I live in North Carolina and my daughter is in elementary school. Her school supply list at first seemed basic to me and then towards the bottom of the list they asked for disposable cameras, toilet paper, bandaids, paper towels? I didn't make ant sense to me. I thought that they used crayons and pencils and paper and other learning materials. Should I complain to the school system about them asking for things I can't see a 3rd grader needing to use. Ok maybe the toilet paper she will use but come on, what do my tax dollars pay for?
2006-08-12 14:51:46 · 14 answers · asked by angelsforanimals 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Primary & Secondary Education
It is not that I can't afford to buy the supplies. I am trying to understand why I have to buy supplies that my child won't be using for school. Tax dollars should pay for the toilet paper. I also buy snacks for the classroom, but that is something I do for the kids willingly.
2006-08-12 15:01:51 · update #1
I know what you mean. I have lived in Pennsylvania for the last two years and was very shocked to find out that I do not have to buy school supplies or pay a book fee. The PTO's here raise enough money through out the year that they help the school pay for these items. I previously lived in Texas and Indiana, and I had to buy my girls supplies plus pay a book fee, plus pay extra for snacks, and pay for field trips and all kinds of little "extras". The taxes are not really any higher here than in either of the other states.
2006-08-12 17:21:50 · answer #1 · answered by elfn'magic 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm a teacher, and if I want tissues for my room, I either have to buy them or ask the kids for them. I can get band-aids from the clinic, and I buy paper towels, because the brown paper ones I can get from the custodians don't cut it. I've just spent around $150 for school stuff I know I'll need, and the 2006-2007 budget money for consumables and teacher supplies (including paper clips, staples etc) won't be open up until mid-sept if we're lucky. (I get about $100 a year for 150 students.) The only supplies in the building I can use freely are the bulletin board paper and the laminator, and I can copy for my classroom (at one time I had a paper budget, too, and when that ran out, I bought my own paper!) File folders, pens, art supplies, etc. all come out of my budget or my pocket, so I have no compunction asking the kids for a box of tissues so the class can have tissues, and some basic supplies (lined paper, folder, dry erase marker--we have mini-white boards to use--pen, pencil, box of tissues and a pkg. of colored pencils/markers/crayons to put in a box for their class to use). Oh yes, and I provide basic supplies for any kid that doesn't have it (again, out of my own pocket. loose leaf paper is not an approved purchase...)
If you call the principal or the teacher, maybe you will find out that some of the supplies are necessary and some are more of a "wish list" type item.
2006-08-13 08:05:10 · answer #2 · answered by frauholzer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes, it is amazing how much we are requested to buy. But, keept that in mind. All school supply lists are requests, not required ( at least in all the states I've been to). Having parents get these items are a way teachers can make sure the kids get all they need. Too frequently, schools run low or out of certain items before the year is over..with no money left to restock. The disposable camera is probably for a scrapbook or some type of memory maker. It's great when teachers have fun and different ideas to make the year special. It may seem like a pain at the beginning, but it'll be worth it later.
2006-08-13 00:14:20 · answer #3 · answered by hawaiianfamily4 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I used to teach in Mexico. The students have to buy their books, paper, pencils, and are expected to leave a tip ( bonus, incentive $ etc. ) for the teacher every week. The school system in Mexico is supposed to be free to all children, but if the parents don't find some way to pay the "administrators" and some of the teachers who ask for it, the kids will be ignored. The parents are also expected to give teachers money when it comes times for grades. Many students get through the education process because the parents have bought the grades for their children so they move to the next level. I taught at the university level, and students and their parents offered me money for grades. So anyway, I thought you might find the comparison interesting.
2006-08-12 22:03:52 · answer #4 · answered by commonsense 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would contact the school and ask for an explanation....
are the bandaids you provide reserved for your child's use only or will they be used for any child who needs one?
If they are for your child's use then it is a simple matter of labelling the bandaids with your child's name and then asking for them bak at the end of the year... same with the other items...
Honestly I can see where providing some of the consumables that children tend to be wasteful of would assist the school by allowing them to put their money into more useful things like teahing aids and better teaching methods.. etc...
your child wipes their hands...
needs to use the toilet
may slip and graze a knee
and I don't know what the disposable camera is for but ti maybe that the teacher would like to photograph your child in activities throughout the year and return the camera to you for developing so your child has a photographic record of their year at school...
Ask the school...
2006-08-12 22:24:09 · answer #5 · answered by wollemi_pine_writer 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I cannot say honestly of North Carolina, however the schools now days do try and cover all emergency situations.(paper towels in case of sudden spill, or soiling of clothes.)Band-aids for personal private use if needed. The camera? That is a new one on me. The changing times and mismanaged school funds has created a vacuum for the parent. A deep pocket void if you will and it only gets worse as they progress through the system. Unfortunately your tax dollars do not get very much, a few cents on the dollar is all you can expect.
2006-08-12 22:11:50 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes! Its very ridiculous. I remember when I was in elementary/middle school and we had those damn list that teachers would bribe students to bring tissues/paper towles, etc. By giving them free points on a grade or something like that. I mean really all these kids really need are notebooks, pen/pencils, maybe their own crayons, a ruler, and a bookbag. The school should provide the rest of the stuff.
2006-08-12 22:03:58 · answer #7 · answered by . 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, I live in NC also. I didn't mind supplying all these items. They asked for baby wipes, paper plates and I had to provide snacks every 20 days for the whole class. I usually get the stuff from Walmart which is very reasonable. If we didn't provide these things, then the teacher would have to and their salaries aren't very good as it is.
2006-08-12 21:55:23 · answer #8 · answered by Pinolera 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
On the other hand, if the school supplied them, your taxes would be even more ridiculous. Some of these items, it sounds like your school board has had law suits over illnesses that were passed on by a common source of paper towels, etc so they introduced a policy of making each child supply its own toiletries so that it would not pass on disease. What do you expect in the land of 'sue me sue you'.
2006-08-12 22:02:00 · answer #9 · answered by St N 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Buy the stuff.
The toilet paper might be for some art project you don't know about yet.
If you don't buy band-aids, how will your child learn how to use them?
It sounds like your child is going to a really nice school -- teaching the kids to use things! Support the program enthusiastically -- and be glad you weren't asked to buy a laptop computer and a cellphone!!
2006-08-12 22:48:49 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