Laura K (NC) Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 This afternoon two cute little girls from the local middle school rang the doorbell, selling magazines and cookie dough. When I asked what the fundraiser was for, they said, "math books." True story. This is not an impoverished area. And the lawn of the school is well-maintained. And I have even less faith in a government system that can't provide the most basic materials for its students, so that they have to make the kids go to work for them. What makes it worse is our state instituted an "education lottery" to help pay for state-run schools. And then the governor immediately started siphoning off money earmarked for schools to start paying for other state projects. When my kids have to peddle garbage door to door to pay for homeschooling books, that would be my cue that my system isn't working so well. :mad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 So did you buy any? I wouldn't have. My husband would have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Well, it would help if they would stop updating the books every couple of years. Textbooks are such a racket! The publishers know the school system needs to buy textbooks, so they price them so outrageously. Then someone comes along explaining how the students would do better if they just implemented such and such textbook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I talk to the trees Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 My answer would have been, " I homeschool my child, AND I give the schools over two thousand dollars each year in taxes. Consider that my donation, kiddos!" And yes, I know it's not the children's fault that the schools can't manage funds, but neither is it my responsibility to help them out when they throw away money! :glare: -Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 This afternoon two cute little girls from the local middle school rang the doorbell, selling magazines and cookie dough. When I asked what the fundraiser was for, they said, "math books." True story. This is not an impoverished area. And the lawn of the school is well-maintained. And I have even less faith in a government system that can't provide the most basic materials for its students, so that they have to make the kids go to work for them. What makes it worse is our state instituted an "education lottery" to help pay for state-run schools. And then the governor immediately started siphoning off money earmarked for schools to start paying for other state projects. When my kids have to peddle garbage door to door to pay for homeschooling books, that would be my cue that my system isn't working so well. :mad: I'd probably need more information before I'd take the word of a kid at the door that they were indeed fundraising to provide money for textbooks for a basic subject in Forsyth County, NC. Siphoning off dedicated lotteries is just crazy, though. But my mother had to pay for her own textbooks before Big Government stepped in and made it a basic right that everyone was to have equal opportunity to education and started funding textbooks by taxpayers. Five kids, $48 a month in welfare benefits (Granny was a young widow), and whatever they could bring in when they sold the tobacco crop, it couldn't have been easy. But they did it. And I guess they sold a few eggs to do it and bought used. That was just two generations ago. I don't suppose it would be the end of the world if education was made a little more dear to come by. Particularly for those of our group who eschew government interference in the first place. Kids might appreciate the math books a little more if they had to go door to door to acquire them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I agree with you. Our state spends almost $10,000 per student. I think that is quite enough if they managed it properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I'd probably need more information before I'd take the word of a kid at the door that they were indeed fundraising to provide money for textbooks for a basic subject in Forsyth County, NC. Siphoning off dedicated lotteries is just crazy, though. But my mother had to pay for her own textbooks before Big Government stepped in and made it a basic right that everyone was to have equal opportunity to education and started funding textbooks by taxpayers. Five kids, $48 a month in welfare benefits (Granny was a young widow), and whatever they could bring in when they sold the tobacco crop, it couldn't have been easy. But they did it. And I guess they sold a few eggs to do it and bought used. That was just two generations ago. I don't suppose it would be the end of the world if education was made a little more dear to come by. Particularly for those of our group who eschew government interference in the first place. Kids might appreciate the math books a little more if they had to go door to door to acquire them. IMO, if the government is going to tax us for schools, books, buildings, etc, then that money needs to be spent wisely, without the assistance of door-to-door saleskids' income. Collecting local, state and federal taxes while making students believe there's not enough money for books is criminal. One year a high school student approached me with a fund-raiser for the school. I told him I donate close to $7000 yearly and don't see a need to donate more. Well, since we weren't living in Nevada, it probably wasn't voluntary, though. More like a mandatory donation, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veronica in VA Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 My dd went to take a class at a local high school. After 2 weeks they still didn't have chemistry books. And this was the second half of the school year (they block schedule so some classes start in January). I pulled her from the class. Veronica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Hey, I wish the ps kids in our district would have a fundraiser for new math books. New *good* math books! At the moment the district continues to insisit that the Investigations/CMP math is wonderful. Since I can't believe that *everyone* in the district is that stupid, the real reason must be that they don't want to pay for something new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 (edited) I'd contact the school to learn more. I'd want to know the rest of the story (so to speak) and, based on what I learned, would consider going to a school board meeting to share my thoughts on the issue. Edited March 8, 2009 by Colleen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Don't get me started on that "education" lottery!