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There's 31 or 32 Abbott districts sucking up 66% of the education dollars. I wonder what they would find if they audited all of them? We could probably all send our kids to Ivy League schools
As a teacher in an Abbott District I'm going to quit and apply for a bus driving position in Union City...I sure haven't seen the money. My classroom is in a basement. My bookcases are falling apart. In the past 3 years I've personally spent more than $3K on supplies. I've run out of pencils and paper because I only get $300 per year for supplies from the district. I always wondered where the money went.
As a teacher in an Abbott District I'm going to quit and apply for a bus driving position in Union City...I sure haven't seen the money. My classroom is in a basement. My bookcases are falling apart. In the past 3 years I've personally spent more than $3K on supplies. I've run out of pencils and paper because I only get $300 per year for supplies from the district. I always wondered where the money went.
As a teacher in an Abbott District I'm going to quit and apply for a bus driving position in Union City...I sure haven't seen the money. My classroom is in a basement. My bookcases are falling apart. In the past 3 years I've personally spent more than $3K on supplies. I've run out of pencils and paper because I only get $300 per year for supplies from the district. I always wondered where the money went.
I hate to say I don't believe a single word of this post. Pens? I get very very nice pens from my Abbott District BOE office, maybe you should go raid the BO's supply cabinet.
If this is a true post, as a educator you should be in the Governors face and have this story plastered all over the SL.
As a teacher in an Abbott District I'm going to quit and apply for a bus driving position in Union City...I sure haven't seen the money. My classroom is in a basement. My bookcases are falling apart. In the past 3 years I've personally spent more than $3K on supplies. I've run out of pencils and paper because I only get $300 per year for supplies from the district. I always wondered where the money went.
I agree completely with Casper: this is a disgrace. I'd take my situation to a public advocate or someone such as Paul Mulshine at the Star Ledger. Take lots of pictures too.
Posts like this one are at the epicenter at NJ's problems (and a big reason I don't think I could move back). Teachers in this position have an obligation to inform residents with children in suburban districts and give it a voice.
Granted the first line of my post was tongue in cheek but the truth is my district is putting a lot of their money into new schools. I worked in one of those schools where Smartboards and Whiteboards were in every room. Where classroom budgets were higher and all the desks, bookcases and computers were new.
As frustrating as it is to need supplies and not have them available I also know that our district is improving. There is full day pre-k which helps to give children in the district a head start...considering there are a lot of home situations we are trying to make up for. We also have teacher tutors in the classrooms to help students that are underperforming. So I don't want my message to be misunderstood. My bookcases are falling apart. My room is in the basement and my yearly budget for supplies including pencils and paper is as stated - and I really have run out. But, I still like the district. I still LOVE my job and I would still let my daughter come to school here.
And 2 weeks ago if I had posted that the bus drivers in my district got paid 6 hours of OT per month to charge cell phones none of you would have believed that either.
I meet very few teachers that don't have to buy supplemental supplies out of their own pocket, regardless of district.
Ok I've taught in 2 Abbott districts and 2 upper middleclass districts. Yes I had to spend my own money on TOILET paper for my 1st grade classroom, yet the district was spending upwards of ..........are you ready?????18000 per student. Now in the upper middleclass district I might spend $ in the class, but 9 times out of 10 if I send home a note saying I need something for the class half of the parents send in more than enough!
Ok I've taught in 2 Abbott districts and 2 upper middleclass districts. Yes I had to spend my own money on TOILET paper for my 1st grade classroom, yet the district was spending upwards of ..........are you ready?????18000 per student. Now in the upper middleclass district I might spend $ in the class, but 9 times out of 10 if I send home a note saying I need something for the class half of the parents send in more than enough!
I was about to mention that and then you said it. When my brothers were in kindergarten, the teacher would send a letter home to my mother. She would ask for hand soap, hand sanitizer, camara film, paper towels, etc. Most of the parents were very supportive and this was in an Abbott district! (although the school itself is well-recognized for its academic excellence).
I'm telling you, this is not going to end until we start giving out vouchers for education. I saw a special on 20/20 and this is what they do in Belgium. Parents are given vouchers for their children and they choose where their children will go and consequently, who gets the money. As a result, schools are forced to perform well and they compete with each other in order to get students to attend their school; exactly how companies compete with each other in order to make you a regular patron at their stores.
I agree with your post. I think the key above everything else is parental involvement. In the Abbott districts I worked in the students that did the best (other than the self motivated and naturally talented and gifted) were the students who had parents that were involved. Involved doesn't have to mean be a stage mom/dad but asking/checking DAILY about their schoolwork goes a LONG way. I have had parents that hadn't checked their children's backpacks for an entire MARKING PERIOD then are surprised that they aren't doing well.
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Please tell us which district
