Back to school *vent*

[Colleen27]

Oh and someone mentioned spending money on the Smartboards instead of supplies for the class. Most likely, those were bought with money slated for technology needs only, or from a technology grant. That's how our school got one. Also, they are not like regular white boards. They are interactive and you can project on them like a computer monitor. It is really nice for demonstrating programs so all the kids can see. In DS's algebra class, the teacher would project the problems onto the white board and then have kids come and work it out. It saved lots of time, because he did not have to write the problems and steps out, and then when he needed more problems, he did not have to erase the old ones and then write new ones. Best of all, he could print what was projected and his explanations and answers out for students who needed teacher notes. You obviously can't print out what is on a regular white board or chalk board.

I know that, but it doesn't make it any less stupid. Ours are paid for with state funds slated specifically for technology, so we're getting these bells and whistles gizmos from the state right on the heels of several consecutive cuts to the per-pupil base funding from the state. I don't doubt the whiteboards are nice and have plenty of uses, but to me what the state is doing is akin to a family claiming they can't pay the electric bill but buying a new laptop. Sure, the laptop is useful, but shouldn't the basics come first?

 

[NOLA_Tink]

Legally, a child cannot be given a grade based on lack of supplies. Our district got sued on this a while back. We either have to either excuse the child with no supplies from the assignment, or provide the supplies to do the work. We charge a lab fee of $10 at my school to cover consumables used in lab throughout the semester. If a child doesn't pay the fee they have to either be excused form lab or given and alrternate assignment they can complete without lab supplies. we cannot simply give them a zero because they do not have supplies.We get absolutely no supply money, so that means the teacher either chooses to provide supplies form thier personal funds or give alternate assignments. The kids don't care as long as they get thier points, and legally we cannot make thier grade suffer from a lack of supplies.

When I taught in a Florida public school system, they took this even further. High school summer reading is no longer permitted there because one family sued the school board claiming that they were poverty stricken and could not afford to bring their kids to the library to check-out free books. Unfortunately, as a result, we had to completely eliminate summer reading for our "college bound" students & we couldn't offer extra credit for those that did want to read because it was deemed "unfair."

 

[aprilgail2]

Just wait until they hit high school. Then it is a graphing calculator with many functions for math (around $100) plus asb card, yearbook, etc.....
.

That depends on what district you are in- ours was taken to court and they ruled that if the schools wanted them to use a calculator like that they have to provide it. The kids are issued one at the beginning of the year, parents have to sign a paper for it- if they lose it you have to pay for it, otherwise you just return it at the end of the year.

 

[torinsmom]

I know that, but it doesn't make it any less stupid. Ours are paid for with state funds slated specifically for technology, so we're getting these bells and whistles gizmos from the state right on the heels of several consecutive cuts to the per-pupil base funding from the state. I don't doubt the whiteboards are nice and have plenty of uses, but to me what the state is doing is akin to a family claiming they can't pay the electric bill but buying a new laptop. Sure, the laptop is useful, but shouldn't the basics come first?

Oh, I'm not saying it makes sense. Just pointing out that its not the teachers or the school deciding to buy that smart board over other supplies. It is an ongoing problem that the people at the top have no idea what is going on in the trenches. FWIW, I think the smartboards are better suited for middle school and high school kids. A new elementary school in our district has one in each classroom, even for kindergarten. I think that is a waste. We have one(on wheels) for our whole K-5 school of 200 kids. Teachers just check it out when they want to use it.

Our district also bought a new math curriculum last year. It was such a waste of money, but we had no input. The district wastes the money, and then the teachers are the ones who have to struggle when we don't get what we need.

That depends on what district you are in- ours was taken to court and they ruled that if the schools wanted them to use a calculator like that they have to provide it. The kids are issued one at the beginning of the year, parents have to sign a paper for it- if they lose it you have to pay for it, otherwise you just return it at the end of the year.

My son's HS has the calculators in the math classrooms. The kids each have a card with their name on it and they get a calculator and put their card in its place. We have my old TI-36 at home and he uses that or an online scientific calculator for his homework. I like this better for the money issue, but also because my son has a tendency to lose or break things when he has to carry them around all day.

