Back to school *vent*

[mum4jenn]

Wow, really?? I love them!!

They are too big. They do not fit in the cubbies or desks and sometimes lockers. Also some play with the velcro too much...imagine 30 kids ripping velcro all day!

 

[apnep]

I think fairness does not exist, there will always be people paying for others to enjoy what we work hard for.

In terms of the school supplies, I don't think I mind it if stuff goes for all the students to use. Honestly, some of the lists can be so long and it DOES all add up and some people are not as fortunate to be in a good position to buy everything.

When I was in high school, I had to buy a special calculator but it was only $20. I think they are like $100 now. Do we honestly expect all parents to be able to afford $100 calculator?

Thinking about all this, I have to say, when I was in school I remember only needing to show up with a notepad and ONE pen and ONE pencil. Organization was up to me. Why is everything so complicated these days??

 

[Octoberbabiesrus]

35+ students in a classroom
Less funding
Fewer pay increases and incentives
But let's get tougher on standards and test scores and penalize schools and teachers when they are not met

If your district is anything like mine, you can thank the village for giving builders of homes and businesses a tax break.

And for that, I thank the stars I am a homeschool mother.

 

[Octoberbabiesrus]

Reading these lists, makes me flash back to my school days. I dont remember anything extravagant. But as a homeschool mom... I can tell you my list is substantially shorter.

One folder for each subject.
One ream of copy paper
pencils
crayons
markers
notebook paper.


And fwiw....my parents refused at one point to supply for other students. Only sending in the bare bones of necessities. I was allowed 2 pencils. If I needed another, had to ask. Taught me a good thing about value.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

In terms of the school supplies, I don't think I mind it if stuff goes for all the students to use. Honestly, some of the lists can be so long and it DOES all add up and some people are not as fortunate to be in a good position to buy everything.

When I was in high school, I had to buy a special calculator but it was only $20. I think they are like $100 now. Do we honestly expect all parents to be able to afford $100 calculator?

Thinking about all this, I have to say, when I was in school I remember only needing to show up with a notepad and ONE pen and ONE pencil. Organization was up to me. Why is everything so complicated these days??

As far as the calculator. When my DD went to HS and needed one, DH did some research and found a less expensive one (though still near $100) then the teacher specified. The one they wanted was like $130 if I remember right. So anyway, we bought the cheaper one and told her to ask her teacher befoer she opened it. She said she personally was OK with it but many other teachers are not OK with it, so it was our call. I guess the reasoning was that if they all have the same exact one the teachers don't have to know how all the different ones work if the kids need help. Well, DH decided that since her teacher ws OK with it and after that first year DD should know how to work it without help (plus, let's face it, kids nw a days know hot to work these things) we kept the cheaper one and in 2 years no problems but I will say her teacher last year wasn't crazy about her having it but she did fine with it. Funny that a $80-90 calculator was the cheap one!

I did ask her about kids who didn't have one and she said they have a couple at school they can use but I am not sure what they do about homework.

 

[Ceila]

we try to buy extra and send it in to our child's teacher. Budget cuts are such that many teachers are spending their own money or the class is doing without. We only have one child so we can afford to buy a little extra.
It helps to make up for the ones who can't.

Tissues, hand sanitizer, and paper towels are used in the classroom and it makes for a cleaner and hopefully less germy environment

We've always done this, too. I stock up when Wal-mart and Target have items really discounted (such as the $.25 24-count Crayola boxes, etc.). I also always toss in several boxes of ziploc baggies in different sizes, and I deliver everything in a new reusable grocery bag that the teacher can keep.

 

[Twins]

In Michigan it is actually against the law for public schools to require students to pay for things that would be used to complete assignments for graded work. There are a few exceptions such as gym clothing. Teachers cannot require the students to bring in pencils, rulers, calculators, etc. Any materials needed to successfully complete graded assignments must be supplied by the schools.

It's been my experience that most of the teachers my kids have had are not aware of this law or chose to ignore it. In fact, my oldest has often been told that he needs certain supplies for a class and that he must have them with him by a certain date at which time his first grade is given based on whether he has all the "required" materials.

I don't mind sending in boxes of tissues, hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, and holiday treats because those are things to make the children more comfortable. I also don't mind sending in things that make life easier for my children, like a good pair of scissors or a glue stick instead of the bulk glue that the school buys. I do get miffed when asked to send things that all the kids need to do their school work. That's what I pay taxes for.

 

[allison443]

In Michigan it is actually against the law for public schools to require students to pay for things that would be used to complete assignments for graded work. There are a few exceptions such as gym clothing. Teachers cannot require the students to bring in pencils, rulers, calculators, etc. Any materials needed to successfully complete graded assignments must be supplied by the schools.

