Who Has the Most Influence on Back-to-School Purchases?

I know. There was a student caught stealing. Said student had another student's book order books in his/her desk, admitted to teacher that he/she took them, but told parents it was a mystery how the books got there. It was also a mystery how the library book which had disappeared the day I had a sub--brand new book, so I knew it was missing as soon as I got back, was in the desk, but not checked out. Parent rose hell and accused school of picking on precious.

"Here's the real kicker: Kid doesn't bring supplies, but parents always have the latest cell phone. Kid has video game system at home. Kid's clothes may be crap, but you can bet your booties that the parent isn't dressed in crap" Kid has plasma tv in his bedroom. Mom tells kid to rip his pants more because they will be able to get a nicer pair (free) if they are torn just a wee bit more.

I really hate the communal school supplies. Every parent teacher meeting I go to I make sure my kids teachers know it.

I hate them, too, other than possibly pencils and paper and tissue. My school doesn't have them, that I know of. Students might pool pencils and possibly paper, but the rest--scissors, glue, markers, crayons, etc., are marked with the students' names and go home at the end of the year. I wonder what the schools do with all the leftover crayons, markers, glue and scissors. Supplies which might possibly enrich a kid's summer are what? Dumped?

You know I never thought of that.

I'll ask my kids when I get home. My oldest is taking an elective class this summer. (200 bucks for almost 3 weeks) Why? To cut costs, they are shortening the school day and getting rid of a class. To we are paying for electives this summer so she can get classes that she "needs". Needless to say I am furious and have written an email to every school board member and my local politicians at all levels. I also work with a person that is on a personal basis with half of the members. I express my views to her in hopes she can relay them..

I moved into this school system 10-15 years ago because it was the best in the state. Now it is slowly turning into fodder. Every board meeting I stand up and "as I hold up a red pen" say give me the budget I will red line everything unnecessary.. even your car allowance. I know they hate it when I stand up.

I was totally ticked when I found out my granddaughters could not take their school supplies home. Both are very artistic and would have used those crayons, markers, etc. It really torqued me about the scissors. I got each a good brand which should have lasted their elementary career or until they needed bigger ones, but they were kept by the school. Totally pissed me off. If you want kids to buy scissors, have them buy one year and keep 'em or pass on a certain number of pairs.

You should walk in on the last day with your receipt and claim your property.

I'd be the deadbeat simply because I would refuse to buy for the commune. Or I'd label everything. It doesn't actually belong to the school. They have no authority to keep it.

Some things are logical: Kids are going to use paper, pencils and erasers. Probably, by the end of the year, a kid will have used up most, if not all, of the stuff. Scissors, crayons, and markers are another story. Kids do not break their scissors and need new ones at the end of the year. Even glue, I can see a teacher keeping, because usually, a teacher keeps a big bottle of glue and refills the student bottles as needed.

When crayons, markers, and scissors are community, the students have no vested interest in keeping them in good condition. They'll break them, steal them, lose them, and generally, be careless with them. I guess when kids do not bring materials, I would call parents and tell them that the student cannot do the work expected. The sales at the beginning of school mean that for a few dollars, a kid can at the least, get the pencils and paper needed. I get a little tired of the attitude that the world in general owes something to those who choose not to send supplies.

I agree. I suppose it can be an early lesson on the tragedy of the commons. However, giving all to the collective is a terrible lesson about sharing, respecting and taking good care of another's property.

People have to be a lot more dedicated and saintly to share and share alike than is usual in humans.

I don't remember that being such a problem in school...or now. I find most people are willing to share or provide help.

It's a little different when kids don't have some sort of 'ownership' in the materials. What I find when I put out baskets of supplies (usually pencils, erasers and paper) is that kids often wantonly destroy them--break the pencils, steal or destroy the erasers. It's like it doesn't belong to them personally, because all classes use the baskets of materials, so they don't really care about it. I used to have rainbow crayons for the primary grades to use. There were enough so that each child could use one, if they chose, but within a week of putting in the crayon drawers, they dwindled to 2 (from 4 to 5), then to 1 and finally totally disappeared. This was in the first month of school. Won't buy them anymore.

