Pink and Green Mom Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Our school uses an outside company that puts the packages of supplies together. It costs $50. I have no idea if that is a deal or not (I'm guessing not) but it saves me time and hassle. Unfortunately, I missed the deadline to order this year :cursing: so now I will have to hunt down the ever elusive "purple folder with two (not three) prongs." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I'll be the obnoxious one and say that this sort of thing numbers among the reasons that I homeschool. Some people may find these unnecessary hills to die on, but I am concerned about what we're teaching the upcoming generation. I don't want them to be wasteful, consumerist, not responsible for their own things, uncaring about allocation of monies...I really do homeschool so my kids can learn different values than these. I'm not saying I think everyone should make that choice. Of course not. But I do think that those who utilize public education should hold their school boards accountable. Just say no, y'all. I don't like waste. I'm with regentrude about blackboards and notebook paper. I don't like mandatory sharing. It's hell on a careful child to have loved and tended his crayons, only to lose them to a snotty communal bucket full of broken and unwrapped crayon bits. I don't like the endless use of hand sanitizer and wipes. What's wrong with sinks, soap, and handkerchiefs from home? I also don't like the fact that teachers still have to buy so much for the classroom out of their own (sparsely populated) pockets, after parents have been held up for reams of paper and cases of kleenex. They don't get paid enough for that! p.s. I don't see anything wrong with 4th graders still using crayons. Mine do. They switch to colored pencils at some point, for maps, but we have nothing against crayons here. 26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeWillSoar Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I didn't mention this before but my kids' school district implemented a supply fee on top of the school supplies. I didn't mind getting the kids their supplies (the lists were reasonable), and I always supplied whatever the teacher asked for during the year, such as copy paper, tissues, pens and pencils. I had no problems helping out with extras and goodies for class parties-- I even purchased bean bags, games and books to be used in my child's classroom. But the "supply fee" bothered me, and the teachers were still having to ask for all the same things. I thought kids were supposed to get a free education in this country but when I looked it up, it was a state by state thing. Although it was a small fee, other schools in the country charge much more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamajag Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 It is not like the teachers or school is making money off the requested school supplies. For most Public schools the supplies are requested not demanded. There is no punishment for kids who don't bring them for whatever the reason. The name brands are given, because as we all know from threads here, the quality of pencils, crayons, glue sticks even scissors varies greatly from brand to brand. Teachers and students will use whatever brand they have, but I don't see anything wrong with the school suggesting brands. At the k-2nd level group supplies are so much easier for the teacher to manages. Otherwise to the teacher ends up having to referee all day long When kids start to argue about ownership. Here's what drives me nuts: If I buy the quality stuff the school requested for my kid, it's not fair that she ends up with the dollar store knock offs. If they want communal supplies, they should simply say they are buying communal supplies and each student's supplies cost x amount. That's what the schools started doing here. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy the Valiant Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I'll be the obnoxious one and say that this sort of thing numbers among the reasons that I homeschool. Some people may find these unnecessary hills to die on, but I am concerned about what we're teaching the upcoming generation. I don't want them to be wasteful, consumerist, not responsible for their own things, uncaring about allocation of monies...I really do homeschool so my kids can learn different values than these. I'm not saying I think everyone should make that choice. Of course not. But I do think that those who utilize public education should hold their school boards accountable. Just say no, y'all. I don't like waste. I'm with regentrude about blackboards and notebook paper. I don't like mandatory sharing. It's hell on a careful child to have loved and tended his crayons, only to lose them to a snotty communal bucket full of broken and unwrapped crayon bits. I don't like the endless use of hand sanitizer and wipes. What's wrong with sinks, soap, and handkerchiefs from home? I also don't like the fact that teachers still have to buy so much for the classroom out of their own (sparsely populated) pockets, after parents have been held up for reams of paper and cases of kleenex. They don't get paid enough for that! p.s. I don't see anything wrong with 4th graders still using crayons. Mine do. They switch to colored pencils at some point, for maps, but we have nothing against crayons here. You saved me from typing it all out. There's a connection, methinks, between the high levels of waste and the widespread attitudes of entitlement. It is a gift to a child to teach him to care well for his own things (and yes, even to the point of mild deprivation - not food, certainly, but if you carelessly abuse your crayons today, you may have to go a period of time without crayons, you know?). 