US teachers gear up for school year amid pandemic

As they prepare to return to school, many teachers are finding themselves in desperate need of school supplies, even for teaching remotely.

They're flocking to a warehouse treasure trove of free supplies ranging from books and notepads to musical instruments in the Chicago suburb of Addison, Illinois.

SCARCE (School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education) was founded 30 years ago by Kay McKeen.

Her mission is to collect and keep supplies that might otherwise end up in a landfill and get them into the hands of teachers who need them.

It's a mission made more critical by the impact of COVID-19.

"There's so many families struggling now with the virus and out of work, there are more kids without supplies," says McKeen.

Chicago teacher Kyna Simpson says her second grade students will need extra help and supplies this year because attention span is always a challenge at that grade level, and "Now we're forcing them to do three, four, five, six, seven, eight hours a day in front of the computer."