Get Schooled

By Sly

May 23, 2005 03:26 PM | Link to this

What’s the copy paper for?

By Yolanda

May 23, 2005 03:49 PM | Link to this

A child receiving free lunch has nothing to do with whether or not the family can afford the purchase school supplies. As a parent of a school aged child, it is hectic purchasing school supplies during the first week of school.

By Jennifer

May 23, 2005 03:55 PM | Link to this

I’m sure the copy paper is for school use. I have even heard of teachers requesting students purchase ink cartriges if they can afford to do so. The schools do not have the supplies they need and, in turn, the teachers end up purchasing many of these supplies out of their pockets.

By Michael

May 23, 2005 03:57 PM | Link to this

I can understand the copy paper (because schools run out and don’t have the budget to get more). But what are the tennis balls for?

By Patti

May 23, 2005 04:10 PM | Link to this

I’ve seen teachers cut holes in tennis balls and stick them on the legs of the students’ chairs. Keeps the classroom noise down.

Families qualify for free lunch based on their income, so isn’t it reasonable to assume families who qualify could be financially burdened by a supply list, especially for a family with several school-age kids?

By Hope

May 23, 2005 04:11 PM | Link to this

Maybe the tennis balls are to go on the bottom of the chairs. Some schools have tiled floors that are washed and waxed maybe once a year and to keep the floors nice they are requesting that the chair bottoms be covered…that’s a thought. Hopefully the parents will take full advantage of having the lists early and get their shopping done before the night before school starts. Have a WONDERFULLY BLESSED Summer!!!!

By Jennifer

May 23, 2005 04:25 PM | Link to this

Patti,

My sister and I qualified for free & reduced lunches growing up, and even the much shorter supply lists we had back then were a burden on our family. The financial stress was always high in our home. My mother shopped for bargains & deep discounts year-round, so we always had the basics, but that sounds like a good $20-30 worth of stuff per child. At least having the list before the summer break gives parents the chance to spread the expense out—I know our budget could not have swallowed that much debt in one month.

But, this definitely speaks to a larger issue of funding at the local level—no one has the money for the basic supplies—the schools are broke, 70% of the families are broke, and there’s no feasible end in sight. Our free & public education gets more expensive each year.

By Ernest

May 23, 2005 04:37 PM | Link to this

One thing I question each year is the request for liquid soap and toilet tissue. Don’t get me wrong, I supply it every year when requested however one would think these ‘basic’ supplies should be supplied by the schools. FWIW, I asked someone in the Physical Plant why these necessities were not in the schools. I was surprised that they were surprised these things were being asked for.

Specifically to your question, it’s great this list went out early. Logically I’d say it should be posted on the school website however someone reminded me that not everyone has easy access to the Internet…..

By Stephanie

May 23, 2005 04:53 PM | Link to this

I no longer live in the Atlanta Metro Area, but I think a lst at the end of the current school year is a great idea! I now live in Fairfax County, VA just outside of Washington DC and the list for school supplies go out Labor Day weekend just before the start of a new school year. When I had two children to buy supplies for the cost would be more than $75.00 per child! Then another list would come home from my older son’s teachers requiring another $50.00 or more. Also, in high school here there are many fees that must be paid in the first three weeks of school…Wow a lot of $$$ for a one income parent!

By Rosalind

May 24, 2005 08:14 AM | Link to this

You’re right about teachers having to provide many of the supplies for their students. One source for families who are unable to purchase them is DFACS. Also, sometimes churches or clubs have a fund set aside to help. If you let your child’s teacher know that it is a burden for you, he/she can usually find help for you.

By Dan

May 24, 2005 08:22 AM | Link to this

Actually it doesn’t seem like a bad list. Although I don’t agree with the knee jerk reactions about funding. Schools waste far more money than what will be spent by the families on this list. It isn’t a matter of funding, it is a matter of spending the funding wisely. Public schools on average have greater per student budgets than private. They just waste their money on the politically hot items rather than on the fundemental ones, and that is because of poor local administration and management

By yesiamworried

May 24, 2005 08:22 AM | Link to this

At our school, they use the liquid soup to put in the kids hands before lunch to make sure they actually wash them. It isn’t because there is no soap in the bathrooms but because the teachers know that at least they will have to use water to get the soap off!

