[Flibble21]

As a teacher that uses chalk and white boards I can heartily tell you that chalk sucks. It's messy on your hands and cloths, it breaks and is difficult to erase from the board. White board markers are so much nicer. The criticisms of markers seem to be, from the article:

You can't tell when they will run out. This is not true, they fade out not stop suddenly. Also, it is always possible to carry a spare marker or two.

Hand writing is worse with markers. Then look at what you've written and make it better.

White boards deteriorate faster. I currently use white boards that are a sheet of reinforced glass pained white on the reverse face. They've been installed for 10 years and look the same as they the day there were installed.

Permanent markers destroy a whiteboard. The glass boards make it a little bit of work but it instant destruction.

Chalk is less damaging to the environment than marker pens. This is true but can be mitigated with re-fallible pens.

Special "chemicals" are needed to clean a white board. The chemical that I use is water in order to make the cleaning rag damp. The same as I use for chalk.

[procaryote]

If you leave writing on a whiteboard too long water won't do the trick and you'll need something stronger, like isoproplanol, or one of the many purpose mixed cleaning sprays

"chemicals" isn't inherently bad of course, if that needs saying. Don't drink the cleaning spray and you'll be fine

[readthenotes1]

My experience was that once you use something more stronger than water, you have to continue using that substance.

Alternately, whatever chemicals are in the marker ink will dissolve previous marks and leave the whiteboard surface intact. Just right over what was written before and it will melt