What’s next on back-to-school supply lists? Mops and floor polish?

The contributor indicates “her friends” live in the most affluent county in the state. Go figure. These are probably the same types who want representation without taxation and are the first to complain about the teacher if their child who has “always made A’s” suddenly makes a B in an honors or AP class in which the child is still trying to perform at the regular class level. Haves and Have Nots…it won’t ever change. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when these “friends” have to pay all of the required fees and buy all of the required but rarely used textbooks when their preciouses go to college!

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GBTT – typical liberal feeding off of class envy.

We went through that garbage about a “supply list” that included a 3-hole punch, calculator, etc. I called the school & talked to the principal about all of these “unnecessary” required items which we had in abundance at home. He first intially stated that our children could not bring a calculator to school. I called him out on that & a new supply list was sent without these items.

Pay all the required fees??? HOPE did that for us when the kids were undergrads; now scholarships pay for their medical school training. Chaps you GBTT that they will soon be considered “haves”???

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My kids’ elementary school started the “write a $30.00 check to the PTA and they’ll get the teachers all the supplies they need” system a couple of years ago, and I LOVE it. What a break for parents! No having to go into a busy store and shop for a list of supplies. Furthermore, I know that my child’s teachers can get supplies as they need them throughout the year–teachers don’t always know before school starts what needs will crop up later on. Are people really implying that they’d rather go out and hand-pick $30.00 worth of supplies on their own? And if people realized how many instructional (and parent work days) are lost because of sick kids passing germs to one another maybe they’d lighten up on griping about Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer.

@ Dr. Spinks: I visited Japanese schools for three weeks in 2001 and witnessed the breaks where students stopped their coursework and divided up duties to clean their own schools. The schools were immaculate, the children took pride in the work, and they seemed to obviously enjoy the time spent working and talking with peers while music played over the PA system. I thought it was great!

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As class sizes grow, there is less and less storage space for individual items. In some classrooms, there is no space for kids’ backpacks. It can take five or more minutes from a lesson if every student has to find a backpack and retrieve particular items, then put them away at the end of the lesson. Transition is much simpler when supplies are kept in a central area for quick distribution.

Most schools provide nothing. There is no supply budget. Many students bring no supplies at all, ever. Some of my students have no books, pencils, or paper at home. I’ve had students ask to take home paper and a pencil so they can do homework. Ever tried to keep 30 kids supplied with almost everything they’ll need in school? Theft is rampant; if a student leaves a pencil unattended, it’s gone. Last year, a local church gave some supplies to my school. We felt very lucky.

Custodial staffs are smaller and can do less. Teachers clean their own rooms, particularly desks, chairs, and tables, every day. Paper towels, cleaners, and Clorox wipes are not provided by the school, and they add up.

Teachers are well aware that the cost of supplies has skyrocketed. We can’t buy them, either.

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Geeze do you think teachers like to ask for these things? I quit buying them years ago. We use the thin TP from the school to wipe noses. The desks go uncleaned unless we have vomit. I make paper envelopes to put lost teeth in to go home for tge Tooth Fairy. I use the first aid box provided by the school although it is lacking. I never ask kids to share their stuff–many do anyway but I pick up dropped pencils in the hall and keep them in the pencil orphanage in case of emergency.

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Catlady, I had a pencil orphanage, too, only it was the short pencil orphanage. When I found a kid using a pencil that was ridiculously short, I took it and put it in the short pencil orphanage. At the end of the year, kids could write a letter to the Director of the Orphanage (me) to adopt one of the pencils. The best letters got the pencils, and sometimes there was hot competition for them (like the pencil that was literally ony a point and the metal part that holds the eraser). They name them, pick them out in January, try to get their pencil in there (I discourage that). It was pretty funny.

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My wife spent $2000 last year on her babies in her classroom. I believe the folks complaining are also the same people complaining about higher taxes. You cannot have it both ways. Fund schools appropriately and supply some of the tools needed for learning via a school supply list.

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I buy the “extra” stuff on the list because I know if I don’t, the poor teacher has to come out of pocket for the items. That being said, I think its unfair that I have to do it and that teachers have to come out of pocket so much for things they need in the classroom. I blame bad budgeting and some trifling parents not doing their fair share. I am sure there are more than a few parents sitting around, feeling like they are getting over not having to buy a .97 pack of pencils or .25 box of crayons (Walmart prices as of yesterday) because some other parent, or the teacher or the school will make sure they have it. And let’s not blame the economy. Most school supplies this time of year are pretty cheap, with the exception of paper, which is always pricey. And if people can afford their weaves, acrylics, all red Georgia outfits from same Walmart they sell the school supplies, their booze and their Internet access so they can play games on Facebook, they can afford a few supplies for their kids for school.

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Hmm…that was supposed to be an 8 lol!

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It dosen’t take an accountant to add up the numbers and see there is a problem. What I never see is a solution. I have suggested co-op buying for school supplies and all it receives is a comment along the lines of “That might work.” I bought the large 4 pack of Clorox wipes at Sams last week for $10. It contains 312 wipes. Expo markers and erasers are also the best buy and they sell the big pack. They also sell the 10 box pack, 200 count Kleenex tissue for $12. I send 2 boxes per student at the start of the year and 1 box every time one of our kids has a sniffle. Crayons, pencils, paper along with countless other items are very inexpensive this time of year. One donation from parents at the end of the school year, not at the beginning of the next one, would provide all items necessary to stock every classroom for the entire year. I am certain we as parents would be happy to spend a few hours on the computer to search out the best price and provide transportation to purchase the items and deliver them to the schools. Well, I know I am. If administrators and teachers would spend a small amount of time during the last in service days this could be all done before school starts with items delivered on perhaps the Saturday before in service starts for the upcoming year. This way the classrooms would be stocked and teachers could have the time to speak with parents and address the upcoming year with proper communication between teachers & parents and for once, all would be right with the world. I watch teachers being overwhelmed at the first part of the year trying to find space and having to sort through bag after bag. Only teachers can stop the insanity. $30 a year per student should be sufficent to provide everything any teacher & student needs to see them through the year. What many fail to get for their dollar these days is VALUE! This would be a very good lesson for the kids to start the school year and give the teacher the time for the important stuff, like teaching!! Any thoughts?