:)

By Lynda

May 24, 2005 08:36 AM | Link to this

I think it is a great idea to give the list at the start of summer. When we had our visit to the middle school a few weeks ago for our upcomming 6th grader they also gave us the list for next year, but as most parents know happens we have MISPLACED it somewhere here at home. But we do afree it is GREAT idea to do. I live in Gwinnett and I also what to know why the schools DON’T supply the basics for the teachers. Our 5th grade teacher this year about 2 months ago sent home note saying ” We are out of paper and tissues and I am not in the supply bussiness so please send in some “. I thought that was pretty bad from a teacher. It does cost a lot to be a teacher these days, but come on what do our taxes do?

By mt

May 24, 2005 08:59 AM | Link to this

I would be glad to get a list from my child’s school at the beginning of the summer instead of at open house. My son’s teacher requested items at the beginning of the year, but he was not allowed to use some of the stuff. He said his teacher would not let him use the hand sanitizer. He told me in December that they did not have any wipes. He also came home from kindergarten with his change of clothes on. When I asked him where his other clothes were he told me his teacher did not have any bags to put his dirty clothes in. I was extremely upset by this point. On the first day of school I sent two boxes of wipes, two large hand sanitizers, three boxes of kleenex, and a large box of gallon sized ziploc bags. We had one incident all year in which we needed a ziploc bag, but there were none left. I just felt like I was supplying the entire class. After Christmas break I sent a box of wipes with a note that they were to be placed in my son’s cubby and he was to use them. I also put a hand sanitizer in his book bag and told him that it was just for him.

Why would you need to send two containers of tennis balls. A desk or chair only has four legs. You should only need one package per child. I don’t mind sending items, but I expect my child to use them.

By Shooter

May 24, 2005 09:15 AM | Link to this

mt - Tennis balls come 3 to a can, so you need 2 cans two cover four legs.

By Sylvia

May 24, 2005 09:18 AM | Link to this

Its great that they give the school supply list ahead of time -maybe next year they could aslo send a memo home advising parents of the school start date too. Further, if school started in September and not August there would be more money available for basic needs such as paper. Millions of dollars are wasted every year on utility bills because it costs more to cool down schools in August when there is more humidity, and billions of dollars are lost to the state because of lost tourism revenue.

Re the tennis balls, they should specify that used balls are okay - they are used to keep the classrooms quieter so that chairs aren’t screeching across the floors.

By Shooter

May 24, 2005 09:22 AM | Link to this

“to” not “two”

By annette

May 24, 2005 09:55 AM | Link to this

Tennis balls are not a good idea we have used them before and they tend to have mold grow inside them.Several companies sell glue on felt pads for the chair legs.

By GC

May 24, 2005 10:02 AM | Link to this

In my town, the local bookstores, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and several of the smaller local stores are given copies of the elementary schools’ supply lists and either post them or keep them on file. If this is done early in the summer, it solves a lot of problems.

By MamaS

May 24, 2005 10:03 AM | Link to this

As a mother and a teacher I see both sides. Our “supplies” for elementary are 2 printer cartridges and 1 case of paper (about 200 sheets per student). In our school we are not allowed to have liquid soap dispensers in the restrooms. It is a safety issue. Kids squirt soap on the floor and someone comes in and slips on the soap — and the school gets the medical bills. So we dole out the soap just before lunch and after outside recess. Yes, mt, if your son were in my class someone else probably got some of his soap, and the child who wets his pants three times a week probably used up all the baggies. It is called “learning to share” and it is one of the character traits we are required to teach.

By faye

May 24, 2005 10:09 AM | Link to this

Sylvia - we’d be cooling the schools in June instead of August - it’s hot both months.

As far as tourism goes, we’re spending our money in June instead of August.

Summer breaks are about 10 weeks - we just shift the weeks - my neices and nephews up north are all still in school, and will be until nearly the last week of June. They won’t go back until the last week of August.

As far as the lists go, I do like getting them early; what I don’t like is when they have items that are difficult to find.

All kids (especially elementary) should have their own supply of tissues and hand sanitizers - you can buy the individual packs and sample sizes - in addition to whatever class supplies you send in. That way you know your child is taken care of. Also, not a bad idea, is to have personal pencil sharpeners.