It's been my experience that most of the teachers my kids have had are not aware of this law or chose to ignore it. In fact, my oldest has often been told that he needs certain supplies for a class and that he must have them with him by a certain date at which time his first grade is given based on whether he has all the "required" materials.

I don't mind sending in boxes of tissues, hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, and holiday treats because those are things to make the children more comfortable. I also don't mind sending in things that make life easier for my children, like a good pair of scissors or a glue stick instead of the bulk glue that the school buys. I do get miffed when asked to send things that all the kids need to do their school work. That's what I pay taxes for.

Do you refuse to send in supplies and cite that law as the reason? If so I would love to be a fly on the wall of the teachers' room...

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

The goldfish sounds "fishy" for a school supply list, but the rest of those items will end up having to be purchased by the teacher since the school doesn't give teachers enough money for these things then it is up to the parents to supply it. It is not the teacher's responsibility. As the sister of a teacher, I don't even have kids but know how much she spends out of her own pocket that I end up sending her a check for a few hundred dollars to get her classroom up and started, then I shop the sales for the all the items dirt cheap and give them to her for students who don't send in any supplies. She I have to support kids I don't know? Probably not, but it is the nice thing to do.

aw, bless you, what a nice thing to do!
I just finished student teaching and I had to purchase things for lessons as well. Books, construction paper, glue, stickers, poster board, a birds nest that I made, jello, milk, printing things out on my own printer with my own ink, making copies and paying at the library, and the little treats for the holidays. I was even asked to donate something to the classroom, I think I picked up glue sticks.
It is what it is I guess, don't have my own classroom yet, but I am already trying to pick up books at yard sales, thrift shops, library sales for my own library.

 

[allison443]

In Michigan it is actually against the law for public schools to require students to pay for things that would be used to complete assignments for graded work. There are a few exceptions such as gym clothing. Teachers cannot require the students to bring in pencils, rulers, calculators, etc. Any materials needed to successfully complete graded assignments must be supplied by the schools.

It's been my experience that most of the teachers my kids have had are not aware of this law or chose to ignore it. In fact, my oldest has often been told that he needs certain supplies for a class and that he must have them with him by a certain date at which time his first grade is given based on whether he has all the "required" materials.

I don't mind sending in boxes of tissues, hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, and holiday treats because those are things to make the children more comfortable. I also don't mind sending in things that make life easier for my children, like a good pair of scissors or a glue stick instead of the bulk glue that the school buys. I do get miffed when asked to send things that all the kids need to do their school work. That's what I pay taxes for.

Also, do you have the citation for that law? It's very interesting and I wonder if other states have anything similar.

 

[Twins]

Do you refuse to send in supplies and cite that law as the reason? If so I would love to be a fly on the wall of the teachers' room...

No, I have never quoted the law. I usually send in stuff that I have around the house for my elementary students. It might not be the color or kind that is requested, but it's usable. For example, I might send in a variety of colored pencils that have been used in past years or maybe a green two inch binder when we are told to have a white one inch binder. I've never had a teacher contact me about it.

My high school student is another matter though. It was even worse when he was in junior high. I got him the required materials because it simply wasn't worth the fight and he didn't want to make the teachers angry. The schools have been pretty good about the expensive stuff. No math teachers have ever required us to purchase calculators. They are available in class to use. I chose to purchase them to make doing homework easier for my student.

 

[apnep]

They are too big. They do not fit in the cubbies or desks and sometimes lockers. Also some play with the velcro too much...imagine 30 kids ripping velcro all day!

Well, I got one for my kid this year. I'm going to check to see what the teachers have to say...

 

[kirstenb1]

I personally try to instill a bit of mine, mine, mine in my children over the $110 calculators that I've already had to replace once due to theft or loss depending on whose story you want to believe. As in "MINE" and if you wish to borrow it please make sure it gets back into my hands at the end of study hall before you take off with it or my Mother is likely to have a cow.

Labeling each and every crayon from a box of 24 crayons that cost a freakin' quarter or less to buy - as in A PENNY A CRAYON? Oh Good Lord. If they go missing my kids can color with the Rose Art cheapies, it won't kill them. After all I walked 5 miles to school barefoot uphill both ways and through snow drifts back when I was a kid. Adversity only makes us stronger -- right?

The day I label crayons is the day I'm committed to the loony bin! Seriously, label something expensive like a graphing calculator, the rest...no freaking way.

 

[Twins]

Also, do you have the citation for that law? It's very interesting and I wonder if other states have anything similar.

Yep, I have it bookmarked. I'll pm you with it.

 

[Leajess99]

That is what I was thinking! Wait until their kids get to college and the books are $500 for one semester! Plus they will need all of the regular school supplies too - college truly isn't cheap! LOL!

And when you go to sell back the $500 worth of books you might be lucky enough to get $100 back for them.