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Slob, you make some good points. And as you pointed out, it all circles back to the poor planning and poor budgeting of the schools and some of the parents and teachers. If they handled the money correctly from jump, they could easily see where they might be short and then the lists wouldn’t be so extensive. The parents would have no issues supplying things in that case. And maybe at the same time, it would put those parents who think they are getting something for nothing on notice – you can send your kid to school with no supplies if you want to, but this is what we have and your kid might be without. So plan accordingly as well. This would teach an important lesson as well.

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Dr. No: Can you not read the other comments? Even when you just buy stuff for your kid and label it, more than likely it goes in the community box. The trifling parent gets over anyway. And the teacher comes out of pocket too.

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for all those people who say: oh, people don’t want higher taxes, but they also don’t want to buy school supplies…
For some schools, they get federal funding for 1/2 the school budget. For the other (non title 1) schools – who do you think provides that 1/2?
If you get rid of at least 50% of the administrators, there would be plenty of money. the thing is that the bloatedness at the top is what keeps them in business.
I would have ABSOLUTELY no problem being asked for a donation to help out those kids who don’t have the school supplies. but to assume that I will just provide for others? That’s a terrible misuse of the system.

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I like the $30 idea too. I would even pay the $5.00 fee for PTA on top of that. But I don’t expect to then buy my kid separate supplies. Proper planning and thinking for a change instead of reacting.

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YES: Let’s not focus on that particular comment, but there is a solution to this problem: Every year on the news I see several charities here in metro ATL that give out free bookbags and supplies for kids whose parents don’t have the cash. And some truly don’t. Also, I see grocery stores doing supply donations, etc., and I give to those. But more than not, there are alot of parents who feel they don’t need to spend the money on these things because they just expect the school or the teacher to take care of it. If they knew their kid might be sitting in class without the supplies they needed because we all just said, this is what we are able to do and we can’t do anything else, believe me, the kid would come to school with supplies.

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I use community pencils and crayons for 2 reasons: do not have time to deal with kids fighting over whose pencil is whose, and it is just a pencil, is sharing that hard? I will be purchasing for my classroom this year-a new broom (last yrs was stolen), plug in air freshener (last yrs was stolen the first week of school), feather duster, carpet sweeper and canned air for the computers. I also keep a bag of socks for the kids who come in the winter without any. It is my job and what I do. Please buy the folders and glue sticks. Please

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Oldtimer: And that is the trifling stuff I was talking about….

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I don’t mind supplying paper, extra pencisl and supplies for kids who really need help-or tissues and antibacterial stuff- but…here’s the frustrating part- In kindergarten, the kids want the cute stuff- can you blame them- so you buy them a few of the “special” things-to make their start a happy one.and then you trot them off to school, where unbeknownst to first time parents, all that stuff is taken up and put in the general supply-so your kid doesn’t even get to use the “special” stuff you bought…didn’t happen twice, though-I learned. In addition, in middle and highschool, you CAN”T get a list of supplies the kids need-until the day they start…so you can’t take advantage of sales and you are forced to run out after you get off work that night, join the melee of other frantic parents, only to find that the important things are out of stock and now you HAVE to buy them at the more expensive stores…downright inconsiderate, rude, and thoughtless!! And every teacher wants something different! The supplies that REALLY make me mad are the colored pens for the teachers to use to grade papers…they can just buy their own…I don’t ask my patients to buy me a stethoscope, now do I??!!

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@MiltonMan…you and Wondering Allowed (see yesterday’s blog) must be neighbors. I hope your offspring “haves” are more compassionate with the “have nots” they’ll encounter as doctors than you seem to be (based on comments you’ve posted in past blogs).

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And at a certain age at the high school level, the kids can get these things for themselves. I worked and bought my own stuff after I turned 16. I can see a 14 or 15 year old, but after that…If they are coming to class unprepared, it’s because they choose to. By the way, GBTT, how much did you spend out of pocket last year? These issues aren’t fair to parents doing their share or the teachers forced to take up other people’s slack.

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The one issue that seems to be a problem is community supplies. I too have had our children come home saying their $5 Fiskars are gone. They have no pencils. Again, if every child has the same pair of scissors, the same box of crayons, the same Dixon #2 pencil this would no longer be an issue and the teachers could get back to teaching our children instead of stopping arguments. Need folders? The boys get Ironman and the girls get Justin Beiber. Co- Op purchasing solves many problems. Also as Maureen pointed out, some years it becomes an entire days ordeal driving from one store to another. How much is that alone worth to anyone. The Six “P’s” once again apply. Hey, Problem solved.

For the parents who cannot afford or refuse to make a donation or buy supplies? There is nothing one can do but put your best foot forward and realize your childrens education can only benefit by their classmates proper education. It was correctly pointed out there are many resources for free supplies. My daughter has a school store that provides free items for her classroom and she can receive items several times a year up to a certain dollar amount all supplied from Title I funds.

You can call me Ray, you can call me Jay, but a “SUCKER” I’m not. Just a parent that wants an education for his children and realizes the education of the entire class is the only thing that can make this possible. If it cost a few more dollars or some of my time, so be it!

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I found out several years ago that schools/teachers make list requesting multiples of everything because many parents at our school just don’t send anything. I learned the supplies I sent became community property. This year the teacher requested 4 boxes of crayons, 2 germ x, 3 boxes tissue, 3 packs of paper, 2 spiral bound notebooks, etc. Where would a teacher put 80-90 boxes of crayons, 40-50 bottles of germx, 60+ boxes of tissue, 60+ pack os paper? When you think about it you realize a few parents are supplying the entire class. I send one of each item on the list and request the teacher send a note home if more supplies are needed. Only once during cold season we have received a note requesting more tissue. The supply list has gotten insane. A spray bottle with a little bleach and water will do anything clorox wipes, not to mention it is cheaper. I pack a small hand sanitizer, small pack of tissues and band-aids in my child’s backpack. I buy lots of paper and pencils during back to school sales and keep it at home. My child knows to get more paper or pencils when needed. You might ask your child if he is washing his hands at school. You might find out why the teacher is requesting all of that hand sanitizer. With so little time to prepare for the test good hygiene has taken a back burner to test prep.