By abc

May 24, 2005 10:33 AM | Link to this

My high schooler was harrassed by the band director for not remitting a $200 ‘Commitment Fee’ for next fall’s marching band, to be counted toward a $750 total fee. I was told by the band director that anyone unwilling or unable to pay such fees could not participate in marching band. The school’s administration is aware of it. How many kids are out of band because of that? Plenty. Fund raisers don’t even scratch the surface of fees like that.

By KB

May 24, 2005 10:40 AM | Link to this

Mama S. - A child who brings in supplies, has those supplies taken from him the first day of school, and is unable to use those supplies because others used them is NOT an example of sharing. That’s pure socialism. Sharing involves voluntary “give and take.” Socialism is just plain “take.” As an American, I prefer that Socialism not be a “character trait” instilled in my child by a teacher in the government school system.

By Mary

May 24, 2005 11:05 AM | Link to this

Last year, my child attended Pine Ridge Elementary in Stone Mountain, Dekalb. On the school supply lists soap was requested. I thought it was strange, so I asked. They literally didn’t have soap in the bathrooms, and I still couldn’t believe it. Never had I seen that before, and my child’s been to 4 different elementary schools. When I asked the administration and a teacher, I was told it wasn’t budget or cost, it was that the students weren’t responsible enough to have soap dispensers that dispensed soap.

By Mary

May 24, 2005 11:14 AM | Link to this

As far as the budget woes go, we visited a school when my child was entering Kindergarten. It was in another state. It had a high % of free/reduced lunch, and a higher % of ESOL kids. Every classroom had enough basic supplies (pencils, notebook paper, folders, bookcovers, crayons, markers, etc) to cover at least half the class. They were very proud of that fact, and were sure to mention to the parents so there would be no monetary stress for the parents, alot of whom were trying to figure out how to live day to day in a country they didn’t speak English.
The school is known for it’s successes with ESOL and low income kids, as well as just being a great neighborhood school. I really do believe they went through the extra effort to stock their cabinets though, and do all they can to really guarantee the success of those kids. It’s priorities. The kids get a great basic (even beyond basic ed) but their Art classes may not be as fancy as the ‘richer’ schools. I’ve never seen that effort anywhere else, but from my view it looks like it was a success.

By teacher

May 24, 2005 11:30 AM | Link to this

I’m a high school teacher at an affluent school. I tend to buy hand sanitizer and boxes of tissues; I guess I could ask them to bring these in at the start of the year, but then I would need to set up the kind of “socialist” system described here. It would be too hard to keep 100+ boxes of tissues available for use.

You might think that high school kids would carry these themselves or keep them in their lockers, but most don’t seem to. I don’t mind having them around for occasional use.

I do get frustrated though when the same kids use a majority of the supplies, and it doesn’t seem to occur to them that maybe they should replace them. I had one student who was suffering from allergies keep the box of tissue on his desk. When he had used the whole box in about a week, he was up looking around the room and asking, “are they any more tissues?” He really seemed to think that I should just supply them for him. How should I have handled this?

You may feel that you are doing more than your part for the other kids, but I bet the teacher has also chipped in. Please also remember that the teachers don’t usually decide the school budget. Although I’d rather have a lifetime supply of tissue rather than another county office administrator, it’s not my choice.

You could try to pressure your board to spend a high percentage of the budget on classroom supplies.

By mt

May 24, 2005 11:52 AM | Link to this

Thanks to KB for the comments on socialism. My kid nor anyone else’s kid should supply the entire class with ziplocs, hand sanitizer or wipes. I just feel as though my kid brought stuff and not many others did. If every kid in my son’s class brought a box of 25-35 large ziplocs, the class would not run out by Christmas break. Same goes for hand sanitizer and kleenex. The teacher was hoarding hand sanitizer for she and the sub. It just really angers me to think that I am supplying a class of 20 children. I don’t mind sending stuff for my kid if everyone else will send for their kids. I plan to stock my son’s cubby next year. When he runs out of something I will send more, but I will no longer supply the class. By the way I have a generous kid!!!

By jack

May 24, 2005 11:58 AM | Link to this

Ernest the toilet paper was probably used instead of something like kleenex. Takes up less storage space.

