Anyone else get annoyed.. (School Supplies)

[rt2dz]

You aren't a company rep but pharmaceutical company isn't giving those samples for Dr's to take home they are to give out to patients to expand the use of their product.

You're right that pharmaceutical reps are giving samples for Dr's to expand the use of their product. But you're wrong that they are giving it for Dr's to give out to their patients. Yes, they would like to see it given to patients from time to time, but really they don't care what the Dr's do with it if it encourages the Dr's to buy and prescribe it. Most Dr's are more likely to do that with products they do use, so pharmaceutical reps are happy to have Dr's take them home.

Ask any pharmaceutical rep, I'm sure they'd agree. I know several who explained it to me that way when I was saying that patients should get more samples. Pharmaceutical companies actually make more money when Dr's don't give it to patients because then patients have to pay for the product.

As far as the rest of the post, I’ll address a little later.

 

[figaromeetsmarie]

Personally, I don't mind not putting names on things because I know my kid will get to use some of the supplies.....whether it be the exact ones I buy or supplies someone else bought. As long as my child gets to use some school supplies I am ok with that.

 

[rt2dz]

The thing is I DO volunteer in the classroom AND at the school in general. I’m the one that has on many occasions gotten supplies out of the supply closet at our school. At the end of the year that supply closet is still stocked. It is overflowing. There are shelves everywhere a door isn’t and they are stacked left to right, bottom to top. There are even piles of supplies on the floor. THAT is why it annoys ME. Those supplies do not come home at the end of the year. The list stays the same year to year, so far.

The school is wasting my money. I mean really, the kids aren’t allowed to use the dry-erase board and do not have smaller ones for their use. There are 180 days in the school year and 25 kids in each class; each student must bring in (3) 2-packs of dry-erase markers, for 150 markers. Are you honestly telling me that a teacher uses one of those markers almost every day to where it can’t be used again? I don’t think so. If that is the case, the teacher isn’t responsible enough to be teaching.

My son is in a grade where they don’t have crayons at the centers—I stock those centers. Our school has been open for 3 years, so each class should already have 75 scissors, and yet I must send in another pair of scissors which we will never see again. And to top it off, each teacher receives $1000 per year to spend in the classroom how they see fit--$500 from the district, $500 from the PTO.

Personally, for me, I’m not annoyed (annoyed, not angry) about *the crayons*. I’m annoyed at the way the school (and in our district, each school sets its own list for supplies) handles it. You need extras? Ask. I don’t donate to every cause; I’m sorry, I don’t support every cause. No one does. How can you be both for and against the death penalty? But I also don’t support every charity that supports my cause; I pick and choose based on how well I think they handle the cause I support—like everyone should. We all deserve to have a choice. For the record, I give $250 every summer to the charity in our area that supplies school supplies for the needy children in our district. If the school asked nicely—and the key is * if they asked*—I would donate to them, too. Heck, I’m the parent that sends in a roll of paper towel every week when I found out the school doesn’t supply paper towel to the teachers. I just don’t like the hidden demand, and punishing the children for the parents that don’t comply until they do. How in the heck is that promoting education? And really, why are they asking when they have way too much?

It is money management and it’s the management of supplies that is getting to most people. The schools ask for an excessive amount of the most expensive supplies. I'm OK with 15 glue sticks, but not with 8 bottles of glue on top of it--when I see it sitting all year in the supply closet. I could send my child to private school with what I pay in the school district portion of my property taxes! It’s that much. I don’t think asking for a reasonable school supply list and some consideration is that horrible.

Other schools in our district do not ask for the same amount of supplies. How can they do it and not our school? And yes, I have spoken up about this. All it got was the PTO no longer supports the purchasing of supplies; you now can't order the year prior in a bundle pack.

 

[smidgy]

That a gripe over sharing crayons and pencils would get 8,000+ views???

the OP wasn't griping about SHARING crayons. it was about choosing your own charities.

. School supply lists are requests not demands as some people have stated. I don't know of one public school that pats little Johnny down before he enters the school building and demands his supplies before he can attend. If anyone has ever had that happen contact the ACLU you have a lawsuit.

If the worst thing that happens to my child is that they bring home the "crappy" colored pencils- color me happy. .

in my distict, it wasn't a "request" Or a "demand" it was stated as REQUIRED school supplies. of course no one is going to "pat down" little Johnny. but I know my kids freaked out if they didn't have everything on the "required" list.

and OF COURSE, it isn't the worst thing to ever happen to a kid... that is an exxageration. the OP can still be "annoyed" about it.