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gasoutherngradgirl: you hit the nail on the head. I have no problem giving money when people truly need it, but many people seem to have their priorities totally messed up.

It would be nice if a teacher could solicit donations for classroom supplies rather than having to get them his/herself. but is you have so many kids like you describe, it seems you wouldn’t get a penny.

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sloboffthestreet :

Unfortunately, your is really the only answer that works. The only problem I see (your suggestion is sound and prudent)…the Title I parents WILL NOT do this. The low-income schools see this very real issue. They won’t pay $10 for their kid to go on one field trip per year or the $5 PTA fee, so getting them to pay $20 or $30 for school supplies their children will NEED…good luck. I’m being honest.

I have been at a school that did exactly what you outlined, and it worked PERFECTLY. There were those that provided nothing, but they were in a small minority. But this school had a 95% PTA participation rate, an active parent base, and were in middle-class communities. So, it was like preaching to the choir so-to-speak.

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And speaking of good hygiene and hand washing, over 90% of the population does not wash their dominate thumb. Go ahead and rub your hands together like your washing your hands. Handwashing lessons several times a year is a very good idea. Little ones forget so easy. Also studies have proven simply using water on your hands is more effective than hand sanitizer. Add some soap and just imagine the possibilities.

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Some of these comments seem so selfish. How will we teach our kids to share if this is what we put forth? Oh, the outcry of “socialism!” and “lazy parents!” but what are we teaching our kids?

Also, I don’t know a teacher alive who would look at your generic hand sanitizer or tissues and refuse to take them for the class. Spending more than $30 on school supplies is just poor budgeting (until you get into scientific calculators). If you don’t want to buy your kid a $40 backpack every year, don’t. It is simple. Or wait until the week after school starts to buy it. Kids don’t have a ton of books to start with, and everything goes on sale.

School supply list from Lovinggood, with prices, all found on sale recently:

SS: sturdy spiral notebook (Mead 5-star or similar, 3 subject)
$1
•Math, Science, & LA: three 1½ inch 3-ring binders (I’d hold off on these and buy one for all three to start, but if you buy all, $10)
$10 on sale and with coupons
· graph paper (can share with a package with a friend)
$2
· composition book
$1 (or less)
· tab dividers, pockets preferred
$3
· blue or black pens, pencils, hand-held sharpener with cover, pencil pouch
$5 TOTAL
· colored pencils
$1
· glue sticks
(pointless, and I wouldn’t buy them They dry out. Check with the teacher)
· dry erase markers
$2 at Staples this week
· USB flash drive
$5 at Staples
· box of tissues for homeroom
.88 cents at Kroger

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“Community supplies.” Oh yea. Whats mine is yours and whats yours is mine. Good idea. Lets start the young ones off with being as irresponsible as possible and also enforce a little socialism/big brotherhood along the way.

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@libincobb…….NEWS FLASH THERE’s NO REQUIREMENT to buy ANY school supplies. Are the school supply police going to kick your kid out? Are they going to artrest you?

GULLIBLE!

$1200 a year spent by a teacher? DOUBLE GULLABLE! The jokes on you.

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@ELIZABETH….good for you!

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long time educator:

As to the field trips, the children are penalized. If not enough money is collected, the trip is canceled. If that isn’t a penalty to the responsible parents I don’t know what is. I just joined my daughter’s school council, and actually saw the budget. I don’t like some of the things on there, but it is pretty well-written based on the priorities of the entire school.

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Are these people who can afford it really worried about school supply lists? I can say is you really don’t have any worries if this is a worry for you. I am sickened by the selfish attitude of some people. If you cannot afford the school supplies then my sympathies are with you. But if you are complaining and can easily afford the items on the list, then shame on you. You are upset that your child will not get the Spider Man folder that you bought? Really? How about teaching your child a lesson that we are contibuting to our classroom to make it a better place for everyone? This is a life lesson that contributing to society is good for everyone. Or is that too socialist for you? If you want to teach a selfish lesson then by all means complain in front of your child. Think about it next time your complain…what life lesson are you teaching?

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OMG why so much drama around school supplies? I buy what I can on the list, and not always in the quantities asked for nor the brand specified. There is no law that says you have to adhere strictly to the listed items nor quantities. The school itself provides an overall grade list, but each teacher is different. When it comes to the special stuff my daughter wants (binder, pencil bag, folder)… we buy that for her about a month after school has started to ensure it stays with her. If the teacher requests more supplies throughout the year, I go to the nearest dollar store and send it in. I DO NOT buy ZIPLOC baggies, I get the Walmart brand cause that is what I use at home and it works just fine.

I don’t get my panties all in a wad because some of my child’s excess may go to a child who’s parent hasn’t bought supplies, whatever the reason may be. As long as my child has gotten what she needs I am good. If another child benefits because my daughter has sent in an extra pack of paper, so be it. What are we talking, maybe an excess of like $5 bucks? Is that really something to get upset about? There has never been an excessive request for supplies from any teacher my child has had thus far. Take care of your own, and if someone else’s child benefits from you taking care of yours, relax. It’s not the end of the world. It is only a pencil, or crayon, or folder for goodness sakes.

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Batgirl: We usually get tissue donated by parents at the beginning of the year. It always runs out right around the time cold and flu season kicks in. I refuse to buy more tissue for the students; we just use those rough paper towels the school provides. After a few days of wiping their noses raw with those things someone always sends in a few boxes.