By Carla

May 24, 2005 01:13 PM | Link to this

I am the single parent of a first grader. As I read the comments that are posted, the anger and frustration towards the teachers and those kids whose parents cannot afford supplies amaze me. Why should the child be punished for the deeds of the parents? How often do we go in stores and pick up a few extra items that are not in our budget? There are some instances in which parents are just lazy and selfish and will not send in supplies. Then there are the cases when they just can’t do it. When there’s a choice between life’s necessities and kleenex for school, which would you choose? With that thought in mind, whenever you’re out shopping household supplies, and you notice kleenex is on sale for $0.99, pick up a box and send it in. You’re in Wal-Mart, and the sanitizer is on sale 2 for $1, pick up two. Send in both. You’ll find that the teachers appreciate it and seldom will you be the one called on if somethings run out.

By ambergris

May 24, 2005 01:36 PM | Link to this

Teachers should do their job and not hoard supplies back to sell at the flea market Lazy grubbing freaks

By annette

May 24, 2005 01:39 PM | Link to this

Teachers in general are lazy and want the supplies to sell at the flea market

By mt

May 24, 2005 01:41 PM | Link to this

If you can’t afford school supplies for children then don’t have them. My husband and I work very hard to support our children. We start buying supplies as soon as school gets out. If you get a few things in June and a few more in July it isn’t that bad.

By another teacher

May 24, 2005 02:00 PM | Link to this

ambergris/annette - I have NEVER sold any of my students’ supplies at a flea market, nor have I ever seen any of my colleagues do the same. I have, however, spent my own money at flea markets buying things for my classroom.

Those comments were uneccessary and particularly rude. I don’t know if you truly meant what you said or if you were just trying to get people riled up.

The day you walk in my shoes (and believe me - you’ll be walking!) is the day you can call me lazy.

By Dan

May 24, 2005 02:01 PM | Link to this

I wonder how many of the parents complaining about $30 of supplies buy their kids $100 Nikes for school. (I guess the money they save with the free and reduced lunches pays for the cool kicks)

By Jay

May 24, 2005 02:03 PM | Link to this

I now know where all the copier paper at the office has went too. North Fulton “YOUR WELCOME”

By KB

May 24, 2005 02:17 PM | Link to this

MT- You couldn’t have said it better. There are way too many people out there choosing to have children they know they can’t afford. If someone can’t afford to spend $30 a year on something as basic as pencils and paper for a child, THEY SHOULDN’T HAVE ANY!!! By the way, giving up a beer or coffee just one time per week all year, or skipping a manicure just once per year will easily pay for school supplies for an entire school year…

By Jennifer

May 24, 2005 02:37 PM | Link to this

mt & KB,

What arrogance. Obviously you’ve never had an unexpected negative thing happen in your life that’s rocked your entire family structure & stability—divorce, death, disability, etc.

Life happens. People don’t plan on bad things happening, but they do. My parents divorced when my sister & I were toddlers, leaving my dad bankrupt & my mom scraping by. By the time I entered middle school, the stress had aggravated my mother’s diabetes so much that she ended up permanently disabled—blind, no feeling in her hands or feet, and other things. The disability checks from the state kept us at or under the poverty line, and disability & child support checks were some help, but not much. $460 per month ($180 per kid & $100 alimony). We certainly did not have name-brand clothes; we rarely even had anything new.

You’ve been lucky, other people have not been.

Some people may “play the system,” but most of the working poor families in this country are not there by choice.

As for people not having kids if they can’t afford it—I agree, to a point. There are MANY families out there who could afford kids just fine & started their families. Then one day something happens—you’re disabled in a car accident, your spouse is killed, your child gets cancer. Until you know WHY these families struggle, keep your negative comments to yourselves.

By abc

May 24, 2005 02:43 PM | Link to this

Jennifer,

Those guys are engaging in the typical teacher pasttime, seemingly one of their favorites, referable as ‘trash the parents’. They conveniently forget that it’s tax dollars that pay for the whole system in the first place, including their salaries. It’s an institutional mindset, and speaks volumes about what’s truly wrong with schools in this state.