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AppleGreen Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 A school should not use that much lose leaf paper anyway. There are tons of paper wasted for all the stupid worksheets and handouts, and handing students something printed on paper does zero for retention. Let's go back to teachers writing on boards and students taking notes by hand and to using notebooks and proper textbooks instead of a collection of lose printouts. The stacks of paper always bugged me when my kids attended school. I wonder how we managed to get a great education before copy machines and printers. Both of the high schools we looked at for my rising 9th grade did not use textbooks. The biology teacher at one said she just made copies of pertinent information or the kids looked things up on their iPads. The charter school we used for a couple of weeks last year did not have a math textbook, again it was handouts or an online book. Several of the teaches wrote nothing on the board. My child knew to take notes, but said most of the kids did not. I never understood how schools can make a big deal about learning types*, but fail to acknowledge the learners who fall outside their prescribed methodology, like kids that need to reference a book or see information written on the board. *I am aware of Willingham's argument against learning types, but apparently none of the local schools are; they keep touting the concept in their "Our school is wonderful" speeches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamanthaCarter Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Public school costs between $6,500 and almost $20,000 per student/per year depending on where you live. Where does all the money go? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBasil Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Public school costs between $6,500 and almost $20,000 per student/per year depending on where you live. Where does all the money go? Salaries, retirement contributions, building costs, utilities, books, computers, software, busses.... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Salaries, retirement contributions, building costs, utilities, books, computers, software, busses.... These two items alone make up approximately 75% of the budget in my district. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula in MS Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Our local high school is giving MacBooks to all entering 9th grade next year. Hopefully they got a great deal on those. To me the worst part of this system of generic school supplies being shared by everyone is that manufacturers have just about stopped making cute school supplies. For those of us addicted to office supplies, this is a travesty. :crying: This year's school supply shopping trip was depressing. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 When Dd went to public K last year, everything was supposed to be labeled and then it just got thrown into collective buckets at back to school night anyway. If I had know I wouldn't have wasted the time labeling it all. I'm sure it drives the more fastidious kids nuts to not be able to keep their things nice and have to use the grimy shared crayons, etc. Also, wouldn't it make more sense to just charge a set supply fee and buy everything in bulk? YES!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Yeah, as a teacher, I would put the crayola crayons out first and use them up before getting out any of the other brands. Those were junk ($ store, rose art, etc). That is something I bought: Crayola crayons because too many parents sent the cheaper ones and they did not color well in the workbooks. And this was a private school I taught at, which I thought the OP stated her kids were also going private ?? Definitely not a local public school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Bloated administration, retiree healthcare and pensions, and million dollar "studies" to state the obvious reason our district's kids are at the bottom of the reading scale. At least that's what happens here. Public school costs between $6,500 and almost $20,000 per student/per year depending on where you live. Where does all the money go? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Here's what drives me nuts: If I buy the quality stuff the school requested for my kid, it's not fair that she ends up with the dollar store knock offs. If they want communal supplies, they should simply say they are buying communal supplies and each student's supplies cost x amount. That's what the schools started doing here.Yep. I distinctly remember driving to 4 different stores to find the requested Mead brand primary grade composition books. They were like $4-5 each or some such nonsense. And I think I needed to buy 4 of them. Yet my son was using the 10cent loss leader college ruled ones without the picture space some of the other parents just substituted. I would have gladly bought the nice once for the entire class if the parents couldn't afford them. But if I hunt down the requested item and it's more suitable for 6 year olds and a much higher quality, I would like my kid to have access to at least one of the ones I purchased. Selfish I know! ;) http://www.amazon.com/Mead-MEA09956-Primary-Journal-K-2nd/dp/B001JTL032 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Salaries, retirement contributions, building costs, utilities, books, computers, software, busses....Don't forget the high cost of testing. Testing is costing schools way more than it did 30 years ago per pupil. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I know this vent is about a private school, thus school supplies are compulsory, but for public schools, can the schools really demand the parents buy the supplies? They can make it seem like a requirement, but can they insist legally? What happened to free education? Or Atleast what happened to our tax money providing for an education? What happened to each student parents' taking responsibility that their kids have a writing utensil and a pack of paper at the start of the school year? I think the teachers ask for so much on the list because they know some parents won't buy a thing so they have to compensate for the loss. If a parent doesn't have $20-$40 to spend in school list supplies, will a child get turned away from class on the first day? I wonder what would happen if all parents just sent a few personal supplies (including tissues and wipes) in their kids' backpacks and didn't contribute to the community supply. Would they turn all the children away? Or if all the parents brought in off brand crayons because they are 1/2 less price. Off brand glue sticks or ink pens at Office Max's or Staples' penny deals back to school deals are good enough for my kids' education, it should be good enough for me to buy for the community classroom. No, but the teachers or PTA usually end up footing the bill. My sister is a 4th grade teacher and has a limit of how many photocopies she can make per year at the school. After that, she has to make them on her dime. A teacher from her state moved to my state to teach at a private school. He asked the dept. head "What's my copy count?". She had no idea what he was talking about. He was amazed and delighted that he could make all the copies he needed for his students and wouldn't have to pay for them! Yes. Our teachers had a code or code or something and had to keep their copy count. In our school district, the teachers ask for this because only 1 out of 5 parents will actually buy school supplies. Essentially, you are helping to supply the entire class because there is no budget for it in the school. A small group of dedicated parents here end up supplying all of the Kleenex and toilet paper for the buildings as well. So a school supply list will say something like - 100 rolls of toilet paper and 10 boxes of tissues, 12 rolls paper towels, five boxes crayons, .... No joke. It's ridiculous. On top of which they require one, exactly one, specific model of graphing calculator for algebra 2 and trigonometry that generally runs pretty close to $100.00 at Staples, Office Max, and such. Can't afford it? Student is not allowed to take the class!!!! I hate my school district. Yep. We had an $80 calculator we had to purchase. What bothered me about it is that they aren't giving the non-consumables stuff back at the end of the year. My son has been using the same pair of scissors since we started homeschooling and the same binder since 4th grade. I resented the idea that I had to buy new stuff every year. It also doesn't explain why they need 30 pairs of brand new fiskars scissors when they have bins of nearly a 100 usable pairs from the last few years. Exactly!! I had to purchase *NEW* scissors for each of my children every year. When I was in school the teacher provided scissors in a holding rack. They were used for years. I still remember the first time I knew there were left handed people. The left handed scissors had a special blue rubber coating on the handle. It was the coolest thing ever! I never got to touch them, because I was a lowly right hander. :sad: Our local high school is giving MacBooks to all entering 9th grade next year. Hopefully they got a great deal on those. To me the worst part of this system of generic school supplies being shared by everyone is that manufacturers have just about stopped making cute school supplies. For those of us addicted to office supplies, this is a travesty. :crying: This year's school supply shopping trip was depressing. One of our local districts purchased ipads for the entire school. :001_rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Our local high school is giving MacBooks to all entering 9th grade next year. Hopefully they got a great deal on those. To me the worst part of this system of generic school supplies being shared by everyone is that manufacturers have just about stopped making cute school supplies. For those of us addicted to office supplies, this is a travesty. :crying: This year's school supply shopping trip was depressing. Ugh. That's so stupid. The millions spent on tech to teach what shouldn't cost anywhere near that is nuts. People can say what they want about white/blackboards, but they sure as heck won't be outdated tech that need to be repurchased in a newer model in a year. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Salaries, retirement contributions, building costs, utilities, books, computers, software, busses.... Technology, hardware, software, providing wireless networks and a tech support staff are not cheap. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Edit: On a related note, I hated those math sheets with a vengeance. Inevitably the kids started coloring BEFORE I could read the instructions, and then they cried because they "did it wrong" and I had to try to fix it. I remember when one of my daughters had one of these and didn't wait for the instructions. She thought her picture was beautiful. When I told her it was all wrong because she didn't follow the instructions, she said, "That's OK. It's just a little mistake." That moment told me so much about what the next dozen homeschool years would be like. :) (Sorry for the tangent.) And now, back to venting about school supply lists... 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJoy Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 The communal supplies thing would have driven me nuts as a kid. Even in kindergarten we each had a box with our own crayons and watercolor paints. I kept mine in great shape, though I did need a refill of crayons because I used black too frequently; I traced over the ditto lines on every picture! Pencils, scissors, and paste were classroom supplies provided by the school. First grade was similar. By 2nd grade we brought our own pencils, glue, scissors, erasers, etc. which had to be labelled. I used the same basic supplies for several years, just getting new folders and notebooks as needed. It would have been ridiculous to have to re-buy all that stuff each year! When I was a teen my mom gave my younger sister and me a set amount for supplies. She chose to buy a new backpack and colored pencils every year. I reused my backpack for 2-3 years and took her hand-me-down colored pencils. This left me with extra spending money. I still have 4 or 5 sets from her which I've kept and used for college, teaching Sunday School, babysitting, and teaching jr. high :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brit29 Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I just checked our district list. In addition to crayons, pencils, kleenex, etc, the kids need 1 ream of copy paper, red correcting pencils, black flair pens, ziplock bags, and ear buds. All the lists also say no trapper keepers or binders. :( That was always my favorite thing to buy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I know this vent is about a private school, thus school supplies are compulsory, but for public schools, can the schools really demand the parents buy the supplies? They can make it seem like a requirement, but can they insist legally? What happened to free education? Or Atleast what happened to our tax money providing for an education? What happened to each student parents' taking responsibility that their kids have a writing utensil and a pack of paper at the start of the school year? I think the teachers ask for so much on the list because they know some parents won't buy a thing so they have to compensate for the loss. If a parent doesn't have $20-$40 to spend in school list supplies, will a child get turned away from class on the first day? I wonder what would happen if all parents just sent a few personal supplies (including tissues and wipes) in their kids' backpacks and didn't contribute to the community supply. Would they turn all the children away? Or if all the parents brought in off brand crayons because they are 1/2 less price. Off brand glue sticks or ink pens at Office Max's or Staples' penny deals back to school deals are good enough for my kids' education, it should be good enough for me to buy for the community classroom. My kids are in public school and I would not do that to the teacher or to my son's fellow students. Any hint of "These supplies are just enough for him and we are not sharing. There." Among other things, It is not a productive educational environment for my kid if his fellow classmates do not have what they need to learn as well. Some things I buy the suggested brand (because I agree, its better). Others I do not. For example I buy the cheap 24 ct Crayola crayons not the expensive 16 ct. But I do buy Crayola. I'm willing to pay 50 cents instead of 25 cents for the difference in quality. For that matter, I've become so fed up with cheap pencils (as one of the parents who volunteers to sharpen pencils for teachers), I buy good pencils (ticonderoga, etc) in bulk and donate them to the school so they can replace the ones that don't sharpen, break twenty seconds after sharpening, etc. we don't have a lot of extra. But the expense of these does not cause us not to eat. And it makes the classroom environment just a little bit easier for everyone. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Yep. I distinctly remember driving to 4 different stores to find the requested Mead brand primary grade composition books. They were like $4-5 each or some such nonsense. And I think I needed to buy 4 of them. Yet my son was using the 10cent loss leader college ruled ones without the picture space some of the other parents just substituted. I would have gladly bought the nice once for the entire class if the parents couldn't afford them. But if I hunt down the requested item and it's more suitable for 6 year olds and a much higher quality, I would like my kid to have access to at least one of the ones I purchased. Selfish I know! ;) http://www.amazon.com/Mead-MEA09956-Primary-Journal-K-2nd/dp/B001JTL032 I saw those at Wal-mart tonight. They were $2.37 each. I noticed because someone mentioned the company has stopped making them? Ours schools do not ask for anything so specific. The closest they get is asking for specific colors of plastic folders with pockets and brads (things are color coded in class). And last year, I bought extras of a color I had found particularly hard to find in case someone else had been unable to find it. Oh yes and all those specifications are needed. Papers are put in the brads in the middle and take-home stuff is put in front and back (Back pocket for stuff that is coming home to the parent and can stay at home. Front pocket for stuff that needs to be dealt with and returned to school, as well as for anything you are sending back to school.) Plastic because the paper ones would not have lasted all year. As it was, at Spring break, my son's was in such bad condition I went out and found another to replace it. (the teacher had no extra and the color mattered). In any case, even in K, they wrote on wide paper (generally in notebooks) or on handouts photocopied with the wider lines. I also discovered at the end of the year they were teaaring pages out of workbooks to do work on. We got the rest of it sent home at the end of the year if we wanted to work in it over the summer. It was handwriting without Tears! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicianmom Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 (edited) At least my kids' supply lists had asterisks designating which items would go into the community pile and which should be labeled with the student's name for individual use. Edited May 22, 2022 by musicianmom 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I remember in third grade we got a new pencil and a couple of pieces of chalk at the beginning of every month (we used small slates in class). Paper was at the front of the room. The only thing I remember needing to bring from home was a binder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocolateReignRemix Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Where does the money go? Salaries, fancy buildings, admin salaries, cars (yes, plural) for the superintendent, more fancy buildings, union dues, society of school superintendent dues (look up the staggering amount!)... This is reason #437 that we hs. I'm not into socialism, where everyone gets the dregs because no one owns anything and no one takes care of it all. If I had a kid in ps, I would buy her supplies and they WOULD stay in her desk for her use. And I'd sue the pants off of any teacher who attempted to steal them. My kids have all loved school supplies and have taken very good care of them. I've never minded spending the $$ because I know they will take care of them. I have never seen a county or state budget that paid for union dues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I have never seen a county or state budget that paid for union dues. Yeah, union dues are paid by union members. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I would imagine that the fully decked out cadillac our district bought for the superintendent would have purchased a lot of supplies for students or they could have kept the art teacher who was let go that same year due to "budget cuts". 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBM Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Public school costs between $6,500 and almost $20,000 per student/per year depending on where you live. Where does all the money go? In some school districts a good chunk goes toward special ed programs. ********** I have zero problems paying a good teacher well. The ones we've had -- and we've had quite a few -- have been worth their weight in gold. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Posting as the (so far) lone supporter and sympathizer for the need for school supplies for both public and private schools. Having taught now for 7? years, and having working on location at public schools before that, I know that being a teacher isn't the lucrative gig that some think it is. The time and hours and yeas, money, spent is significant. That said, I do believe administration budgeting is bloated. On the private school front, one reason we have school supply lists is because otherwise, tuition has to go up. Period. I am intimately familiar with out budget and we can not supply those supplies. I went to a conference last week on education and the current theory is that textbooks are becoming obsolete. I guess I need to learn Moodle. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Eh most kids that age will break his 4 favorite colors at least 2 times over the course of the year..... And if those kids only had their own one box of crayons, then they'd either use the stubs or do without their favorite color. I remember one year they did the dump all the crayons into a bucket thing, and a few kids decided that "breaking all the crayons while laughing" was a fun activity. Next year I didn't give up my large box of crayons and my dad had to talk to the teacher. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Our local high school is giving MacBooks to all entering 9th grade next year. Hopefully they got a great deal on those. To me the worst part of this system of generic school supplies being shared by everyone is that manufacturers have just about stopped making cute school supplies. For those of us addicted to office supplies, this is a travesty. :crying: This year's school supply shopping trip was depressing. And starting around October the pawn shops in that area will have a glut of MacBooks. Kids will say they "lost" them, and what can the schools do? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I saw those at Wal-mart tonight. They were $2.37 each. I noticed because someone mentioned the company has stopped making them? Mead maybe has, but Pacon makes them (Nasco has then for $2.50 ea) and when I was at Staples yetserday they had a Staples brand one. I think Office Max/Office Depot has their own brand, too. Ds was in public school one year. We just bought the supplies on the list. I didn't want the teacher to have to buy it out of her own pocket. I'd really rather we spent less on administration and testing so things like Kleenex and copy paper could be purchased by the school, but I doubt that's going to happen. So, here we are. Until things change, this is the state of things. In a private school situation, I would just assume the issue is keeping tuition from going up further like Joanne mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Library Momma Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I must be living in some sort of time warp because my kids' schools do not have communal supplies. At the beginning of the year they bring their labeled supplies in and they are only for their use. At the end of the year they bring back the "leftovers" much of which is recycled for the next year. The lists aren't very specific until 5th grade so the students can use whatever puppy or glitter covered supplies they want. 5th grade has a color coded system (blue notebook for math, green for science, etc) which prepares them for middle school. I've never had to donate tissues or toilet paper or copy paper ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imagine.more Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Related rant-- Heh, at my dd's high school, they ran low on paper and could not print off anything (or, very little). I couldn't believe it. I wanted to give several teachers a few reams of paper, but couldn't afford it at the time. I mean, come ON, a school shouldn't run out of PAPER, for Goodness' Sake! We had a strict paper budget as teachers, like we were allowed to use one package per month or something like that, it was ridiculous because at the beginning of the year when we needed to pre-print lots of stuff for the semester we had to carefully budget out what we had enough paper to print. And obviously certain grades are more paper intensive. At least in high school the kids can copy and take notes on their own paper....in say 3rd grade it's pretty paper intensive because there are more fill-in-the-blank worksheets and more parent-teacher communication fliers to send out. I agree that the communal supplies totally take the fun out of school supply shopping and as a kid it would have driven me nuts to have to share the communal gross crayons/colored pencils. Ew. I kept my supplies nice even though they were cheap and crappy and would have been so mad to not be able to find a decent red crayon just because other kids thought it was fun to break them. Each teacher in K-2nd should have a big box of back-up crayons and then each child should be required to bring a box of crayons labeled for themselves. Otherwise how are the kids supposed to *feel* the consequences of being too rough and breaking their crayons or losing their favorite color, etc? If you break/lose all your crayons then fine, you can use the crappy old bin of communal crayons to complete your assignments. Same goes with pencils, pens, etc. Money in schools nowadays goes all to technology and administrative nonsense. Teachers are required to equip their own classrooms out of their own pockets, which is what leads to these kinds of lists I think. I'm so tired of seeing classrooms with smart boards and then hear the same schools laying off teachers due to budget restraints. A school full of smart boards is never more valuable than one good teacher who is given adequate respect and the supplies to do his/her job well. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I would imagine that the fully decked out cadillac our district bought for the superintendent would have purchased a lot of supplies for students or they could have kept the art teacher who was let go that same year due to "budget cuts". Truly appalling. How can they not see that, and why aren't the taxpayers rioting en masse about that stuff? UGH! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad 4 Boys Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I remember in third grade we got a new pencil and a couple of pieces of chalk at the beginning of every month (we used small slates in class). Paper was at the front of the room. The only thing I remember needing to bring from home was a binder. Was this in Walnut Grove? 