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Dr NO. Wow…did you really just write if the parents don’t care about the child then why should we???? We are talking about a child here. I guess you would have a baby starve to death if the mom is strung out on crack. I am not surprised that a person has this attitude..just that someone could write it down and not think about how cruel this philosophy is. Your analogy about the car for a 16 year old is hyperbole. No one is suggesting that you buy a car for a 16 year old. Maybe you should realize that not all welfare children end up being on welfare. Even if you don’t have an ounce of compassion, maybe you should look at it as being in society’s best interest to educate children so that they have a better chance of becoming a productive members of society. And ff the teachers backed off from you maybe it was because you sound a little scary. I guess it makes you feel powerful that you are so tough and teachers are afraid of you. I get the point about supplies getting out of hand. Buy what you want, tell the teacher that this is all you can afford, and volunteer your time to help the teacher any way you can. As a teacher I really find some of these comments about $100 donations and name brands being required hard to believe. But then again I do not teach in an affluent area. And if you feel they are asking for things that are not necessary and wasteful, then approach the teacher and ask about it. Maybe parents could be given a choice of providing a monetary amount or supplies. I am not understanding all the stress about the common supplies. Is your child really that concerned about this? Or are you the one who is concerned about it? What is wrong with your child having his/her own pencil and also contributing a few to those who do not have any? If your child is really worried about contributing to the common good then I certainly hope he/she never needs anything from a fellow classmate. If we would all try to be part of a solution, then maybe things would change. I would not recommend approaching the teacher as Dr No does, however.

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@get a life: I’m not sure why you think we would lie about this. I thought $100 with no explanation was a bit excessive. We are in an APS school in Buckhead. I don’t think people on here are saying that they don’t want to help the needy kids, they are saying they don’t want to reward the lame parents who can afford the supplies but choose not to send them in.

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I work at a Charter MS is California. We don’t give huge supply list before school. We tell the students as they are registering the types of notebooks need for each class, the color pens for each class, folders, and calculators. The students are also told that these are NOT communal items. We supply some things, like composition books to the students, through grants based on our charter.

However on this same registration day, as parents are visiting their child’s classroom, many of us have a easel in the doorway with sticky notes. Each sticky note has one item that the individual teacher may need and it’s made clear that these things are communal. I personally choose the stuff that I haven’t already bought and I set my budget for buying stuff of no more than $150. My thought is that either the PTA will reimburse me (sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t) or I can write it off my taxes (teachers can write off at least $250 in items spent). In either case, the parent may choose to pick a sticky note and buy the product or ignore the board all together. Whatever sticky notes are left, I’ll buy those items at a later date, but most of the notes are taken anyway. This works well with our school because we have a lot of low SES kids and their parents are willing to buy one item like sanitizing wipes at Walgreens 2 for $3 or a pack of construction paper at Target for $2 versus $100 for multiple items.

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Milo, You must have forgot just how much fun it was to be young, or wasn’t it?

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Yes, teachers spend personal dollars. I have spend thousands and one doesn’t have to if one wants a bad evaluation. To do their job, teachers need to spend to provide portfolios (required, but not provided), bulletin boards done each month (required, not provided), copies to reproduce performance tasks (not provided, they consider dittos as low level, but needed to perform the task), and the list goes on. The past governor has underfunded the QBE for 4 years. Don’t blame educators.
Here is a fact. EVERY child is promised a free public education. Free is the key word. The Supreme Court ruled that schools may NOT charge for supplementary material UNLESS it is for an elective course. Technically, if a course is required, then schools cannot demand even pencil and paper. This is not practical, but is the law. If parents don’t want to supply tissues, don’t. The alternative is that we will cut teachers and instruction to supply these materials. We get what we pay for. The buck stops with the legislators.

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Milo

July 28th, 2011
11:54 am

BRAVO!! I love it!

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milo: you are kidding right? people who rent pay property taxes. The property owner prices that into the rent. If they don’t then they are not so very bright.

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GBTT – prime example of why my respect for teachers is low.

Since you seem to know me so well and label me as not being compassionate, please, oh please, tell me how much I have donated in time & money just within the past year (please do not include the following):

2 week mission trip to Peru. Took 2 Army duffle bags of children shoes, clothes, sport items, etc.

100+ volunteer hours supporting North Metro Miracle League

Host home for foreign exchange student

Volunteered as Asst coach for local baseball & softball team

Active member of local American Legion Post & help deliver food & needed items to shut-ins.

etc.
etc.

Your labeling is rather pathetic.

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Really??? – yet another teacher who thinks that “rich” parents should buy products for the whole class. He/She proudly displays an Obama sticker on his/her car in the school parking lot.

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Apartment complex’ do not pay school tax.

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Most of these comments are missing one vital point. The reason folks don’t like the “common supplies” issue is not because they are stingy or don’t want to help the poor or lazy parents out. It is because it is an affront to our freedom. Freedom to make our own choices with our own money; to set our own priorities on how to spend our own money; and to decide for ourselves how to teach our children about budgeting, making good choices, giving to charity and why and how we fund our government.

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Last year, my son was asked to “donate” his personal property to the communal classroom pool. He, of his own accord, did not (largely due to his affinity for an Iron Man notebook) sacrifice his personal property rights to government seizure. A note was sent home and two days later a call ensued when the note was not signed and sent back, indicating his lack of cooperation.

At the age of 9, I couldn’t be more proud of him.

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Oh, and because I know that most supplies are communal, I buy the $.15 cent folders instead of the $1.68 folders with special characters on them. One of my son’s teachers requested folders of a specific color, which is much cheaper than Iron Man or Phineas and Ferb.

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The issue here is people who donate have become sickened with all the freebies given away to the lazies…welfare, free lunch programs, WIC and now school supplies.

Our “Family 2 Family” boxes here at work, of which we have many and are about 3′ x 3′ x 3″ have remained empty with the exception of a few cheap folders. And that makes me feel good.

Let the “will nots” and “refuseniks” fend for themselves. Im tired of tossing good money after bad for these deadbeats and their children.

Tychus Findlay

July 28th, 2011
12:57 pm

Tychus…Iron Man rocks. I salute your son and his independent thinking!!!

