Texas teacher shares his journey of survival and homelessness amid low pay offered to educators

A Texas teacher is opening up about his experience with homelessness to remind other educators that they're not alone in their struggles. In his TikTok video, Bill Atkinson (@babblinbill) says, “I got sh*t on desk pay as a teacher. I don’t get paid enough to pay rent in my town and pay off my debts.” Like many teachers across the country, Bill is finding that his paycheck simply doesn’t stretch far enough to cover the basics, let alone the debt he’s been carrying around. 

“I had to make a choice, and I decided I’ll live in my car,” he says in the video. Living in a car isn’t some wild adventure for him—it’s a necessity. “If I did my math right, in a year or so, I’ll be out of debt,” he explains. He’s just a teacher who’s been forced into an impossible decision to survive. “I’ll keep posting, and maybe if you wanna hear my story as I go through this, like and follow, I guess,” he says at the end of the video.

In another video, Bill explains his decision to start a GoFundMe to help tackle his debts. With characteristic honesty, he admits, “These are debts that came from bad luck and me making some stupid decisions.” He doesn’t shy away from taking responsibility for his situation but acknowledges that a little help could make a big difference. The fundraiser is set to $13,600, enough to cover his debt and the associated fees. In a heartfelt GoFundMe post, the Austin teacher shared how he ended up living out of his car due to a series of “mistakes and bad luck.” Atkinson revealed that his poor credit history prevented him from qualifying for affordable housing in the high-rent area where he lives, where the average rent hovers around $1,500 a month.

“Though I know my debts are my own, I am asking for assistance in paying them off,” Atkinson, who earns $54,000 a year teaching fourth grade at NYOS Charter School, wrote in his fundraiser. Atkinson's debt, excluding car and student loans, totaled $13,564, which is why he set his GoFundMe goal at $13,600.  

Atkinson also shared that he owes $2,629.36 for a grant he received from the University of North Texas, which he needs to repay. He is also working on settling other debts that are hurting his credit score, including past medical bills and overdue rent. On top of that, he has student and car loans, which he mentioned are in good standing. After his story became public, Bill Atkinson received support from his colleagues at NYOS Charter School. School administrators provided Bill with a stipend to help cover gas money, according to Good Morning America. By Wednesday, August 21, his fundraiser had raised over $17,000.

In his interview, Atkinson explained his decision to share his story, "I'm telling my story because I'm not the only one with it, I'm just the one willing to be out there." He added,  "I don't know a single teacher that wants a mansion. 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. We are asking to be treated like professionals because that's what we are." Despite the difficulties he faced, Atkinson remains passionate about teaching and is inspired by the educators who supported him during his childhood. He hopes to see improvements in the support for teachers, especially concerning their wages.

Once Bill decided to share his story and journey, comments flooded in from people all over supporting him. "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!" said @bba.san. "Wishing you the best. If you're able and have access, a basic Planet Fitness membership will give you cheap access to showers! I think memberships start at $10/mo," said @notyour40yearoldmom. "Reposting this so we can get it circulating. This makes no sense. As an educator, you have the most important job in our community and you should be paid the most," added @killabeezus. "This is ridiculous! Get another job! Teachers need to be paid more but you should be able to make it on $54K. Single moms do it on less while having to figure out child care!" wrote, @beautifulme377.

According to Atkinson, the funds raised from his GoFundMe page, along with support from those who learned about his situation—including a generous individual who provided him with a temporary place to stay—eventually helped him secure a room through a rental agency. He hopes his GoFundMe campaign not only raises money but also shines a light on the challenges faced by struggling teachers. Dr. Mechiel Rozas, the superintendent at NYOS Charter School where Atkinson teaches, said, "We respect the privacy of all our staff members, and once we became aware of Mr. Atkinson's situation, we immediately reached out to him to offer local resources and support." 

You can follow Bill Atkinson (@babblinbill) on TikTok to keep yourself updated with his journey.