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamanthaCarter Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Money in schools nowadays goes all to technology and administrative nonsense. Teachers are required to equip their own classrooms out of their own pockets, which is what leads to these kinds of lists I think. I'm so tired of seeing classrooms with smart boards and then hear the same schools laying off teachers due to budget restraints. A school full of smart boards is never more valuable than one good teacher who is given adequate respect and the supplies to do his/her job well. This is the kind of stuff that makes me so sad to read. Budgets should go to the teachers and all of the supplies they need for their jobs first, including school supplies, and everything left should be divvied up among the rest of the budget. The cost per student I posted above does not include capital expenditures and debt service. Those are a completely separate part of the accounting. So no buildings or pensions are included in that. It makes sense that special ed would be very expensive and cause the cost per student to go up. This is understandable. My only point is teachers and the supplies first! Seriously! That's what school is all about. We shouldn't hear about paper and chalk rationing when kids are getting iPads. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I don't remember mother having to supply anything. When we got to class the first day there was a little brown box at your desk with everything you needed. Some teachers include a piece of candy. I do remember begging mother for a pencil case when I was in upper elementary. Today. 36 pencils? My nieces daughter's list specified 24 "sharpened".?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 With dd1's school all things are to be labeled except the Kleenex and other classroom type things (actually so far only the Kleenex is communal.) I did have to buy new scissors but she went from blunt to pointed scissors this year, and a new pencil case because she goes from a box to a bag. Next year I won't need to buy new ones for her. Her teachers do request Crayola crayons but all the other stuff can be whatever brand. I don't send paper with her until 3rd grade i Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad 4 Boys Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Are there really schools that can't afford toilet paper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 This does make me sad. Sometimes my oldest had to share school supplies and sometimes she kept them herself. The waste IS awful. And I believe it trains people to be wasteful. As an employer I have some younger employees who do not get that the things they waste are a big deal. Not only because of the money wasted on the things they waste, but because one of my restaurants is 60 miles from the nearest restaurant supply store. So if you throw away every thing that is more convenient to throw away than take a couple of steps and save it, we may run out on a Sunday afternoon. I believe the throw it away mentality comes from school, because I don't know any parents who train their kids like this. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Posting as the (so far) lone supporter and sympathizer for the need for school supplies for both public and private schools. Having taught now for 7? years, and having working on location at public schools before that, I know that being a teacher isn't the lucrative gig that some think it is. The time and hours and yeas, money, spent is significant. That said, I do believe administration budgeting is bloated. On the private school front, one reason we have school supply lists is because otherwise, tuition has to go up. Period. I am intimately familiar with out budget and we can not supply those supplies. I went to a conference last week on education and the current theory is that textbooks are becoming obsolete. I guess I need to learn Moodle. Not alone! I supported it earlier too. I almost mentioned, our own school district is on a plan to have NO textbooks in less than 5 years. I don't know exactly how that will look. I am a little afraid, but cautiously trusting. But I can imagine it working considering my second grader (will be third in the fall) has not brought a single textbook home in his school career yet. They are going to have tablets (sounds like probably ipads?) For every student that will have school work on them (I imagine on the tablet itself--or at least able to be loaded on the tablet when at school-- since they cannot be sure every student has Internet access at home), After a certain number of years, students who take good care of their tablets will be allowed to keep them. (incentive to take good care of it) After all, tablets get outdated over time and need to be replaced anyway. This is evidently cheaper for the district than constantly replacing textbooks. (or at least, they are thinking it will be cheaper) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I don't remember mother having to supply anything. When we got to class the first day there was a little brown box at your desk with everything you needed. Some teachers include a piece of candy. I do remember begging mother for a pencil case when I was in upper elementary. Today. 