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Obama and his lemmings could learn from the following…

“Millions for charity but not one penny for tribute”

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Really???

July 28th, 2011
11:04 am

So you prefer a society of socialism/communism. Make no mistake. Those that can afford it have NO responsibility to provide for any other than theirs and there family and have probably sacrificed to get a little ahead. The deadbeats can sink or swim on their own and honestly I dont care which.

All these people driving SUV and getting food stamps, free school lunch etc. Bums just bums everyone of them.

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Slob…below is from the article you referened…

“She notes that the research shows that hand sanitizers do not significantly reduce the number of bacteria on the hand and in some cases may potentially increase the amount of bacteria on the hand.:”

LMAO!! I knew it….SUCKERS!!

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“pull themselves up by their bootstraps right”

That saying is goin on about 45 years now. If they still have no boots or straps then they may want to do some introspective review.

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OMG…let me help ya.

Obama = Community organizer. He is all about wealth transfer and “sharing.” Voluntary sharing in and of itself is fine. When is required or govt mandated that when you better be on guard. Ever notice how the govt takes more and more and more. They rarely give back.

Today its community School Supplies
Today its wealth redistribution

All for the good of the community, for “The Children,” “It takes a village”. All a disguise of a socialistic philosphy and only one thing follows socialism.

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In light of the latest post…add DrNo to that list.

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Dr. NO, This is the line from the link on hand sanitizers that should make people rethink it’s use not to mention the alcohol content.

Hand Sanitizers vs. Soap and Water
Interestingly enough, the Food and Drug Administration, in regards to regulations concerning proper procedures for food services, recommends that hand sanitizers not be used in place of soap and water but only as an adjunct.

Likewise, Almanza recommends that to properly sanitize the hands, soap and water should be used. A hand sanitizer can not and should not take the place of proper cleansing procedures with soap and water.

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THANK YOU, OMG!

When I was a homeroom teacher, the kids who brought their stuff used their stuff. The ones who didn’t bring stuff used my stuff, whatever shape it was in. I always had stuff that I had accumulated, stuff that was forgotten at the end of the year, stuff I had bought in better times.

Kids are much more likely to remember a time when they forgot their stuff and generously share with others. Sometimes I take one aside and thank them for sharing, but remind them that they should also expect their friend to be generous back to them. It’s funny, but many times the ones so quick to share are the poor kids, when they have stuff. At least, that is what I have noticed.

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Oh good grief… so now sharing pencils is akin to “socialistic indoctrination”? Please!

My classroom shares supplies, and it is not because I am trying to turn my students into good little communists. It is because, thanks to increased class sizes, we have NO ROOM in the classroom for cubbies anymore, so personal supplies are kept in the cubbies that had to be moved into the hallway. We have no room for the coat hooks anymore, or the lunch box tub. The book bags cannot be kept on the back of the chairs as they were in the past, because we literally cannot move around without turning sideways sometimes. (Not to mention, many of them are no rolling style, and will not hook on the backs of chairs – ever see how much room is taken up by a pile of 25 rolling backpacks?) We also do not have desks. We have tables, which allow for my classroom to have a more flexible structure I use in order to differentiate more easily and provide centers. It also allows for more movement during the day, as children can get antsy if they have to sit in one place for hours. I used to have them move from desks to open spaces on the floor to work. I had center tables and carpeted group work areas, but with this many children crammed into my room, there are no more open spaces.

My supply lists asks parents to provide basic, generic supplies and nothing fancy as supplies will be shared. I provide for class sets of supplies at the beginning of the year, but after that, I slowly add student supplies. If a child brings a “special” folder etc. I generally send it home and tell them to use it for keeping home projects in or something. Sharing supplies in my room is a necessity. Can you imagine having to have 25 eight year olds file out to the hallway to get their scissors, pencils, glue etc. each time they need them, then have to file back in, then back out to return them? Talk about wasted instructional time! They do each have a small pencil case for a few personal supplies, but most of them manage to misplace those within the first two weeks.

And every year, I have one or two parents who insist their child only use THEIR supplies and not have to share them with anyone, and proceed to label everything, down to the crayons. So those children have to try and cram all their supplies and coat and book bag and lunchbox in a small, 11″ x11″ inch area. They also have to leave the room frequently to get their supplies and return them. Sometimes they get distracted and do not return quickly, so I have to go track them down. Most of them also they manage to misplace their supplies easily. I used to spend time returning all those labeled crayons to the rightful child, but now I don’t bother. It takes too much time, and does not teach the child any personal responsibility. Instead, I toss them in with the “socialistic” group supplies, and the kids know they can get them back if they want. Oddly enough, those children seem to have no problem using the communal Kleenex, construction paper, cap erasers etc. or any of the other supplies I provide with my money once they have either managed to lose or use up most of their supplies, or if they happen to like MY supplies better than their own.

It has nothing to do with “socialism” and everything to do with the realities of trying to run an overcrowded classroom with efficiency and a modicum of organization.

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I love teaching. I hate what it is becoming…

What district do you teach in? Because I want to make sure NOT to move there. Those are ATROCIOUS teaching conditions, and would try the best of teachers. It’s like a fire hazard waiting to happen.

But I still don’t like communal supplies. Not for any ‘communistic’ reasons but for the fact that my husband is a teacher and we already come out of pocket for other peoples kids. My budget can not stretch any further than it is to support more.

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During my abreviated soujourn into the ed camp, I observed teachers having to supply paper for the copy machine (I wouldn’t be surprised if they had to supply “stationery” for the “reading room thrones”). Perhaps the growing lists of back to school “necessities” is simply to relieve the teachers of having to fund the floor mats upon which they seem to have no problems occupying.

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I love teaching. I hate what it is becoming…

July 28th, 2011
3:03 pm
Get a different job, I mean you do have a college education. You should be rich, taking Eurpeaon vacations, seeing the polo game of the week, and drinking maitais. Or you could get a job with AJC.