Marsha

 

[disfan07]

I can't believe this is what people are so bent out of shape over. I told my mom about this (she is a former teacher) and she couldn't believe this.

Seriously, when I was in elementary school we had the same length lists. I finished elem. school about 10 years ago. We had 2 lists...a general list that was for everyone in that grade and than we would get a list from our teachers as well on the first day.

In middle school we had a general 7th grade and a general 8th grade list and than we woul dget specific lists from each teacher the first day. 7 teachers, 7 lists.

In high school, same thing. We would get a general schoolwide list over the summer which was the basics (notebooks, binders, pencils, etc.) and than we would get specific lists form our teachers because each teacher required different things.

A lot of people are talking about how after buying clothes, shoes, etc they cant afford this stuff, well here's a thought....buy one less pair of jeans for each kid or buy less expensive clothes....seriously it's ridiculous

And wait until your child gets to college.....I went shopping yesterday to get stuff for my room and the kitchen in my townhouse I am sharing and we spent $300 so far (with sales and coupons)....we still have to get probably another $100 worth of stuff plus books and supplies.

I just can't believe that I'm hearing about this from people on the disney board. You guys can spend thousands of dollars to go to disney but you aren't willing to spend less than $100 (sometimes less than $50) on school supplies for your childs EDUCATION

I feel like I hear this a lot on this board. If its something that you don't agree with than why should it apply to you. Why should you have to follow what everyone else is being required to do just because you don't agree with it.

 

[Iott Family]

Disfan07 you about said it!

Pathetic that you folks refuse to buy pencils and crayons for your kids classroom but you will routinely spend thousands on a Disney vacation!

 

[luvmy3]

Disfan07 you about said it!

Pathetic that you folks refuse to buy pencils and crayons for your kids classroom but you will routinely spend thousands on a Disney vacation!

I don't know about you but I spend thousands each year to make sure my kid's school has what it needs

 

[Ariel224]

I just want to thank all the teachers out there for doing what you do. I stayed up late into the night reading all 26 pages of this thread, and it's been....enlightening to say the least. I knew that teachers sometimes would buy some things out of their own pockets, but I truly had NO IDEA the scope of what goes on...(or that RoseArt crayons are crap! Forgive me for getting some for the church school supply drive last week)

My oldest is in 4th grade now. It never occurred to me to even question what was on the lists. I operate under the assumption that the teachers know what's needed, it's not my job to tell them how to do theirs, and if I have a question about something that doesn't make sense to me, I should ASK. I work in health care, and there's nothing more frustrating than having a patient or their family member get agitated about some process that is a part of the job I was trained to do, and start telling me (or the stranger next to them in the waiting room) why I should be doing it "their way." ...when if they'd just politely ask the reason WHY something is as it is, I could spend 30 seconds explaining it and hopefully everyone would be happy.

In daycare, I was expected to provide my child's own diapers, wipes, formula and baby food. In preschool, we had to supply a nap mat, snacks and lunches. In elementary, the hours of operation necessitate that before and after school care be paid for on the days I work. Granted, these were not state-mandated programs, but they were a necessity in my being able to earn a living to pay the bills at home. It just seems to be a natural (for me) extension of being responsible for my own children to purchase some school and classroom supplies to benefit the group. I have witnessed severe budget cuts in each of these arenas, and would have been horrified to think of the caregivers having to buy these things out of their own pockets if the school/daycare couldn't or the parents wouldn't.

In 1st through 3rd grades, my children had the community stockpile of supplies. I'm okay with that. I assume the teacher prefers this for a reason, and I respect his or her right to manage the classroom in this way, whether or not I agree with it. This year, my oldest DD brought home a list divided into items that would be shared and items that should be labeled with her name and kept in her supply box. The list made it clear that this year the children would be expected to be responsible for their own pencils and have to keep a daily planner for their homework. It's nice to see that they are slowly instilling that responsibility in the students. At 4th grade, she is starting to be capable of this responsibility.....in 1st grade, there was NO WAY with this kid!

 

[GJM]

could not afford to bring their kids to the library to check-out free books

I think it is crazy that someone would sue over a summer reading program. The library that is near my house, in the same town is charging people that don't live in the "city limits" a fee each year to use the library and check out books.