By MamaS

May 24, 2005 02:55 PM | Link to this

Carla, thank you for being a voice of reason. You are the kind of parent teachers hope to have! As for those of you who think depriving children of food or supplies is a just punishment for the poverty of their parents, I have nothing to say. I do not believe any teacher hoarded 40 bottles of hand sanitizer for her own use or to sell at flea markets.
I do know teachers who saved empty toilet paper rolls all year so that their children could make a Christmas tree ornament. We cut up plastic egg cartons because we couldn’t afford little pots and grew marigolds from seeds so you mothers would get a Mother’s Day gift. The average teacher spends over $600 a year of his/her own money for classroom supplies. If you saw a teacher at a flea market, they were probably there looking for a bargain, just like you!

By annette

May 24, 2005 03:02 PM | Link to this

I left off the ? I could not believe what I read.Ambergris that isnt funny.

By abc

May 24, 2005 03:06 PM | Link to this

Of course, Ambergris is just a troll, obviously so, not worthy of comment or rebuttal.

By Davis

May 24, 2005 03:09 PM | Link to this

I work in a middle school with 1100 kids.The administration doesnt want to spend a dime on pencil sharpeners etc.but there is money there.We have over 1200 lockers at least 1000 of them is rented yearly for$5.00 each. $5,000.00 not one dime of it is put back into locker repair/pencil sharpeners etc. one custodian even went and bought her own vacuum but the principal doesnt mind taking retreats and even a conference to Toronto for 12 teachers.Then parents are asked to provide the things for the classrooms.

By Think

May 24, 2005 03:10 PM | Link to this

Jennifer, well said. I was one of five. We were not rich but we never did without. Next year’s supply list would benefit everyone. Those that need to spread out the expense and shop for better prices and to help avoid the mad rush at the beginning of a new school year.

Some of these comments are vicious! I don’t know anyone that would deny helping someone in need, but it does make it hard when you see a $100 pair of shoes on someone’s feet that gets a free lunch.

I believe most teachers actually want to help kids learn. I also believe that government has way too much involvement. Too many regulations, too many people at the Central Office making BIG bucks that should be spent in the schools and on teacher salaries. You can’t tell me that any teacher got into teaching for the money… The schedule is great, but the money sure isn’t. The teacher is not the enemy, work with them; you might find they are people too. If you are nice to them, they are nicer to you and your child. Think about it!

By ambergris

May 24, 2005 03:11 PM | Link to this

Take up supplies from the kids and hoard them back you greedy grubby teachers.I want to be a teacher i want to change a life I want summers off I dont want to work gimme gimme gimme

By Think

May 24, 2005 03:16 PM | Link to this

Ambergris, would just love to know what grade you got to n school, what do you do and how many kids do you have?

By abc

May 24, 2005 03:20 PM | Link to this

I think the common phrase is “don’t feed the trolls”, maybe they’ll get bored and just go away.

By mt

May 24, 2005 03:21 PM | Link to this

Jennifer,

I would be more than glad to help the few families that are struggling due to a major illness, accident or death in his/her family. I have actually contributed needed supplies to many children when there was an actual need. Out of a class of twenty kids one or two families might have a legitimate excuse for not being able to buy the needed school supplies. My experience with sending items to school has been a very bad one. My son was not allowed to use the supplies that he brought to school. He was either denied the right or told that the item was gone. If every parent participated by sending what is on the supply list each kid would have them available in his/her cubby or locker. The school could do a collection drive to collect supplies for those who really needed them and cannot afford them. I should not have to supply an entire class of twenty and other families should not either.

By Teacher, Too

May 24, 2005 03:32 PM | Link to this

By KB

May 24, 2005 03:48 PM | Link to this

Jennifer,

I agree with MT. Sure, there are people out there who really need help. However, the are the exception, not the rule. I don’t mind giving people with a true need a hand-up. I’m sick and tired of being forced to give hand-outs to those who refuse to help themselves. The main reason that people get into financial trouble is through their own bad decisions. Many of the “working poor” made the choice to stay poor by having children in the first place. I will never understand why someone working a minimum wage job seems to think it’s OK to have children.

Personally, I am an only parent of 2 young children. Their father died unexpectedly. Due to good prior planning, though I am unable to stay at home with them, I am able to support them myself without assistance. My sister is a breast cancer survivor. Even with good insurance, out of pocket expenses were very high. Her family is doing just fine financially. I am one of 7 children myself. I had a stay at home mom and a dad (who had serious health problems which forced him to retire early) with a modest income. When you pay attention to where your money goes, (and how many people you’re trying to support) you can pay for basics like food, shelter and school supplies - on top of the property taxes you’re already paying for the schools.