Well, this whole post just makes me sad. I'm glad that I haven't run across any parents IRL like some of the ones posting here, with so much ANGER and energy devoted to something as basic as crayons. . :

So here's my bottom line: if you're so incredibly annoyed by your school's policies regarding supplies, GET INVOLVED. Run for the BOE, join the PTA, become active in the school. Chances are, you'll soon realize how little you actually know about how schools work these days.
And - -last but not least -- I am a teacher who has taken home tissue boxes from school! HORRORS!!!! I did it because we had mice in the classroom that were eating (?) and nesting in the tissue boxes, and I just couldn't leave them there all summer long without coming back to a huge mess. So I took home about 6 boxes. Go ahead and dock my pay.

I don't think I felt any ANGER from any of the posts. just opinions. and it's not about crayons. it's about being told what we should "contribute".

as I stated earlier, boy, was I involved when my kids were in school!!! just because someone has a differing opinion about required "contributions" (which, by definition, means VOLUNTARY, not required), that person should not be told they know LITTLE about how the school works.

and, if you have tissue boxes in June with a child's name boldly printed on it, it's not so horrible to send it home with that child.
All most of us are saying is "we responsible parents who send all that is required, and donate our time, don't want to be told that we are required to donate supplies because other parents aren't responsible." as a room mom, I often had to "make up for" the money that wasn't sent in for the parties and activities. I did so gladly, cause I wanted the kids to have a great party. sometimes I spent OVER my allowance, out of my pocket, just cause I thought of a great game the kids would enjoy. but... IT was MY CHOICE.
One mom couldn't donated her time cause of her work schedule, but I could always count on her to send extra home baked treats for the party. Her CHOICE.

 

[smidgy]

I agree. This whole thread is disturbing. If people are so incredibly angry about these things, I would say that I would prefer that they NOT volunteer, but that is just me!

Teachers are not out to scam you for free school supplies. If you really think that you have some isolated issue, then speak to the administration.

again, I'm not angry at all. just want to CHOOSE what I "contribute". and no one thinks teachers are out to "scam" us. the extras shouldn't be there in the first place (unless they were "donated" for the needy kids not "required") and, boy! would my kid's teachers be upset if I DIDN'T volunteer!

Which is a terrific virtue for him to learn. IF the school lets him learn it! Its one thing for your son to choose to "share" what he has. Its another thing to deny your son from "having anything" because what you buy all goes to a community pot. All he's learning in this lesson is that there are entities that have the ability to take what ever you have, and they will decide how to distribute it and whom to give it to. Sounds like Marxism to me I guess if the government schools start them out with the you-provide-we-take-and-give-out-as-we-deem-fit lesson early our children will be completely used to it by the time they are adults. Sadly, they won't have experienced the joy of individual charity for this scheme.

WELL SAID!

 

[noodleknitter]

LOL, Marxism. Give me a friggin' break. Do you people wan thte teacher to be able to run his/her schoolroom in the most efficient way possible? Different teaching styles warrant different standards. Think about it for 2 seconds. What a bunch of drama queens.

 

[averysmom]

Many teachers/professors have exclusions from copyright laws okayed for classroom limited use.

You're right - I can photocopy most things - there are very few that are excluded - but there are rules - one chapter or 10% of a book - no more.

And worse, she was discussing workbooks - most (I'd say 90%) of which are not reproducable. The publishers want to sell a workbook to each student - not for the school to buy one and photocopy for 100 students. Most of these books have in them "copyrighted - not reproducable".

And even if the workbook WAS reproducable - only 1 chapter or 10%.

So yes - she should not be announcing this on a public message board

 

[smidgy]

Think about it for 2 seconds. What a bunch of drama queens.

of course those with a differing opinion have THOUGHT about it. and please, let's keep it friendly and no name-calling. thanks.

 

[Tammysue5]

This has been a long and interesting thread! Our school district made a change about a year or two ago and I love it! The school district supplies pretty much everything... paper, pencils, glue, gluesticks. I just got back from 'school supply" shoppng and I bought 4 boxes of kleenex (2 for each DD) 2, 10 count markers (1 for each) their back packs and I am done!

DS17 already has his costly calculator for AP Calc. (going on 2 yrs) For HS he does need paper, notebook for each class, w/matching pocket folder. but pretty much nothing expensive.

We did not see much of an increase in our registration fee and every child gets the same.

Our registration fee for DS (senior) is $206 and that includes the fee for the AP class ($ 90)

DDs registration fees will be approx. $78 each.