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Tychus – that is more liberal sugar coating. Sharing is neighborly – your neighbor coming over once a week the next 9 months and always borrowing a new hammer that he consequently loses is? Welfare.

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My kid will go to school with his stuff labeled. I will buy basics and nothing more. The list have gotten ridiculous even in the poor schools. A few stupid parents (been one myself) buy everything on the list and supply the entire class. Everyone is cutting back and so the supply list need to follow suit. We all can do more with less. Fewer supplies mean less waste.

I have worked as a teacher in the past. Schools get plenty of funds to buy copy paper, toilet paper, cleaners, etc. If supplies are not available there is a misappropriation of funds by someone. During my time in the classroom, I also witnessed a lot of waste. Many teachers hoard supplies. People working in schools make entirely too many copies. Just check your child’s backpack on day one and see how many papers come home asking for duplicative information. How many times could a teacher write on the board instead of making copies? Finally, if a kid goes without for a few days maybe he will go home and aggravate his parents for crayons like he does for a cell phone.

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I really dislike the community bucket way of using supplies, but once again, I am going to have to do it. Sigh. The problem is that in my school, first grade uses tables. We don’t release class lists until the Friday before school starts, so it’s not possible for each teacher to put out her own supply list for the class. I would rather use pencil boxes for each child to organize his/her supplies (this worked very well when I taught second grade with desks), but the box isn’t on the first grade list because I am the only teacher on the hall that wants them. IF I can find them at a decent price, I will go ahead and purchase 25 of them on my own and teach the kids to take care of their own supplies. That’s looking like a big IF this year, as I have not found the school supply sales to be good as they have been in the past. I don’t believe we are having that tax free weekend, either.

Whatever you happen to believe about school supply lists, please know that teachers do buy significant amounts of supplies with their own money. In the past I never thought twice about this and have been happy to do it. I really love my students and I don’t want a lack of supplies to get in the way of all that I have planned to do in my lessons. I also understand when money is tight and things are tough. The problem is that things are tight for me this year as well. All of the furloughs, pay cuts, and insurance increases have taken their toll, and now my own child is starting school. Things really are very inexpensive after school starts, so I’m hoping to pick up some extras at that time. The biggest needs seem to always be glue and tissues.

Please, parents, honor the teacher’s requests. It really does make a difference.

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I stopped collecting and distributing materials a number of years ago because I felt it was unfair that some parents bought supplies and others didn’t. The kicker was that, often times, money had nothing to do with it. Parents who didn’t want to be bothered wouldn’t, because someone would take care of their kid and they could spend their money on something else. Most teachers figure out pretty quickly the kids who really are in financial distress and don’t mind helping them. I do not require my students to share but find they tend to be very generous with their peers, even kids they don’t like.

One reason there are so many duplicate items on the list is that sometimes the beginning of the year is the only time you can get parents to purchase supplies. The extras are insurance for later when you send notes home for replenishment and they are ignored. I’ve had years when the tissues were gone by November. I do not buy more. If a child needs a pencil or paper, I allow them to ask a friend to borrow some. I think I would be more generous had I had not had my generosity taken advantage of so frequently over the years. Example: when teaching 3rd grade I noticed several students never had snack for snack time. I went out and bought some animal crackers to share with them (nothing great, but something for a truly hungry child) since we had a very late lunch time. Within days, half the class was no longer bringing their own snack because I was willing to provide one for them. Can you say entitlement? The idea some parents (and their children) have that they are “entitled” without contributing really annoys and offends me.

I tell my students which materials to keep at school and which to take home. The take home items are for replenishing supplies as the year goes on.

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how about we just go back to using blackboards, chalk, an assignment pad (not an agenda that I had to pay $5 for in my daughter’s school), paper, pens and pencils, and crayons? What is really NEEDED to teach and for children to learn?

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When I first started teaching, my team requested that students bring in $8 to cover supplies. This way we were able to ensure that our students had the supplies we wanted. It worked out well for the years I was at the school. This year I am considering the same thing because I do shop well over the summer. I wait for the back to school sales and then pounce. However, this year as I am expecting my first baby I am seeing things from a new perspective. I’m not interested in community property aspect. What kills me is when students never have any supplies or parents won’t send anything. It also irks me that the only time (some) parents will send supplies is at the beginning of the year. Pencils, papers, etc, run out and need to be replaced. As a parent, if you have enough time to label items, then you have enough time to replenish those supplies in November and again in March or whenever they are depleted.

When we asked for (and received) the $8 those supplies belonged to the student.

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@thatsmystuff “Schools get plenty of funds to buy copy paper, toilet paper, cleaners, etc.”

Have you noticed that the economy is not doing very well? Our schools have lost lots of funding recently. We have several forclosures in our area, thus a loss of property tax. Plus the state has cut funding consistently for the last several years. Five years ago, my yearly classroom budget was $500. This year they asked us to keep it under $50. That includes EVERYTHING I might want – science equipment, play equipment for recess, art supplies, construction paper, pencils, etc. We ran out of copy paper last year, and the principal paid for the last month’s supply out of her own pocket.

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I teach 4th grade so students have desks and for the most part use the supplies they bring to school. Pencils, however, end up being combined because I don’t want my students to waste their instructional time at the pencil sharpener. I obtained a heavy-duty sharpener through a grant and pencils are sharpened after school. This is a judgement call on my part. Currently, teachers don’t seem to be trusted to make these calls.

I am also very careful to request supplies that can be purchased for a total cost of $10 or less. Scissors and rulers became an issue, so over several years, I used supply money to purchase class sets of these. If 30 pair of scissors are passed out, I expect to be able to collect that same numbe. I request that students who bring these items to school take them home for use there.

Since I teach Science to all grade levels, I have sets consumable supplies for each group to use. I purchase most of these supplies. Our consumable supply allowance has been cut considerably. The materials I can order from this money are generally more expensive but of inferior quality to the same items bought on sale before school starts.

When I taught kindergarten and first grade, most supplies became communal. It was just easier to have supplies available on each table as students move around the room to complete their work. I also had to spend quite a bit more money on my classroom when teaching these grades.