36 pencils? My nieces daughter's list specified 24 "sharpened".?! I really think supplies are location dependent. I went to School in Houston (mostly). Near where we are now. And I remember with great fondness going school supply shopping every year (though not what was needed in the lower years). No Ziploc bags were not on the supply list -- but they were also not as cheap then as they are now. I'm pretty sure tissues WERE. Rubber cement was and I haven't had that on a supply list yet for my kids. No plastic poly folders -- but we did need the regular paper ones and I do like the poly ones better for surviving the year in the backpack. Different colors of pens. A Binder (which I have not needed yet. The Poly folders take its place, I think -- and are cheaper) Watercolor paint, Glue (no glue sticks -- too expensive perhaps? Certainly a LOT easier to use for the little kids), colors, colored pencils, markers, compass and protractor. All sorts of stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Posting as the (so far) lone supporter and sympathizer for the need for school supplies for both public and private schools. No, you're not, and that's a rather presumptuous statement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Posting as the (so far) lone supporter and sympathizer for the need for school supplies for both public and private schools. Having taught now for 7? years, and having working on location at public schools before that, I know that being a teacher isn't the lucrative gig that some think it is. The time and hours and yeas, money, spent is significant. That said, I do believe administration budgeting is bloated. On the private school front, one reason we have school supply lists is because otherwise, tuition has to go up. Period. I am intimately familiar with out budget and we can not supply those supplies. I went to a conference last week on education and the current theory is that textbooks are becoming obsolete. I guess I need to learn Moodle. I don't have an issue with buying supplies, or donating supplies to other students or even buying things for the teacher and school like dry erase pens or whatnot. That said, the communal aspects of the lists (NOTHING, not even a single folder was something my son could pick out and keep) and being asked to buy reusable things like scissors every single year bugged me for the two years my son was in school. I certainly don't think the teachers should have to provide their own supples (but I know most all of them do). Also the list (the year my son was in first grade) was the better part of $100 at a public school. Now it was a school in a well off area but still, that's a lot to ask most parents. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I thought whiteboard pens were for the teacher as well until I went to one of the "sit in for a class" days our local schools all host. It turns out the kids here have their own whiteboards they work at (to save paper...?) and need the dry erase markers for that purpose. Also, the classrooms have no blackboard (or whiteboard) space at all for the teachers. If they have blackboards (or, well, you know), they carefully cover them up with paper so nobody is tempted to use them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Lucy: My experience has been that whether the supplies were communal changed on a class to class basis. Kindergarten was communal. I believe the spare supplies were sent home at the end of the year, divided up. But I don't remember. Most of the first grade supplies were not. (I'm sure stuff like tissues were shared.) AND they brought home a lot of spare supplies. 2nd grade did not have general communal supplies, but DS brought home very few spare supplies. Like I said though, I am not in a rich area and our supply lists are quite reasonable. Third Grade: 1-scissors 1 glue (4oz liquid) 1 glue sticks (28 oz) -- Most likely means 2.8 oz. Ran into this last year and that is what they said to get when I could not find it 2 composition notebook 1 ruler, standard/metric 3 tissues 4 pencils (10 pack) 1 pencil sharpener with canister 1 crayons, 24 count 6 pocket folders with brads, specific colors 1 colored pencils (24 ct) 1 markers, lrg tip, washable, 8 ct 2 notebook paper (wide ruled) red pens 2 highlighters 1 school box 1 eraser, pink (2 pk) Starting in 4th grade, they need a binder and 5 tab set Dividers. But no specific colors needed for the plastic folders anymore so I suspect they will start keeping paper organized in the binder in 4th grade. This is the first year for notebook paper and the amount of packages needed increases every year to 5th. So I also suspect I am seeing a corresponding decrease in handouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 When I taught public school, each child brought a box of 64 crayons - and if you wanted to, you could send an extra box along for a needy child or as an extra for classroom use. Each child got to keep the box they brought for themselves, labeled with their name on it. There were always kids who took really good care of their stuff & there were kids who wrecked everything they could get their hands on. IMO, the kids who take care of their stuff get the short end of the stick when you have a 'community bin'. We had parents bring tissues too, but the reams of paper & toilet paper should just be part of pubic education...... 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Are there really schools that can't afford toilet paper? Yes. There are schools that can't afford toilet paper, air conditioning, or textbooks. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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