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I'm 42 and we always had to buy school supplies. I've never had where we had a supply in the classarom except for things like construction paper. I live in Illinois.
Don't teachers still get a deal at Staples on things like 1 cent pencil boxes, rulers, etc. so they get one for every kid in the class and only spend a couple bucks?
When I lived in Ohio the Wal Mart had a display of all supply lists. Grab one for the school and grade of your child and get it all in one trip.
When you are out of a self contained classroom you could have up to 100+ students coming through your room each day.
It comes out to more than a couple of bucks to supply each child that the parents didn't supply.
Don't teachers still get a deal at Staples on things like 1 cent pencil boxes, rulers, etc. so they get one for every kid in the class and only spend a couple bucks?
No, they get a discount at Staples, but it's definitely not cheap. And even if they did, it is not the teacher's job to pay out of their pocket to provide supplies for other people's children any more than you should be expected to buy some random person dinner.
Neighbor was once again ranting about the school supply list. Some things are easily understandable like only blue or black ink, number 2 pencil for example. But some specify they want only blue ink or only black ink. Some go so far as to specify a particular brand name (most expensive brand found in department stores) notebook. I've seen things on the list that wasn't on the list when I was in school like paper towels, hand sanitizer gel, and a huge amount of pens, pencils, and paper. Was more surprised when she told me the teacher collects all the supplies and keeps them for everyone in the class and that if minority students don't bring supplies, teachers say nothing. But if non-minority students don't bring supplies, they're ridiculed by the teacher for the student's parents not buying the supplies for the class (even though non-minority parents are just as likely to not be able to afford such huge amounts of supplies). When I was in school I remember the moochers who demanded (instead of ask) a pencil, pen, and or paper. When no one gave them what they demanded, they opened their bag and pulled out their own supplies.
Because some teachers have no experience outside of a classroom setting and try to micromanage what they think is important. What, is there anything else besides school? Social welfare at your expense, enacted by someone who has no real world experience, sound familiar?
If the parent don't provide them, who do they think pays for them? Allow me to enlighten you - the teacher does. The last year I taught I spent $873.97 out of my pocket, and those were just the things I remembered to stick the receipt for in hubby's tax shoebox. No, I suppose I didn't have to spend it, but then we wouldn't be able to do more than one or two experiments a semester
Cry me a river. Sounds like you need to learn how to solicit rich people for money. How do you think anything is funded? Nearly every other profession pays for something out of pocket. Get over it.
No, they get a discount at Staples, but it's definitely not cheap. And even if they did, it is not the teacher's job to pay out of their pocket to provide supplies for other people's children any more than you should be expected to buy some random person dinner.
I was with my sister at Staples when she bought the cheap stuff for her class. It is definitely cheap. It was a certain day that they had to go. Most teachers I know did not mind spending a few bucks so the kids could see new supplies they weren't expecting on their desks on the first day. They WANT to do that. They ENJOY doing that. We are not talking about a years worth of Kleenex for 30 kids. We are talking maybe 5 bucks!
I am talking about a few bucks so kids could get some stuff and you act like they have to support someone else's children. Haven't you ever done anything nice for someone without expecting something in return?
Not every parent can afford 5 Star 5 subject notebooks, specific name brand calculator for physics or calculus, along with the supplies for all the other classes and clothing. A roll of toilet paper is cheaper than a box of tissue. So Crayola is better than some off brand? So what! Does it color the paper? Then it did it's job! A BMW is better than a Kia so everyone should by a BMW whether they can afford it or not? And as for school budgets, don't blame the voters, take a stroll through the expenses of your local school board and state's department of education. Want better maintained school buildings, eliminate civil service workers. Locally, they've become a friends and family job position where little work ever gets done.
I was with my sister at Staples when she bought the cheap stuff for her class. It is definitely cheap. It was a certain day that they had to go. Most teachers I know did not mind spending a few bucks so the kids could see new supplies they weren't expecting on their desks on the first day. They WANT to do that. They ENJOY doing that. We are not talking about a years worth of Kleenex for 30 kids. We are talking maybe 5 bucks!
I am talking about a few bucks so kids could get some stuff and you act like they have to support someone else's children. Haven't you ever done anything nice for someone without expecting something in return?
Sounds like your sister has a class with 20 kids, not 100, or 150. Most teachers I know love their jobs, but there comes a point where asking the teacher to pay for copy paper, for Kleenex, for toner cartridges, etc, is ridiculous. If the parents don't care about these things enough to provide them for the classroom, then they don't need to be there (and then watch the complaints when everyone just wipes noses on sleeves and scratches with sticks on the ground because there's no paper.) If the public cares about "doing anything nice for someone without expecting something in return" as you put it, they could stop electing people who vote down school funding.
Let us know *wink* which day it is they're selling copy paper for 1 cent a ream because I'm sure there's a bunch of us here who would be willing to let our principals know... or toner cartridges for printers...
And if you think teachers should be donating their own money, I'm interested to know how many personal checks you've written to teachers in your community in the last year for supplying their classrooms.
Do you buy all of the school supplies that are required by the school? Or, do you just buy the school supplies that you believe that your child will actually use?
Does it concern you that they generally get thrown into a community pot and shared by all of the students?
Do you find the amount you have to spend to get your kid ready for school to be "excessive"? How much of this is caused by school supplies and how much is attributed to clothes, shoes, etc?
Yes. I buy everything and they use everything. My only real complaint is that some composition books come home with a lot of empty pages at the end of the year.
No. Folders, composition books, rulers, scissors, and most other items went straight into their desks. Pencils and some other items went into the pot.
I do find the amount we are required to spend excessive, but what are the alternatives? I'm not ok with the teacher spending his or her own money on that stuff. It p***** me off that my school district spends money on things I don't approve of, but I have to buy tissues and wet wipes. But we can afford the supplies, and I'm not going to have my kid be the one who doesn't have what he needs.
We spent about $140-$150 on supplies for 2 kids. We'll spend more than that on shoes and clothes. I shop consignment sales and shoe outlets. I just got a bunch of jeans at old navy for $10 each. I don't buy new stuff just to have new stuff. If last year's still fits, that's what they wear.
My son's school supplies were about 40$ (I forgot the tissues still have to get those). I'm a teacher and yes stuff goes into a closet in my room for use later in the year. I need to have my room up and ready to go before the first day of school, so yes I use folders and notebooks I buy, or that are left over from the previous year to set up my room. I will swap that stuff out with what the students bring in if it is comparable. For example our science notebooks are green. If the child does not bring in a green notebook they still need one, so they use the one I provide. Why should I not be able to use the 5 red notebooks that child brought in for other students? Some will say what's it matter if the notebook is green? I'm teaching students how to get organized, and color coding is one way to do that. I find the fact parents get so unset about community pot school supplies silly. In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter. I don't care or even remember who brings in what I'm just happy they bring supplies. As for putting the child's name on every single pencil I cringe. Nothing like teaching a child not to share.
It's one thing to share, but it's another for people to take advantage.
If you do your plan for several years, you'll start having parents say, "Oh, I don't need to buy my kid supplies. The teacher has to give him something if I send him with nothing."
It's sort of like the difference between someone who genuinely forgets his lunch money VS the kid who asks you everyday for money.
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