 

[EKW]

Not at all, that's a pretty basic list! As a teacher I can assure you, there is little to no money for teachers to purchase supplies. Last time I was in the classroom I had a budget of about $200 a year. That had to include playground equipment, pencil sharpeners, scissors and rulers, any support materials I wanted, etc. A dictionary costs about $25! A good electric pencil sharpener is between $30 and $50. Schools do not have the budget to supply kids with basic school items.

At my kids' last schools there was a $25 per child "media" fee...for copy paper. They justified that by saying the kids would be printing. You figure a couple dozen copies a year in black and white and I think you'll agree, $25 was steep!

They were also required to have jump drives, three large containers of a specific brand of cleaning wipes, boxes of tissues, plastic bags, specific brands of composition books, double sets of markers and crayons so art class would have a set, etc. My older son was required to have a specific calculator which, at the end of the school year, came home in the package unopened because his teacher didn't believe in having kids use computers. Middle school kids had to have separate notebooks for each class...each one cost $4. Elementary kids didn't "have" to have "Spirit Wear", but the schools had contests each Friday and the class with the most participation won a prize. You could just ignore that, but then all the other kids would harp on your kid for "making them lose the contest" each week! The hoodie was about $16.

In the past, my kids were asked to supply several rolls of film, but in the past couple of years we were asked to donate for developing costs for digital photos.

I thought that was bad, then I found out about field trips. When my younger son was in 1st grade they went to the zoo. The trip cost me $45! They wanted $25 for zoo entrance fees/bus fees and the rest for color-coded t-shirts. The zoo was located about 20 miles from the school...and regular entry fee was about $5 for kids. Talk about getting fleeced!

 

[Avery&Todd]

and I know a lot has been mentioned that even the teacher is asking that every kid bring in dry erase markers, or wipes or "classroom supplies" and why would a teacher need 24 of each (if every kid in a class of 24 brought them in)..but the thing is..more often than not, the teachers wont get any of these items brought in..or at the most just a few items from a few kids..

so, even though they asked 24 kids for dry erase markers, MAYBE a few will bring in some, but dry erase markers dont last forever, and a lot of times the kids will use them for their own projects on the mini dry-erase boards that the teachers have purchased themselves..

my family has a handful of teachers in it (not me personally) and I've seen first hand what happens when there is no budget for the classrooms and the teachers themselves shell out money from their "too small of a salary" to buy items they feel will help our kids learn better...

so, if I can buy a few items and help out the teacher, which in turns helps out my kids, and maybe a few other kids on the side, where's the harm??

 

[wlake]

Wow -- what lists some of you have! And I thought my 3rd grader's list was long.

In the district where I teach, we're not allowed to require supplies. We're allowed to ask parents to send in tissues and non-school things like that (which aren't in the school budget). At Christmas and teacher appreciation week, the PTO sends out teacher wish lists to the parents and we're allowed to ask for dry erase markers and those sorts of supplies. Otherwise, all paper, pencils, and everything else comes out of my $255 budget for the year. As a K teacher, that doesn't go far! I end up spending a few hundred extra a year, mostly on books that my school budget can't afford. To make matters worse, my district limits where we can order from, so we end up ordering books from some of the most expensive suppliers, although we have a cheap place for consumable supplies.

 

[luvdisney00]

I live in NJ where property taxes are out of control and I feel that if buying some supplies can keep them from raising taxes YET AGAIN, I'm all for it. That being said my kids go to private school and I'm very used to the extensive lists, I've been doing it forever. We are asked to pay large supply fees and then to send in all of the supplies too, but I can't complain since it is my choice to pay the outrageous taxes and then send the kids to private school.

My daughter had to have the TI 84 last year when she started HS and I almost fainted in staples when I saw the price, but they say they will use it all through HS and maybe college too. I did make it very clear to her though, that if she loses it, she will be replacing it with her own money. She carries it in her purse and never leaves it in her locker.

 

[Tink-n-MrIncredible]

We've always done this, too. I stock up when Wal-mart and Target have items really discounted (such as the $.25 24-count Crayola boxes, etc.). I also always toss in several boxes of ziploc baggies in different sizes, and I deliver everything in a new reusable grocery bag that the teacher can keep.

I do this as well. I just think of it as giving back to my community and my familys future. You might change a childs life just by donating an extra box or two of the .25 crayons, maybe not. We will never know. It sure does feel good thinking I put a smile on an unfortunate childs face because he has the same box of crayons or sciccors as all the OTHER children in their class have.

On another note I am not a teacher, but for those who have to buy construction paper please do not buy the ones in the book. When my children were in K the teacher gave me the job of sorting the paper by color. The paper that came in books were not used as the paper ripped majority of the times trying to get it out of the books. No child wants the ripped paper so they went unused.