I was so mad, but I paid because my DS wanted to take out books and I want him to enjoy going to the library and reading

 

[Twins]

You have a great polly anna view of what a school pays for (everything). However, it is a fact schools will not supply everything a teacher / students need to be successful. I would LOVE if the school paid for everything but I get $50 a year for paper, pencils, and so on. NO MORE - NO OPTION.

So when parents such as yourself do not supply your child with the materials neccesay to succeed in class I have to. As a teacher I can not sit back and watch you child suffer because you will not buy him / her a pencil and other supplies.

Just suck it up - hit the great sales at Walmart right now and supply your child with the tools necessary to be successful in school.

My children will be well supplied for school because they fear repercussions from their teachers. After having read your replies to this thread, it's clear that their fears are well founded.

Not everyone, in every school, takes Disney vacations worth thousands of dollars. The purpose of schools supplying materials is to make sure that ALL students have what they need, not just the wealthy or comfortable families.

And to those of you who think buying supplies is no big deal, ask yourself what is next. When the schools don't have enough money will you be purchasing textbooks? How about desks? Maybe they can't afford the teacher's salary. Will you be splitting that with the other parents too? Maybe we should just make all public schools tuition based? Seems to me that would defeat the purpose of a public school system. It's a slippery slope.

There are clear differences in opinions here which is okay, but when some resort to being rude it ruins the opportunity for an intelligent debate.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

My children will be well supplied for school because they fear repercussions from their teachers. After having read your replies to this thread, it's clear that their fears are well founded.

Not everyone, in every school, takes Disney vacations worth thousands of dollars. The purpose of schools supplying materials is to make sure that ALL students have what they need, not just the wealthy or comfortable families.

And to those of you who think buying supplies is no big deal, ask yourself what is next. When the schools don't have enough money will you be purchasing textbooks? How about desks? Maybe they can't afford the teacher's salary. Will you be splitting that with the other parents too? Maybe we should just make all public schools tuition based? Seems to me that would defeat the purpose of a public school system. It's a slippery slope.

There are clear differences in opinions here which is okay, but when some resort to being rude it ruins the opportunity for an intelligent debate.

Give me a break. The slippery slope concept is ridiculous. Expecting schools to supply everything is ridiculous unless you want your taxes to explode. Our next levy will add $400 to our property tax. I suspect it will not pass. I will not vote for it.

If you have no problem paying out the ear for your taxes, you can just take that $400 and buy supplies for everyone in your child's class.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Give me a break. The slippery slope concept is ridiculous. Expecting schools to supply everything is ridiculous unless you want your taxes to explode. Our next levy will add $400 to our property tax. I suspect it will not pass. I will not vote for it.

If you have no problem paying out the ear for your taxes, you can just take that $400 and buy supplies for everyone in your child's class.

We do pay out the ear for taxes where I live. That is why it is so annoying. We also pay our teachers a very good salary- which I support.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

i agree. We pay ridiculous taxes. Our teacher pay is better than the other systems in the area, and I agree that is vital. We are administration heavy. We homeschool, and have always voted for the levies. This one is ridiculous.

 

[Twins]

Give me a break. The slippery slope concept is ridiculous. Expecting schools to supply everything is ridiculous unless you want your taxes to explode. Our next levy will add $400 to our property tax. I suspect it will not pass. I will not vote for it.

If you have no problem paying out the ear for your taxes, you can just take that $400 and buy supplies for everyone in your child's class.

Here we go again. My opinion is "ridiculous" because I disagree with you. That is rude and disrepectful. Problems in the schools, and this country in general, will never be resolved if we resort to the mindset that people who disagree with us don't have a right to their opinion without be belittled.

 

[penn19]

My children will be well supplied for school because they fear repercussions from their teachers. After having read your replies to this thread, it's clear that their fears are well founded.

Not everyone, in every school, takes Disney vacations worth thousands of dollars. The purpose of schools supplying materials is to make sure that ALL students have what they need, not just the wealthy or comfortable families.

And to those of you who think buying supplies is no big deal, ask yourself what is next. When the schools don't have enough money will you be purchasing textbooks? How about desks? Maybe they can't afford the teacher's salary. Will you be splitting that with the other parents too? Maybe we should just make all public schools tuition based? Seems to me that would defeat the purpose of a public school system. It's a slippery slope.

