Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I did have one teacher ask for a specific brand of crayons, because she said the Crayolas held up all year while the Rose Art ones did not. Don't know if that's true, but I found the Crayolas on sale at Target right after school started for 10c a pack, so I bought 50 packages of them. She was happy, I've spent $5 in far stupider ways, and it was all good.
That is true. It is also true that many of the pencil brands nowadays don't sharpen well and the points break too easily. I don't know which ones the good ones are unfortunately.
At the OP.... It is ridiculous that the teachers ask for specific brand name supplies; that is not allowed in my district (NY). However you sure are ranting an awful lot about teachers... You do realize that teachers PAY for supplies which they are NEVER reinbursed for right? I don't know how they do it in texas, but here a school ID does NOTHING for you, that's on your state not a national problem. I'm sorry that you think teachers baby SOOOO much but teachers are also... wait for it... PARENTS ... Yeah so they have to run out and buy supplies just like any other parent.
Just a suggestion why don't you buy durable supplies??? Try Mead Flex
Notebinders.... They are expensive but will last you the full 4 years. Honestly a teacher can't penelize your son ( as in take away a grade) for not buying a brand specific folder, if she does I'm sure you can fight it.
Besides, I have done well over 50 projects, and I have NEVER spent 50-100 dollars doing a project. At the most 20 MAYBE
There are many other ways to save money... At office depot recently rulers, crayon boxes, colored pencils, folders and packs of pens/ pencils were 1 cent...
Here in good ole Indiana (sarcasm by the way) parents have to pay for their kids books. Only a few states do this and lucky me I live in one of them. This year the bill is 195 dollars.
That is true. It is also true that many of the pencil brands nowadays don't sharpen well and the points break too easily. I don't know which ones the good ones are unfortunately.
I've noticed this and it's frustrating. It seems pencils sharpen off center and the lead breaks before you can get it out of the sharpener. I started buying cheap mechanical pencils late last year but those rarely get returned. What is with wooden pencils? You'd think we'd know how to make them by now.
Gotta say that the same things used to gripe me when I had kids in school. I mean, really, why can't it be standardized - English I needs these supplies, English II these, Calculus needs this? Why can't kids sign up for their next fall's classes once it is certain that they passed in the spring? Why can't it be more organized? Even now the mention of a 'trapper-keeper' will irritate me.
Although I have to admit that working for a school system in NE has certainly helped my attitude. ALL states oughta take a page out of Nebraska's book on classroom supplies. Here the state contracts with suppliers in March to provide school supplies - everything from pencils and calculators to whiteboards and science items. (Imagine - a supplier for sterilized owl pellets!) The teachers are given huge lists (I put mine in a book) and write down what they want. The lists are sent to the Educational Service Units (that span several counties). The ESUs send the lists to the State. Everything gets purchased, and sent to the ESUs to be sent to the individual school districts. By the time school rolls around again in August, most of the supplies are in and have been delivered to the teachers. Then the state sends the bills to the ESUs, the ESUs bill the distircts, everyone has all of the copy paper, tissues, toilet paper, spoons, forks, classroom supplies from crayons through markers to journals and notebooks, that they need for the coming year. THAT is what Nebraska school districts spend their money on - not high-paid administrators who haven't seen a classroom in 20 years. Teachers should not have to pay for tissues and toilet paper out of their own pockets, and neither should the parents.
I did put copies of the elementary school supply lists in all of the stores 6 weeks before school started, and the stores put them up next to their 'school supplies' aisles. This ensures that parents have a convenient list to look up what their kids need right there, helps the stores sell more product, and have fewer returns. My admin thought I was crazy, as no one had ever done it before. But I noticed the other schools in the area started doing it too!
I've noticed this and it's frustrating. It seems pencils sharpen off center and the lead breaks before you can get it out of the sharpener. I started buying cheap mechanical pencils late last year but those rarely get returned. What is with wooden pencils? You'd think we'd know how to make them by now.
Ticonderoga pencils are the best.
And yes, it is true about Crayola crayons vs. other brands, but I knew that from being a Mommy.
The JR High and High School here both have school bookstores. Teachers that have quirky little items beyond your run of the mill paper-pens-pencils give a list to the bookstore and they get huge quantities in to sell.
I sent my kids in with ten bucks apiece and they picked up the fine line dry erase marker for this teacher and the particular size and brand of composition book for another teacher. A couple of other miscellaneous items from the teachers. No big deal. They both even brought me change.
Perhaps you could suggest and even get involved in something similar at you children's school?
And I don't begrudge a teacher wanting all 150+ kids she has in a day to have the same size and style of composition book. I've seen them lugging the stuff out to their cars in the evenings to take home and grade them. If everyone having the same size and style makes that one task a little easier, so be it.
The JR High and High School here both have school bookstores. Teachers that have quirky little items beyond your run of the mill paper-pens-pencils give a list to the bookstore and they get huge quantities in to sell.
I sent my kids in with ten bucks apiece and they picked up the fine line dry erase marker for this teacher and the particular size and brand of composition book for another teacher. A couple of other miscellaneous items from the teachers. No big deal. They both even brought me change.
Perhaps you could suggest and even get involved in something similar at you children's school?
And I don't begrudge a teacher wanting all 150+ kids she has in a day to have the same size and style of composition book. I've seen them lugging the stuff out to their cars in the evenings to take home and grade them. If everyone having the same size and style makes that one task a little easier, so be it.
I think you're missing my point entirely. I'd be more than happy to buy whatever type of folder, notebook, etc, the dear teacher wants, but give us some reasonable time to find it. don't just send home a list today and expect it to appear tomorrow! Like I said, I spent several days trying to track down the right shade and size of green folder, it just didn't exist. the teacher had sent home the supply list the first day of school. I had already bought what I could reasonably guess at, but if a teacher if so specific for a certain item, try to realize we do need some time to chase it down, we're not her supply master.
I think you're missing my point entirely. I'd be more than happy to buy whatever type of folder, notebook, etc, the dear teacher wants, but give us some reasonable time to find it. don't just send home a list today and expect it to appear tomorrow! Like I said, I spent several days trying to track down the right shade and size of green folder, it just didn't exist. the teacher had sent home the supply list the first day of school. I had already bought what I could reasonably guess at, but if a teacher if so specific for a certain item, try to realize we do need some time to chase it down, we're not her supply master.
Since the green folder was several years ago and you've just now come back to post for this year...does that mean you successfully found everything needed for this year and in time? If so, congrats! If not, what are you still looking for?
Our schools (Eugene, Oregon) have had them on their website all summer, sent us home with a paper copy at the end of last school year, AND at most of the stores in town (Target, Staples, Office Depot, etc.) there is a kiosk with printed out versions of each schools and each grade levels school supply list.
They do that around here as well, up to HS; then they notify within a week or so before school at the school meet n' greet.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
... Yeah so they have to run out and buy supplies just like any other parent. 
