Re: Spinoff to buying school supplies...

Re: Spinoff to buying school supplies...

Re: Spinoff to buying school supplies...

Re: Spinoff to buying school supplies...

Posted by KarenG2003

Posted by beautyq115

Posted by KarenG2003

I happen to teach in a school in a low socioeconomic area. Let me tell you, although there are people who reside there who truly are just making ends meet, there are also some people who need to get their priorities straight! At Thanksgiving time, my school holds a food drive, and we assemble baskets for families that can't afford a decent Thanksgiving dinner. Well, NOTHING makes me more angry than when some of these families drive up to the school in their LUXURY CARS and SUVS to pick up their baskets!!

Now, I'm not saying that this is the norm, but it does happen! On the other hand, as I stated earlier, there are families who truly need the support, who are trying their hardest with 2 and 3 jobs to make ends meet. I guess you just have to hope that the people who are getting the help are the ones who TRULY need it!

I wonder if you teach in the same school district as my aunt does, she said the same thing about the baskets.

Also in her district the kids were given free toys or jackets or something (brandnew) and some of the parents had the nerve to call up and complain that they didn't like what they were given...unbelieveable

YES! She's probably in the same district as me, if not in the same building! The toys she was alluding to might have been the Christmas toys we buy for needy families....

Re: Spinoff to buying school supplies...

I feel the pain for those of you that have little kids in school now. I can remember having anxiety about the school supply list when I was a single Mom. Back then we had to wait until school started to get the list & there would always be a few oddball items, like very specific pricey binders or something that would sell out fast & it was impossible to try to get a good deal when I had to rush home from work, pick up my son & his list & rush to Staples to fight the crowds for whatever was left.
I'm sure some of you that work in the school system know that "middle class" districts ENCOURAGE people to sign up for free or reduced lunch. I remember the school principle INSISTING that I fill out the application because I was a single mom. I'll never forget the explaination " you know having students receive free lunch benefits the school too"
I didn't because my son brought lunch from home almost everyday. I'm sure that plenty of people that don't NEED free lunch might be swayed into signing up though.

Here's my feeling on this, kids need to learn, they need supplies to do it. I personally shop in stores that give free supplies for purchases, like king kullen for example-I shopped there twice for myself & once for my grandmother during the week the gave free school supplies away & I donated that stuff plus other free or deeply discounted school supply stuff I got to the church. They make up backpacks for kids that need them. There were MANY years of my life I was in no position to help & barely was able to support myself & child, now I'm thrilled to do what I can.
The sadness or disappointment a child must feel when they don't have school supplies must be terrible, their parents are failures if they'd rather drive a luxury car than provide for their child. Its not up to me to try to fix that.
I'd be much more moved if some of our double & triple dipping superintendents donated part of their gigantic salary towards school supplies.

Re: Spinoff to buying school supplies...

Posted by beautyq115

Posted by KarenG2003

Posted by beautyq115

Posted by KarenG2003

I happen to teach in a school in a low socioeconomic area. Let me tell you, although there are people who reside there who truly are just making ends meet, there are also some people who need to get their priorities straight! At Thanksgiving time, my school holds a food drive, and we assemble baskets for families that can't afford a decent Thanksgiving dinner. Well, NOTHING makes me more angry than when some of these families drive up to the school in their LUXURY CARS and SUVS to pick up their baskets!!

Now, I'm not saying that this is the norm, but it does happen! On the other hand, as I stated earlier, there are families who truly need the support, who are trying their hardest with 2 and 3 jobs to make ends meet. I guess you just have to hope that the people who are getting the help are the ones who TRULY need it!

I wonder if you teach in the same school district as my aunt does, she said the same thing about the baskets.

Also in her district the kids were given free toys or jackets or something (brandnew) and some of the parents had the nerve to call up and complain that they didn't like what they were given...unbelieveable

YES! She's probably in the same district as me, if not in the same building! The toys she was alluding to might have been the Christmas toys we buy for needy families....

Dying to know if it is...sending FM

Message edited 8/24/2008 10:21:05 PM.

Re: Spinoff to buying school supplies...

Re: Spinoff to buying school supplies...

Browneyedgirl and KarenG brought up two points and I don't know how to double quote.

BEG remarked that she has communal supplies. I too believe that this is important. When it comes to glue, glue sticks, crayons, markers and tissues/paper towels, what's yours is mine and what's mine is yours. They learn to share and it helps a lot when you have the one kid in October who has already lost his glue.

In regards to KarenG...YES. I have seen it, too. Children who get free lunch and the paperwork proves the money is not there, yet mom is wearing Chanel sunglasses and carrying a LV purse. Fake? Maybe, but it's hard to fake an Acura, too. Then there is the single working mom who makes $1200 more than the cutoff and pays a fortune out of pocket.

Re: Spinoff to buying school supplies...