Public schools? Heck I wish I spent as much on my children than my wife spends on her schools kids throughout the year for school supplies.

Heck they won't even buy her copy paper anymore. That comes out of our money.

Parents supply that stuff here. Teachers get a classroom allowance and the admin side gets a HUGE chunk to cover papers, copies and such.

Local school teacher have it pretty good here, they cry and complain, but if you look at what they buy for their classrooms out of their own money, it is decorations or banners that the school did not approve the purchase of.

I wish they would take everything but the blackboard out, and give the teachers chalk. and erasers. period.

Fancy-ing up the rooms hasn't forwarded education nor improved test scores, it is just another thing teachers can grip about spending "their" money on. And parents buy all the supplies. From paper towels to hand sanitizer to kleenex, to markers for panaboards.

The ADMIN side of public schools costs nearly as much as the school side. I wish the teachers would go bitch about THAT fact, rather then whine about having to pay $35 a month for family healthcare or pay 15% contribution to their OWN retirement, rather then taxpayers funding all of it.

"I wish they would take everything but the blackboard out, and give the teachers chalk. and erasers. period. " Can't.. they wouldn't get the same grant next year.

"The ADMIN side of public schools costs nearly as much as the school side. I wish the teachers would go bitch about THAT fact" My wife does. We recently went to my youngest for lunch (she wanted McDonalds on the last day and I missed something she had for parents -she was sad). They had three lunch ladies that "patrolled" the cafeteria giving out little pieces of paper with upbeat sayings on them. I thought how much does this cost? I asked my wife if her school did this. Her school has teachers "patrolling".

I do wish it was 35 bucks a month for healthcare. My wife's is the old typical 80/20. She has also taken a pay cut over the next 3 years. Also her retirement is a 100% match into. One way to look at it is if 200 a month is put into retirement she pays 50%. We are also on our last year of purchasing her retirement because she taught in a different state. That was 40k we had to pay in.

The school system is a joke. It is going to continue to be a joke. The real place kids need to look is at their parents. Sadly 50% of the parents can't read either.

I sacrifice everything to pay my daughters tuition. I drive a 7 year old car, my hubby drives a 12 year old truck, we live in a very modest home and we take NO vacations. We go out to eat once every 3 months or so, unless the father in law is paying. I do not buy myself a lot in clothes (2 shirts and a pair of jeans a year on average). BUT my daughter is getting a good education, and not a moron level, lowest common denominator education. Her school puts kids OUT who cannot handle the load, or make passing grades.

I WISH I could take a vacay, or get a new wardrobe, but I KNOW tuition is due at the first of every month. Good side, her school has a 100% college placement/graduation rate. and nearly all of them scholarship.

I wish you daughter well.

I graduated from a school where my graduating class had the highest % of grads and highest number of grads ever. It was 65%. and 90 students.

Yeah my clothes are old. My car is as old as your husbands. I spend all my money on my kids. I know it will be worth it. It is what gets me through it.

Thanks, so far she is a straight A student. She just graduated 6th grade. I will work another job if I have to to keep her there. It is such a great school, and I WANT her to have a lot better chance at a bright future.

Good luck to you with yours.

As always my thanks Lanikai.

PLEASE! I just got out of school. Don't start talking about back to school...

Hey, I'm a teacher and just got out. I don't want to talk about it, either. One year when we got out later than usual, the week after I'd finished, I walked into a store putting up back to school displays. Depressing!

That really sucks. It never ends.

Retail is going to get EVERY penny they can.

AMEN!

But now is when you should start shopping for deals, this is the best time to get the supplies and organize them, to get the deals AND beat the crowds, AND get the best notebook/keeper styles.

Don't you just hate it when the start having back to school ads 2 months before school?

and teachers.

teachers give a list of what to get, and i show my parents the list and we get exactly what is on it.

Don't you choose what you want within the list? For example, if it says crayons or markers, don't you choose which?

For that my parents would most likely just get both lol

They hand out lists of exactly what they want

kids get what they want..