There are clear differences in opinions here which is okay, but when some resort to being rude it ruins the opportunity for an intelligent debate.

This. It is a slippery slope. We are now being asked to supply items that used to routinely be supplied. I am not talking about pencils and paper, and I don't know that other people are either, I am talking about the folders, the notebooks etc..that all have to be specific color, size, quantity. In our district (and yes we pay very high taxes here as well)in middle and high school if you are in pre-ap or AP classes and have required reading it is on your dime to supply the book. If your child is in the academic classes, the school supplies the book for you. How in any way is this fair? The thinking of course (and not my thinking so don't jump all over me) is that if you are in the higher classes you are smarter, and therefore have the money to pay for this stuff, if you are in academic classes, not so smart, and so lower income. Reading books that used to be supplied by the school and when the class was done reading the book, the books were taking up by the teacher.
So I don't think it is so far fetched that one day we will be looking at the scenario that the pp described.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

ummmm...you just do what we did when we were young, and walk to the library and check out the book. Reading list books were never supplied to any group. People just want everything handed to them on a silver platter.

No one ever supplied folders, either. And, I know in our city that the Community Action and several churches provide supplies for those who can't afford Walmart's $.25 crayons, and $.10 notebooks.

 

[penn19]

ummmm...you just do what we did when we were young, and walk to the library and check out the book. Reading list books were never supplied to any group. People just want everything handed to them on a silver platter.

This sounds about right. 30 kids per class, what maybe 5 classes that need to read that book? I am sure most local libraries have 150 copies of that one book.

 

[Vijoge]

And to those of you who think buying supplies is no big deal, ask yourself what is next. When the schools don't have enough money will you be purchasing textbooks?

When I was in High School, a gazillion years ago, we did purchase our own textbooks. I'm not sure when that changed in our district. Probably half a gazillion years ago. . lol

Back then though, we did not have to pay to participate in sports or pay extra for driver's ed (except for the cost of the permit). There was no fee to park in the school lot. I don't recall needing much in the way of supplies-paper, pens, pencils, crayons, ruler, and a notebook (aka 3-ring binder).

I know we never, even in grade school, had to buy color coordinated notebooks and folders and and things like that. We used 3-ring binders with dividers for everything. And I'm not sure bookbags/backpacks were even invented yet. (Remember, man had just discovered fire. . )

There was no such thing as wet ones, paper towels were brown and scratchy and found in the dispenser on the wall in the bathrooms, and if you had a cold or runny nose you carried a tiny pack of kleenex in your pencil case or purse.

 

[dclfun]

My kids haven't been in elementary school in 14 years but even then we had to buy their yearly supplies ( public school ). What galled me was being told NOT to write their name on the supplies as the teacher collected them and then passed things out to the classroom or things were shared, such as markers. There were lots of kids who came with nothing, so I had to pay for my own four kids along with other people's kids. It would be one thing if parents couldn't afford it, but many just didn't care and knew they'd get a free ride- they did the same thing every year. I worked once at a supply distribution area where anyone could get a filled backpack for free for their children. I was surprised to see the same kids show up several times-only to find out they then SOLD the filled backpacks that were given to them. I was so jaded from that experience and for years I wouldn't donate unless I knew the family or child. Now, unemployment is so high where I live ( Central Florida) that many people do need help with basics so I've participated in our school supply donation drives at work for the last few years and hope things go to kids who really do need them. I think it's really hard on teachers to have to buy things from their own salaries and for kids who are truly needy and deserve to be on a level playing field at school, of all places.---Kathy

 

[Mouse House Mama]

ummmm...you just do what we did when we were young, and walk to the library and check out the book. Reading list books were never supplied to any group. People just want everything handed to them on a silver platter.

No one ever supplied folders, either. And, I know in our city that the Community Action and several churches provide supplies for those who can't afford Walmart's $.25 crayons, and $.10 notebooks.

I never ever had to go to the library to check a book out that was required reading. Every book that we had to read To Kill a Mockingbird, A Tale of Two Cities etc. was provided. They were passed out at the beginning of the assignment and collected at the end.