 

[Aristomommy]

This has been a long and interesting thread! Our school district made a change about a year or two ago and I love it! The school district supplies pretty much everything... paper, pencils, glue, gluesticks. I just got back from 'school supply" shoppng and I bought 4 boxes of kleenex (2 for each DD) 2, 10 count markers (1 for each) their back packs and I am done!

DS17 already has his costly calculator for AP Calc. (going on 2 yrs) For HS he does need paper, notebook for each class, w/matching pocket folder. but pretty much nothing expensive.

We did not see much of an increase in our registration fee and every child gets the same.

Our registration fee for DS (senior) is $206 and that includes the fee for the AP class ($ 90)

DDs registration fees will be approx. $78 each.

Our school has a similar system, but we do have a pretty long list for supplies still. We have fees that teachers collect each fall. One is a technology fee and other is a supply fee. In HS those fees increase depending on which classes are chosen and all activities are "pay to play" including classes like choir and band.

I wonder what happens if a student doesn't pay for whatever reason? One year I sent a check and DDs teacher failed to record it. A few weeks later I got a pretty nasty letter from the principal about how the non-payment affects the school's bottom line . She did apologize when they found the check....

 

[happymickey464]

24 crayons 1.00
glue sticks 2.00
scissors 2.49
my childs education priceless

 

[WantToGoNow]

My son will be in 2nd grade this year. In addition to a huge listing of school supplies, we have a $65 school fee and $2.40 a day for lunch.

Here's his list:

24 #2 pencils
2 erasers
3 large glue sticks
Fiskars scissors
2 white Elmer's school glue
1 24 count Crayola crayons
2 spiral notebooks wide ruled
1 12" ruler with inches and centimeters
1 box of dry erase markeres with eraser or old sock (No flourescent markers)
2 pocket folders
1 school/pencil box
2 boxes tissues 200 count each
3 highlighters (different colors)
1 package colored pencils (erasable)
portable headphones
1 container disinfectant wipes
1 package baby wet wipes
Boys 1 package ziploc gallon size storage bags
Girls 1 package ziploc sandwich size storage bags

Last year, we had to replenish most of the items every quarter. I have no idea how a child could lose/use all of those supplies every few weeks.

 

[disneymom8589]

I'm a 2nd grade teacher and I ask my students to bring their own supplies labeled with their names. They keep just what they need in their pencil boxes (2-3 pencils, eraser, box of crayons, scissors, etc.) and the rest of their supplies I keep in labeled gallon-sized Ziploc bags. When they need a new pencil or box of crayons, they just get it out of their bags that I keep in the coat closet. At the end of the school year, I send home with the students any extra supplies they may have left. This has worked well for me.

 

[leebee]

I've only read the first half-dozen or so pages of this thread. My comment is not WHAT you have to buy/supply for school use (community or personal) but that you have to SUPPLY it. Does nobody remember the days when public education was fully funded? The days when the teacher handed out your pencil, pen, crayons, and paper was available also? (and you knew better than to take them home or lose them?) For as long as we are happy to have pork attached to funding, to buy bombers instead of education, we will continue to have to provide additional supplies to a system that is weakened by a government that doesn't really consider education a priority. Look at all the real classes that have been eradicated in many school systems- science labs, home economics, "shop", arts, music, physical education, to name a few- because of budget cuts, to say nothing of shortened school day length, 20 minute lunch breaks, and cancelled recess because of lack of funding to pay teachers and pay for building operations. I believe that as a society we have determined to provide public education because an educated populace is superior to an ignorant one. As a member of society, I am obligated to use my tax money to pay for education, whether or not I have a child in the public school system. I am OK with that. HOWEVER, I am upset because of misspent tax dollars (whether for wars or for supplying every child with a laptop) that result in an underfunded educational system. These days everyone assumes it's the norm to be required to supply your child with everything they need for school. I think it's a shame that we have let our children down by underfunding education so severely...the "school supply list" is just a symptom of a much larger problem.

OK, now I'll get down off my soapbox and go back to planning my next Disney vacation- which takes place in 15 days!!

 

[noodleknitter]

Oh, please. What a load of crap. Our schools are well funded. If you want to look for pork, check out the salaries of the administrators. I was in school 35 years ago, and even way back then, we had to bring the basics. But I guess you can blame that war, too.

 

[shaunaday]

I will ask for forgiveness ahead of time...

Today was our first day of school and every year supplies are a big pain in the tooshie for us teachers!! Just as I suspected, this year was no different.