Luck has NOTHING to do with it. Good planning and smart decision making have EVERYTHING to do with it.

By Borus

May 25, 2005 09:05 AM | Link to this

I’m a student and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with asking kids to supply own our paper, notebooks, pens, pencils, etc. And, if you are in an ELECTIVE class and that class requires triangles, paints, or whatever, you should have to buy your own as well.

Kids in high school are terribly destructive. I really hate to see what they do to our school. I asked a teacher about it and she said there’s nothing the school can really do unless they catch the kid on tape.

Our school is less than three years old. It shouldn’t look like it’s been through the war because some people can’t control their urge to cut into desks with keys.

Another thing…lots of the kids who are on free lunch in my school wear designer clothes, expensive tennis shoes and carry $300 cell phones. When I was on free lunch (because my mother was very ill and could not work) I wore the same five outfits each week.

I don’t think it’s fair that these people are getting free stuff when they can clearly afford it.

By Ernest

May 25, 2005 10:11 AM | Link to this

Several brought up good points about possible ‘hazardous conditions’ created by having liquid soap in bathrooms. I also applaud teachers that encourage children to frequently wash their hands during the day as this reinforces the idea of cleanliness while hopefully reducing the likelihood of illness.

Speaking of bathrooms, I recently visited one of the newer middle schools in DeKalb and noticed painted drywall instead of tile for the walls. I thought this was strange. Do any of you examine the bathroom conditions at your children’s schools? If so, what do you think of them?

By Mary

May 25, 2005 10:32 AM | Link to this

I don’t think my child actually washed his hands more, just differently. He learned to rely on hand sanitizer at that school. There were scheduled potty breaks, and the children didn’t stray outside of those breaks. But upon departure from the bathroom, a teacher stoodby with sanitizer ready. Really, the school was not run well, in my opinion. Just too strict. Right environment for some kids, wrong for others, you know. This was our first experience seeing a ‘VP of Discipline’ title, too. lol!
At the next school he went to, he totally gave up on bathroom breaks at school and just held it until he returned home. At that school, only one of the stalls would actually lock, and it was hard to get. But, overall, the school was a good experience. Nothing’s perfect. One thing to note regarding all the soap talk. My kid’s a mild to moderate germaphobe. He’s the type of adult that will go home on lunchbreak just to use their own potty. Afterall, he knows where it’s been, and he knows where the soap is. I’m not sure if more kids are like this than I’m aware, but the absence of soap when we moved here was really troubling and totally new. We thought it was just a mistake at first, beginning of school year, maybe supplies didn’t come in, etc. But, no.

By Ernest

May 25, 2005 11:00 AM | Link to this

Mary:

The fact there are AP of Disciplines at most schools is a sign of the times. I’d prefer to see another teacher to reduce class sizes.

Regarding your son’s experience with the bathroom, a former school facilities made it difficult for that ‘private moment’ one needs. He would also ‘hold it’ and I became concerned about possible health problems from that. I examined the facilities then wrote a letter to the principal requesting it be addressed immediately. I’m glad to say, it was taken care of the next day. In hindsight, it should not have come to that but parents do have power. I hope we use the power wisely for the benefit of the children.

By Karen

May 27, 2005 10:26 AM | Link to this

Public School is NOT FREE school, and your tax dollars do not supply all of the consumables your kids use. I think sending the supply list home now is a great idea, because there are so many start up expenses at the beginning of the school year. There are great sales that start in late July and if you stock up on extra notebook paper, pencils, pens, tissues, etc., then you will have enough for the school year for your student and some to spare.

While I always wanted my kids to have their own supplies that they picked out, I always sent more to the teacher to cover for the kids who had less than they needed. I am not a teacher, just a mom who volunteered for years in my kids’ schools. Throughout the year, it doesn’t cost that much to occasionaly send a box of tissues, some pencils, or a package of copy paper to your childrens’ teachers.

If you are miserly in your attitude, and resent sending in supplies, then your kids will adopt that negative thinking. However, if you are generous with these small contributions, and your attitude is positive, then your children will also develop a generous spirit.