In regards to the original poster, as a teacher, i just thought i would comment on the supplies issue. i hear you! it is hard! i know i always try to put on the list ONLY things that are honestly going to be used and things that aren't already supplied by the school. I also ask for some things to be used as communal items. it might sound "unfair" but honestly, there are items such as tissues, anti-bac wipes, etc. are things i request to keep the room clean and healthy and they're items that we ALL use and share, so they are split amongst the class. i tihnk it teaches a good lesson about community resources and sharing. also, know how it feels when one kid has and the other doesn't? tell me what a teacher should do when joey loses his pencils by the end of September and is upset and/or can't participate in the lesson? this is why many of us pool the supplies so there is enough for everyone.

also, re: the other posters comments, this thread is starting to sound like the one from last week re: socio-economic status and benefits. the bottom line is we DON'T KNOW people's life stories. yes, it is frustrating when you bust you as s for your kids to have the basics and then you see others milking the system and then saunter in with designer this and designer that. there will ALWAYS, unfortunately, be people milking the system. however, that is not everyone. just because a child has deisgner sneaker doesn't necessarily mean those parents have their prioirites messed up. it might mean that, but maybe they were a gift from someone or she got them on clearance at TJ Maxx. We just don't know.

Unfortuntately, it may be that more "milk" the system, then don't, but you never know the struggles of others.

And something to think about: I remember reading a Dear Abby column years ago and someone wrote in about being ****** off about seeing a woman spend her food stamps on a huge cake, soda and other party foods, i.e. junk food. the writer thought that this was not right nor an appropriate use of food stamps. a few weeks later, that Mom who bought all those foods using public assitstance wrote in. She said, yes, she did use her food stamps in that way, but her daughter was on her death bed, dying from cancer. she wanted to give her one more happy birthday, and bought those things for what turned out to be that little gir's last birthday ever. Sometimes things are more than they seem.

Re: Spinoff to buying school supplies...

I don't know if my district does this - but if they do not - I hope they start.

I purposely send my kids to school with extra supplies just in case someone's mom forgot.

It costs a little extra money and maybe it will go to someone who has parents that are just too lazy to buy supplies or who don't have a proper concept of budgeting or maybe the supplies will go to a child who's parents just got sick of feeling taken advantage of by the system. Whatever it is - it's not the child's fault. They need to learn and they need the tools to do it. And as long as I have a little extra - I don't mind sharing.

And yeah - I've been called a 'sucker' before. But it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

Message edited 8/25/2008 7:13:52 AM.

Re: Spinoff to buying school supplies...

Posted by rojerono

I don't know if my district does this - but if they do not - I hope they start.

I purposely send my kids to school with extra supplies just in case someone's mom forgot.

It costs a little extra money and maybe it will go to someone who has parents that are just too lazy to buy supplies or who don't have a proper concept of budgeting or maybe the supplies will go to a child who's parents just got sick of feeling taken advantage of by the system. Whatever it is - it's not the child's fault. They need to learn and they need the tools to do it. And as long as I have a little extra - I don't mind sharing.

And yeah - I've been called a 'sucker' before. But it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

Re: Spinoff to buying school supplies...

I dont mind supporting my dd's school especially if someone has a legitimate need. I also feel that the way they organized things sounds like everyone is pitching in b/c if not they make you pay a $50 fee if you dont want to bring your stuff in (its a private school).

On a diff note my hubby teaches in a "tough" area and kids come in with no pens, paper etc but they come to school with their cell, ipods and blackberry. For a long time we would go to back to school shopping for his class now its like umm yeah I dont think so they and their families need to get their own!!!

Re: Spinoff to buying school supplies...

I honestly think the lists are out of control. We just spent $100 on school supplies (not clothing) for one child and he is in 6th grade!

I think the schools need to be a little more conservative when it comes to what a child needs for learning. How am I supposed to teach my child to not be wasteful and to know the difference between want and need when the schools require so much unneccesary stuff?

Why does DC need 5 specific brand folders per class (each class color coded)? 15 glue sticks (to be given to teacher at the beginning of the year) Specific brand markers, pens and pencils? 5 yellow high lighters, specific book covers? Seriously? We used brown paper grocery bags when I was a kid, they were free and they lasted LONGER than the REQUIRED book covers. Lysol wipes and tissues for the class should be provided by the district, not the student. The list went on and on and on.

I understand charity and am deeply involved in charitable orgainziations in my town, I am the VP of a 200+ member guild that makes blankets for orphans, teen parents, single mothers, veterans, cancer patients - anyone who needs it. I do not agree with supporting waste; in my opinion the schools are being wasteful.

My parents had 7 kids, my mom was a teacher, there is no way they would have been able to afford the lists of today.

Re: Spinoff to buying school supplies...

When I taught in NYC, I always spent tons of money on supplies. You would be shocked to see how quickly certain things can be used up. I tried not to go overboard with the supplies list, because I knew it can be hard on people with a lot of kids in school. It can be a tough situation.

Now I live in the Boston area. Our local Staples has teamed up with the middle school in our area. They got the supplies list from the school and made up boxed sets of supplies for grades 6,7, & 8. The most expensive one is $50. You go into the store, pick up 1 box and you are done with school supply shopping. Plus the school gets a few extra boxes to give to families who need the help.

I wish more stores did that.