Why do parents buy "novelty" items for SCHOOL?!?! School supplies are NOT "special treats for your kids"! I am sick to death of seeing glue that lights up when you squeeze it, combination locked pencil boxes, plastic glitter coated pencils (which by the way is the reason we go through so many pencil sharpeners each year) and spring loaded rulers. I mean seriously...think about what the average teacher has to deal with in class. As a second grade teacher, I do not want to have to do desk and backpack searches because little Suzy's puppy pencil with the battery operated, spinning eraser has come up missing!!

I tell kids to either drop the supplies in the community supply box on the first day of school or take the supplies home for a "special homework supply box". I don't care which...but I refuse to spend valuable time tracking down the crap that never should have been brought to school to begin with. We have a no toy policy for a reason...yet so many of the supplies kids bring to school are as distracting as toys!

Also, there isn't room in the desks for any extra stuff!!

Now having said that...our list only amounts to about 25 bucks worth of stuff. I can't imagine having to spend much more than that per student at one time.

Climbing down off soapbox...

 

[shaunaday]

P.S. With all due respect...anyone want to start a thread on how much your child's teachers are spending on school supplies?

 

[noodleknitter]

I will ask for forgiveness ahead of time...

Today was our first day of school and every year supplies are a big pain in the tooshie for us teachers!! Just as I suspected, this year was no different.

Why do parents buy "novelty" items for SCHOOL?!?! School supplies are NOT "special treats for your kids"! I am sick to death of seeing glue that lights up when you squeeze it, combination locked pencil boxes, plastic glitter coated pencils (which by the way is the reason we go through so many pencil sharpeners each year) and spring loaded rulers. I mean seriously...think about what the average teacher has to deal with in class. As a second grade teacher, I do not want to have to do desk and backpack searches because little Suzy's puppy pencil with the battery operated, spinning eraser has come up missing!!

I tell kids to either drop the supplies in the community supply box on the first day of school or take the supplies home for a "special homework supply box". I don't care which...but I refuse to spend valuable time tracking down the crap that never should have been brought to school to begin with. We have a no toy policy for a reason...yet so many of the supplies kids bring to school are as distracting as toys!

Also, there isn't room in the desks for any extra stuff!!

Now having said that...our list only amounts to about 25 bucks worth of stuff. I can't imagine having to spend much more than that per student at one time.

Climbing down off soapbox...

Welcome back! Bless you for the work you do!

 

[Tiffany_MommyOf3]

My problem comes from that our school gives us a supply list for community supplies. EVERYTHING becomes community supplies for the class - not a problem - BUT, there is no brand listed. So I may go out of my way to purchase washable crayola crayons because I want my sons art to look good (not crap like some other brands) and I want the crayons to wash out - not stain it up. That's my beef with this stupid policy.

Soo, I plan on buying 3 sets of school supplies - 1 for the "community supplies", another for a few days after school starts for him to keep at his desk, and another for at home for homework.

I'm not so mad about the money but more so about crappy products vs. nice products. If everyone were purchasing the same exact stuff, no problem but in this area that won't happen. 1/2 of the school is upper middle class and 1/2 is lower class. They started building nice big neighborhoods in the middle of a not so great area (not crime, but just different class of people) and so they are all attending the same school and I will be pissed if my son ends up with the crappy products after I bought nice stuff. kwim?

 

[shaunaday]

My problem comes from that our school gives us a supply list for community supplies. EVERYTHING becomes community supplies for the class - not a problem - BUT, there is no brand listed. So I may go out of my way to purchase washable crayola crayons because I want my sons art to look good (not crap like some other brands) and I want the crayons to wash out - not stain it up. That's my beef with this stupid policy.

Soo, I plan on buying 3 sets of school supplies - 1 for the "community supplies", another for a few days after school starts for him to keep at his desk, and another for at home for homework.

I'm not so mad about the money but more so about crappy products vs. nice products. If everyone were purchasing the same exact stuff, no problem but in this area that won't happen. 1/2 of the school is upper middle class and 1/2 is lower class. They started building nice big neighborhoods in the middle of a not so great area (not crime, but just different class of people) and so they are all attending the same school and I will be pissed if my son ends up with the crappy products after I bought nice stuff. kwim?

I am sorry...but I have to ask this. Are you serious? You are really going to be upset if your son has to use RoseArt unstead of Crayola to complete elementary school assignments?

This entire thread is just silly.

I understand about wanting your kids to have nice things, but we are talking about the quality of 1.00 vs. 1.25 markers!! We are talking about refusing to share CRAYONS with other kids! We are seriously debating whether its fair to ask parents to supply pencils for more than one child.

No doubt we have certainly lost sight of the reason for sending our children to school.