I would tell parents to expect that K and 1 students will pool their supplies. However, as children grow and mature, it is reasonable to expect them to organize and care for their own supplies. Comparing this issue to socialism/communism and government seizure of property is extreme. It’s a classroom management decision.

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@Slob: Some teachers have a different way of setting up a classroom and using supplies. I would rather have students use their own supplies and store them in a pencil box. My teammates would rather have a community bucket. I can make it work, it’s no big deal. What is a big deal is that you make something as simple as supplies and turn it into a respect issue. Just so you know, I’ve spent about $100 out of pocket this summer creating new centers and activities for my first graders. I know the value of a dollar, and my dollar means as much to me as it does to you. When I became a teacher ten years ago, I knew the job would require me to use my own funds at times. I honestly have no problem with this. I loved making the centers, and the kids will learn a lot from them. I always set several goals for the summer that will make my classroom a better place, and I allocate funds to make that happen. In the same way, when you had children, I’m sure you knew that there would be costs associated with raising them. I’m sorry you are upset if a supply is sent home. Find some way to use it there.

@Susan: We cannot go back to those basic supplies only as technology has expanded and we must learn to work with it. My first graders have gained SO MUCH from the use of our SMART board, classroom computers, our ELMO projector, and other new devices. They do enhance the learning and create more authentic learning experiences for our students.

I have to laugh at all of this back and forth about supplies. I cannot tell you how many times children have come to school without assignments completed because they don’t have basic supplies at home. By basic I mean crayons, glue, scissors, pencils, etc. I’ve even had parents write and tell me that projects cannot be finished because of a lack of supplies. Really? Good grief. Work with me people, work with me!!

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@2nd Grade Teacher: Very nice comments. It is very, very sad. Have you tried getting involved in blogging? I found some wonderful teaching blogs to follow this summer, and they are so encouraging. It’s been so productive sharing materials/ideas with teachers around the country. It’s a lot better than hanging out the negative people who post on this blog. I used to think it was constructive, but I now believe this blog tears down education rather than lift it up.

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A side note – Field trip fees are often inflated to pay the way of students who can’t or won’t pay.

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@ Conservative voice: Paying my child’s PTA to let them get the supplies the teacher needs when she needs it is not “lazy”–they prefer it and I would rather spend my time at home with my family playing chess or reading rather than running around shopping for supplies (as Maureen pointed out). I also prefer not to waste a lot of my valuable time worrying about who contributed and who didn’t to the supply pile–poor OR rich. At the end of the day, all I can know for sure is how I chose to act. Call me a crazy communist, but I see it as a privilege to contribute to the school community by doing my fair share. And I actually feel fine if whatever I DO contribute happens to spill over to a child who might not otherwise have supplies. Sometimes I’ll even send in double field trip money to “sponsor” another child. Scandalous! In any case, the real value in the “communal” approach to supplies is in the convenience that it represents for the teachers.

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@ cobb teacher 2: I was being somewhat facetious in my statement about going back to chalkboards. SOMEWHAT, because when we tighten our belts at home, we tend to cut back on things that aren’t necessary, or that make things more convenient. My guess is there are things higher up that can be adjusted, budget wise, to make more money available for the classrooms.

And if I wasn’t clear in earlier posts, I know that teachers have a tough job, spend many hours outside of classtime working, and come out of pocket for far too many things. As a parent I try to help my daughter’s teachers whenever I can.

Here’s wishing you a productive school year full of interested students and involved (not obnoxious!) parents

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I guess I’m lucky to be a high school teacher in a county with a sizable tax base. My supply list consists of pencils, pens, and notebook paper, and I suggest they bring markers or colored pencils, but they don’t have to. I buy that at the start of every school year when Wal-Mart has their sales, but I do stress to the kids that once they’re gone, they’re gone. If they destroy them, then they’re out their supplies.

Any other supplies I need I can order at the beginning of the year or the end of the previous one and the school sends that order sheet off to OfficeMax. I don’t think it’s fair for either the student or the teacher to buy supplies outside of what is necessary for the class. Projects, etc. are different, but there’s no reason for there to ever be a school supply rush for high school outside of binders and writing implements. Cheer up, parents. You’ll get a break for four years before college, then duck and cover.

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You’re awesome 2nd grade teacher. I hope my kids get you! I couldn’t agree more with your posts. Don’t let the crazies get you down.

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the government should supply all required supplies and equipment not parents. Citizens pay enough taxes for the schools to buy everything needed.

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Mecca, so you think the government should provide supplies???? This sounds like socialism because wouldn’t everyone have the same supplies and there would be no individual choice. Funny how some of you talk out of both sides of your mouth, you are worried about individual rights and getting but don’t take away the things I want from my government.

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Parents are increasingly leaned upon to supply basic school supplies that the school system used to provide. Yet school administrators’ salaries keep increasing to evermore astronomical levels.

Anyone consider this yet?

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Roberta

July 29th, 2011
1:12 pm

You should bring only enough supplies for your child and dare those teachers to steal one thing.

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LOL! People wonder where all those pencils go? Some of my students EAT them, or break them into little pieces! They poke holes in the erasers and shave them into little bits. They shove cap erasers into their pockets and take them onto the playground to reenact the Civil War then leave them outside in the rain. They break the crayons or flush them down the toilets. Children are children, not adults with well kept office supplies in tidy drawers.

@slob: “Oh you ran out of copy paper. Stop sending home copies of everything that does not pertain to school. Stop the yearly deluge of papers parents have to fill out over and over again.”

True….much of the paper that gets sent home has nothing to do with school. However, we also don’t COPY those papers. They come from outside camps, classes, libraries etc. and are given to us to send home. We did try to go electronic last year. We had parents fill out forms on computer so we could easily update everything at once. We offered computers and assistance during open house and meet the teacher. We had after school sessions for the first two weeks offering parents computer use and support. It still took us MONTHS to get all parents to comply… thus; we had to keep sending home paper copy reminders to do so.

