson.

“Alex Cohen moved the Cohen Foundation to immediately make a donation to educators,” Brizuela told the Post, referring to the billionaire’s wife, who runs the philanthropic organization.

The donation fully funded more than 2,500 DonorsChoose projects across New York City classrooms. Teachers will receive much-needed resources, including books, instructional technology, pencils, notebooks, and sports equipment, Brizuela said.

The gift also pushed the total funds raised for NYC Department of Education teachers through DonorsChoose to $3.9 million so far this year, Brizuela added. The foundation did not respond to requests for comment.

Despite New York City’s record-breaking per-pupil spending — projected at $42,000 per student this school year, the highest of any district in the nation — teachers still frequently find themselves paying out of pocket for classroom materials. The DOE funds schools on an equity-based per-pupil funding model, but principals ultimately decide how the funds are spent.

Under the DOE’s Teacher’s Choice program, each instructor could previously receive $235 in reimbursements for school supplies for the 2024-2025 school year with receipts. Many educators say that this amount covers only a small fraction of the supplies they need to purchase themselves.

The Post reported that the number of NYC teachers using DonorsChoose has now climbed to 4,334, up from 3,385 in late August. These teachers have nearly 6,500 projects still pending, totaling $4.9 million in resources needed for their classrooms.

Erica Yonks, an art teacher at the High School for Law, Advocacy, and Community Justice on the Upper West Side, is one of the many teachers benefiting from DonorsChoose projects. She had raised funds to provide hygiene and art supplies for her students.

“There’s no other profession where you’re expected to provide literally the basics that you need to do your job on your own – let alone what the kids need too,” Yonks told the Post, describing the challenges many educators face when trying to equip their classrooms.

The Cohens’ donation aims to relieve some of the financial pressure on teachers and ensure that students have access to the materials they need to learn effectively. Brizuela said the foundation’s contribution demonstrates the impact private philanthropy can have in supporting public school educators, especially in a city with such a high cost of living.

The gift underscores how crucial supplemental funding has become in NYC classrooms, even in a district with substantial per-pupil investment. For many teachers like Yonks, donations through platforms like DonorsChoose are no longer optional—they are essential to meeting students’ day-to-day learning needs.

The Post first reported that the Cohens’ gift will allow thousands of students to benefit from fully stocked classrooms, while highlighting the broader ongoing reliance of New York City educators on private donations to bridge gaps in school funding.