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in VA Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Well, it would help if they would stop updating the books every couple of years. Textbooks are such a racket! The publishers know the school system needs to buy textbooks, so they price them so outrageously. Then someone comes along explaining how the students would do better if they just implemented such and such textbook. AMEN SISTER! Around here they use New books every year.... Most are all Workbook type, even the higher levels. Schools are also not purchasing items for wholesale prices.... even stuff like paper towels for the bathrooms.... everything is high cost.... So all the money we give to our school systems is being thrown away not spent wisely..... Just me 2 cents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Lynx Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I'd probably need more information before I'd take the word of a kid at the door that they were indeed fundraising to provide money for textbooks for a basic subject in Forsyth County, NC. Siphoning off dedicated lotteries is just crazy, though. But my mother had to pay for her own textbooks before Big Government stepped in and made it a basic right that everyone was to have equal opportunity to education and started funding textbooks by taxpayers. Five kids, $48 a month in welfare benefits (Granny was a young widow), and whatever they could bring in when they sold the tobacco crop, it couldn't have been easy. But they did it. And I guess they sold a few eggs to do it and bought used. That was just two generations ago. I don't suppose it would be the end of the world if education was made a little more dear to come by. Particularly for those of our group who eschew government interference in the first place. Kids might appreciate the math books a little more if they had to go door to door to acquire them. I'm sure they'd appreciate the math books more if they had to work to get them, Pam. Definitely. However, I think you're missing the point. We already have the government interference. We already have the boated education bureaucracy, which has a great deal of money with which to run schools. It is absolutely true that it costs less to educate a child well than what our government uses to do it ... in in many places huge amounts of money are used to do it badly. If the federal government would like to get out of the way; if the bureaucracy was trimmed; if the system became more efficient, I would be all in favor of kids working to earn the money for their books. As it stands, I think this is much more likely to be a case of mismanagement of resources to support the bureaucracy. I think lawn care funds should go, for instance, if books cannot be paid for. And that's just a start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I won't allow dd to sell anything for school. I think they should make the people who don't handle the $ well in the first place, get out and shill-- That's what I'd like to see--members of the school board holding a bake sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 At the moment the district continues to insisit that the Investigations/CMP math is wonderful. Since I can't believe that *everyone* in the district is that stupid, the real reason must be that they don't want to pay for something new. That, and that they don't like to admit they made a mistake. Have you seen this? Student math achievement was significantly higher in schools assigned to MathExpressions and Saxon, than in schools assigned to Investigations and SFAW. Average HLM-adjusted spring math achievement of Math Expressions and Saxon students was 0.30 standard deviations higher than Investigations students, and 0.24 standard deviations higher than SFAW students. For a student at the 50th percentile in math achievement, these effects mean that the student’s percentile rank would be 9 to 12 points higher if the school used Math Expressions or Saxon, instead of Investigations or SFAW. And that's just for first grade! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie in NE Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I'd contact the school to learn more. I'd want to know the rest of the story (so to speak) and, based on what I learned, would consider going to a school board meeting to share my thoughts on the issue. I would be very interested to learn where all that money's going, if it's not to buy basic school supplies. And I bet the story will be something along the lines of " This darned economy, and the state is cutting funds, and the unions won't allow us to cut FTE hours, etc." The problems with public school funding are so complex, and the mindset of our education administrators is so stuck in that "we just need more money" mode, that it would drive me absolutely nuts to go to a meeting. Still, we need to speak out and lend a voice of reason to the situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I'm sure they'd appreciate the math books more if they had to work to get them, Pam. Definitely. However, I think you're missing the point. We already have the government interference. We already have the boated education bureaucracy, which has a great deal of money with which to run schools. It is absolutely true that it costs less to educate a child well than what our government uses to do it ... in in many places huge amounts of money are used to do it badly. If the federal government would like to get out of the way; if the bureaucracy was trimmed; if the system became more efficient, I would be all in favor of kids working to earn the money for their books. As it stands, I think this is much more likely to be a case of mismanagement of resources to support the bureaucracy. I think lawn care funds should go, for instance, if books cannot be paid for. And that's just a start. I was being just a little tongue-in-cheek there. There is more than enough money in a wealthy school system to pay for textbooks for basic subjects. And if there is not, there had better be an accounting. And I'm all for calling for a peek at where the money is going, and I'm all for asking for clarification. It's my money and I want better for the children in my community than to have to raise funds for arithmetic texts. But honestly, I'm not fully believing the word of the kids at the door. I suspect there's a "rest of the story." The tone of the original post contained a little bit of "can you believe it?" and the fact is, no, I can't exactly. Need more information before I get all annoyed, except about bureaucracy and bloated systems in general. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohdanigirl Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I don't understand why those books are so expebsive with all the books they buy they should be getting a big discount. I checked in to it once, and PHS texts were more expensive than the books I had to purchase in college. Oh, and on money management...yeqah right. In Ca. some parents decided to volunteer and take turns cleaning up the school and maintaining the grounds. This was suppossed to help the school out during one of the many budget crisis years and allow the school board to spend money on books and other educational needs....didn't last long though. The local government stepped in and said that non-union workers could not do those jods because of training, contracts, yada yada. Are you kidding me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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