We tried going to an online electronic report card to save paper but parents had to log in to view their child’s grades. I had three parents log in. The teacher across the hall had two. Next door, she had four. We were typical, so the school had to go back to paper copies.

Last year I did my best to reduce paper use in my classroom. I posted all my information weekly on a blog. I set up a system to automatically e-mail parents with notifications of homework, class work spelling lists, upcoming test, lunch menus, activity schedules, my weekly newsletter, etc. I asked all parents for e-mails and noted those that did not have e-mail addresses. I sent those few parents who stated they could not access my blog or the e-mails hard copies of the same information everyone else got electronically.

Well, a few of my parents checked the blog weekly, and always knew what was going on. They were very pleased with my system, so much so that other teachers started using it. However, most of my parents never bothered to check the blog or read the e-mails, and I got called on the carpet by a few for, “not keeping them informed” like the other teachers did with a weekly hardcopy newsletter. A couple even went over my head and complained to the principal that I didn’t let them know when tests were, or about special events, or spelling lists etc. All the information was available on my blog which was updated two or three times a week, plus through the automatic e-mail system. These were NOT the parents who had indicated they did not have internet access; they simply did not want to take the time to check on anything. In the end, I had to keep up the weekly blog AND provide a hard copy in order to keep parents from complaining. Hopefully, in a few years, my parents will be more comfortable with using the internet to keep current with school information, and we will overcome these difficulties. However, it isn’t all as easy as you seem to insist.

I really do not understand you. You complain about the quality of teachers, but do all you can to tear down all of us – even those of us who are likely the kind of teachers you would prefer to have in your ideal schools. You keep insinuating I would not do well out there in the “real world” but you know nothing about me or my educational background. I assure you, I could have been anything from a marine biologist to a psychiatrist to a professor of literature. I CHOSE to go into teaching because I wanted to – not because it was the only thing I could do! I stay in teaching because I am not in a finacial position to be changing careers at this point in my life, and beause I believe I am still making a positive difference in my students’ lives.

And the schoolwide electronic report card? We had to go back to paper copies because so few parents were actually checking the report cards electronically. I had 3 parents who bothered to look up their child’s grades. The teacher next door had 2. That was typical.

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How about when parents would rather buy cigarettes and beer than buy pencils and paper? It happens. Believe me.

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And I HATE the community supply bins on each table. Just think…if we went back to individual supplies kept in a pencil box and used only by that one child, then maybe so many germs wouldn’t be passed around the class. I knew that if someone at my children’s table at school was out with the tummy bug that we weren’t far behind b/c of the sharing of supplies.

Plus…at what point are the schools going to assist those of us that ARE trying to teach our kids about personal responsibility for personal property in reinforcing those principles? I really don’t think the teacher wants to share all the supplies on her own desk with my kids. Why do my kids have to share their markers with the rest of the class? Especially when little so-and-so doesn’t ever put the caps on correctly?

Arrrggghhh….

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Lots of comments here and I’m going to add mine. As a substitute teacher I’ve seen teachers, at the end of the year, carting out quite a few paper towels, ziplocks, dry erase markers etc. When my youngest was in K I was very friendly with the room mom. I found out that most of the kids in the McMansions did not bring school supplies. In K all supplies were community property. After the third or fourth request for extra glue sticks and crayons, I told the teacher I was no the personal school supply person. I would send what my child needed, label and no longer provide for the rest.
Private school has worked better, the list is much smaller and my child uses their own.

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I too have problems with people that can afford beer, nails, hair salons, better cars, cell phones..not the cheap kind, game boys, Xbox, Ipads…you name it and will not proberly feed, cloth, or provide basic supplies for school. It is all about choices.

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Stop whining! My school provides every teacher with 100.00 to buy whatever supplies they needed. Parents don’t mind paying 100+ dollars for tickets to concerts, sporting events etc… but they complain about supplies. Go figure!!

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If the government wants the privilege of requiring our children to attend school, then parents should have reasonable expectations that said government should supply certain “basics” in this endeavor. Maintaining sanitary conditions is job number one. Janitors and teachers should have employment priority. Hand sanitizers are not as effective as soap and water. Regular bathroom breaks with enforced hand washing is all that is needed. Janitorial staff should clean rooms every day. Tissues during cold season should be supplied by the school as well as a basic school supply kit! Any extras can be purchased by parents. This way we don’t have children who can’t do their school work because the parents don’t/can’t buy their supplies. Schools would have the advantage of high volume purchasing resulting in cheaper costs FOR THE TAXPAYER. All teachers should have a reasonable amount of discretionary money each year for their class. It should be against the rules for any teacher to personally finance her own supplies. If taxpayers are not happy because the BASICS are not being supplied for their students, then they know to put pressure on the elected officials to look into THEFT OR MISMANAGEMENT of funds. This is the feedback citizens need to oversee their government. Once these priorities have been met, enabled teachers and janitorial staff, then extra funds could go to anything else the citizens are willing to pay for with their taxes. If government wants to squander tax dollars and not meet these basic requirements to run a school, then they need to GET OUT OF THE EDUCATION BUSINESS!

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NewMinority,
I agree with you completely! Teachers first!

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The teachers at my daughter’s school have a wish list during “meet the teacher.” You can choose (or not choose) to offer to help them out with an item they wouldl like to have for the classrom. LOVE it!!

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Yes if they keep cutting budgets. And teachers will be using them if they keep cutting personnel.

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I have wondered why students have no supplies they know they will need beyond the supplied, dull, generic supplies, yet the only time I get to have two way communication with some parents is when they come to my classroom to pick up their child’s confiscated CELL PHONE! I have this rule to cut down on off task time to deal with such management issues, and so that I can get mini conferences completed with parents of my ‘especially devoted to disrupt the class’ students. If they don’t show the phone sits there until they do. Parents often wait for weeks. One waited for a year and a half. I still had it waiting for them. I did take out the battery so it wouldn’t leak. I think they just needed the contacts in it for their replacement phone.

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