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A TEACHER has revealed that he was forced to live out of his car without a permanent license despite making $54,000 a year.
Bill Atkinson from Austin, Texas, took to TikTok to share his struggles with viewers as he battled huge amounts of debt due to “mistakes and bad luck.”
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The fourth-year educator at NYOS Charter School launched a GoFundMe last month as students and teachers started preparing for a new school year.
“I got a s*** tonne of debts to pay,” he admitted in his first TikTok video about his desperate situation.
“No matter how much I borrowed or scraped, there was no catching up, because I just did not make enough to cover rent — because I was so used to living paycheck to paycheck, I didn’t have anything in savings to try to cover rent for a couple months,” he told “Good Morning America.”
“I had to make a choice and I decided I’m going to live in my car,” he said on TikTok.
The 33-year-old explained how the debt accumulated after a period of “bad choices” while he was in his twenties as well as being hit by “some bad luck.”
By living in his car, Atkinson estimated that within a year he could be mostly debt-free but this did not include car or student loans.
To keep fit and have a break from work and the car, the TikToker revealed that he had a gym membership which was also a way for him to take care of personal hygiene.
Addressing concerns of viewers regarding his safety, Atkinson revealed that he had a safe place to park his vehicle for the majority of the time as well as 24-hour access to his workplace.
DEBT LOOP
When others told the teacher to find somewhere with cheaper rent such as a spare room, he explained that such a move would keep him in a debt loop.
“The problem with even cheap rent, if I don’t address my debt it puts me in the same position when I need to move again,” he said.
In addition to this, many places he could afford rejected his applications due to his poor credit score.
While living in his car, Atkinson revealed that he had found some house-sitting gigs and got a second job working at a haunted house for the Halloween season to bring in more cash.
However, he was also hit by more bad luck after discovering that his A/C was broken in the same month that temperatures exceeded 100F in Austin, and that his driver’s license had expired.
He had plans to fix the air con which appeared to end up falling through and was then left on a temporary driving license while waiting for the permanent one to come through.
How Much Do US Teachers Make?
Average teacher pay has failed to keep up with inflation over the past decade.
On average, teachers are making 5% less than they did 10 years ago, according to the National Education Association.
Teachers earn 26% more, on average, in states with collective bargaining, showcasing the power and advantage of unions.
The national average starting salary for a first-year teacher in the US is $44,530.
The national average teacher salary for teachers in the US is $69,544.
The states with the highest-paid teacher salaries, on average, are California ($95,160), New York ($92,696), and Massachusetts ($92,307).
The states with the lowest-paid teacher salaries, on average, are West Virginia ($52,870), Florida ($53,098), and South Dakota ($53,153).
In Texas, the average teacher’s starting salary is $47,195.
The average teacher salary for Texas educators is $60,716.
Despite his efforts and positivity, viewers were left heartbroken at his story.
“Our teachers deserve so much more… I’m so sorry that you had to sacrifice your living situation to stay afloat. Your resilience will take you far!” one said.
“I wish you the best and I’m so sorry that we live in a time where an education and job don’t get you far. Hang in there,” another wrote.
“Teachers shouldn’t go through this!!,” a third added as others offered their help if needed.
Since having his story go viral, Atkinson set up a GoFundMe page to “support his journey to stability.”
The target was $13,600, the amount of debt that was impacting his credit.
“I don’t know a single teacher that wants a mansion. We want to be able to pay our bills.
Bill Atkinson
“Though I know my debts are my own, I am asking for assistance in paying them off, especially my school debt as I cannot get certified in work in school districts till I get my transcripts unlocked,” he wrote on the page.
In just a month, the teacher managed to exceed the target and raised $18,760.
He managed to pay off all of his debts and thanks to the generosity of strangers, hopes to pay off other debts that have not yet hit his credit such as medical bills, rent arrears, and over $2,600 for his undergraduate degree.
TROUBLED TEACHERS
However, Atkinson has said that his story is not finished as he hopes to raise awareness for the struggles of fellow teachers.
It seems that generous donors are also keen to hear updates from him.
“Keep us posted – we’re not done helping! Governments have to do better for us teachers. (I feel you – we’re always behind on bills),” a fellow educator wrote in a comment on TikTok.
“I’m not the only teacher that is living paycheck to paycheck and that is struggling…it’s a systemic issue,” Atkinson told his viewers.
“A lot of teachers are one paycheck away from having my story.”
Atkinson now has a roof over his head in a temporary home for six months.
In the meantime, as well as working multiple jobs, he plans to continue posting videos raising awareness of the financial struggles teachers are facing across the country.
“I don’t know a single teacher that wants a mansion,” he told GMA.
“We want to be able to pay our bills, have a decent place to live, you know, and if we’re in our 30s and single, a place to live without a roommate [and be able to] buy food.”
