School Supplies

I understand completely what you saying and I agree. I have 3 to shop for so I have stopped sending all the extras and only what I know they will need and keep the rest at home. And I have stopped buying the supplies that the teachers need as I feel that they get more then needed and can buy some of their own supplies.

I agree and I have had the same experience (kids not getting new stuff when they ask the teacher) and the same thoughts. I, too, understand the need for providing extras, but my other complaint is what happens to all the extras that are left over at the end of the school year. One year my daughter used the same box of markers all year long, but we didn't get one back at the end of the year. So what happened to the other one? Do the teachers just keep this stuff from year-to-year, building a stock pile. Are there that many kids that don't have school supplies? We live in a pretty affluent area and district. I just can't imagine that anyone is going without. I don't think it's selfish to feel this way. I have three kids in school right now and just to get them ready for school it is at least $800 with clothes and all the supplies. That's a lot for us to come up with at one time.

Have you ever asked the teacher about the kids saying they need something and being told "no"? I only say that b/c my daughter told me the teacher said she can't have scratch paper to do her math work on for tests, and when talking to the teacher, she said that was absolutely false. I also can see a kid saying they need a new pencil and maybe the teacher sees that the pencil is only 1/2 used and so says no in an effort to conserve supplies. I would talk to the teacher about it, in a calm, non accusatory manner and maybe you'll get a better perspective. I keep getting the supplies from the school supply pack, but at $100 a pop, it does get expensive! I also hate getting notebooks back and the end of the year that only have a few pages used in them, but we just tear out the pages that have been used and use them over the summer for writing and drawing.

I've been watching these responses for two days and I have to admit that some of them have really burned me up. I am a "former" second grade teacher that is staying at home to raise her own - I have a 10 year old that is starting 5th grade tomorrow and twin boys that will start school in two years so I have bought school supplies for 6 years now. I can not believe the hostility and complete lack or respect some of the responders have shown to teachers in general. Some have made teachers sound like stingy thieves whose goal in life is to see how many notebooks and markers they can store up in their secret closets. Give me a freaking break! It's attitudes like these plus undisciplined students that make me so happy I didn't deprive my kids of my full time attention to continue working full time in the classroom. Sheesh... You can be guaranteed that your children's teachers will spend far more than you do each and every year of his/her teaching career for your child as well as his/her classmates. And with most teachers making under $35K a year, it's a huge financial sacrifice for them as well. Bottom line is, if you don't understand why something is happening, then just ask, don't assume the worst. And about the idea of community supplies, I don't have all night to write a long response to that one but there are very valid and organizational reasons why it is done by the majority of teachers in the younger grades. In a nutshell, it teaches cooperation, sharing, social responsibilty to take care of the group resources and provides easier organization for the teachers. It does wonders to dispel some of that "mine, mine, mine!!" that leads to selfishness.
If I have sounded harsh, I apologize but it really bothers me to hear such negativity about a profession that at one time cost me financially, physically and emotionally. The system isn't perfect but there are billions of people on this planet that would give a limb to have their children be a part of it.

I would also like to add that at my daughter's school, at the end of the year, all of the "leftover" and still good condition school supplies were donated to underprividged classrooms in Mexico. I was shocked when I saw all the the items stacked against the walls the last week of school. But I wasn't thinking "damn, look at all that money we wasted buying that stuff!", I was thinking, "wow, some teachers in Mexico are going to feel like they hit the lottery in their classrooms!" It would be a much better world if we had a giving attitude ALL the time and not just when there are hurricanes or tornados that need us to help out poor unfortunate people who don't have anything.

WOW! I am appalled at all of the negative comments about Texas, the school districts, the teachers and the PTA. I must admit that I have never lived anywhere except Texas, but I do know that we are one of the few states that do not pay income tax. The cost of living in Texas is much less than most other states and if you don't believe that, then see how much house you can get elsewhere for the same price. So I am happy to spend $100 for my child to have school supplies if needed.

My experience has been that they only share the supplies in the lower elementary. By third grade or so, the child should have their own labeled supplies. I have bought supplies through PTA and on my own and have never spent over $60.

I know that there are some bad teachers out there, but most of them are working very hard for very low pay. They are dealing with angry parents, misbehaving children and difficult government guidelines. The teachers that stay with it, do it because they love to work with kids. We have lost many good teachers because they know they can make a lot more money for a lot less grief elsewhere. Most teachers spend several hundred dollars of their own money for supplies in the classroom. To suggest that they are hoarding supplies is unbelievable.

At our schools, the kids are given the leftover supplies at the end of the year. Many of them don't even bother to bring them home. Most teachers are trying to teach their students to be responsible for their own things. I would definitely question the teacher, if your kids are saying they are not given the supplies they need.

I suggest that each of you become involved in your school and find ways to improve the problems. We can all gripe and complain about things, but very few actually try to remedy the situation. Get to know the teachers and find out the supplies that they require, instead of buying the "school district list." Our school has their own list of supplies for each grade and it is posted on the web site. I didn't think anyone would go and buy the supplies that are posted at Walmart for your school district.

I understand your frustrations, but before you attack the integrity of your teachers, you need to walk a day in their shoes. I personally don't think they could pay me enough to be a teacher in today's society.

Sorry, but I felt someone needed to defend our teachers.

Walgreens has comp. books on sale for .99 this week goto their website...to see their ad. also goto office supply store websites and view their ads for this week for BIG sales! office depot/ office max/staples
Also buy extra if things are on SALE so that you can give them to your kiddos if they ask for more later in the year. I would also speak to the teacherabout your concerns and see what her/the system is...
good luck!
oh-- 1 more thing you can take all the ads to WAl-mart and they will match all the discounted prices...so you won't have to shop at every store!

Hi T.,
I'm a 2nd year high school teacher & my oldest daughter just strated the second grade. I really understand BOTH sides...as a parent, I somehow missed the boat on the PTA supplies...let me tell you, I'll never do that again! I know I spent way more than what the PTA charges, mostly because I buy supplies for her & my STUDENTS. I was very naive last year...I thought that every family would be able to buy the basic school supplies that their child needs. Unfortunately, that is just not the case. Last year, as a 1st year teacher, totally out of my own, unreimbursed pocket, purchased 150 notebooks, lots of markers, scissors, glue sticks, highlighters, supply boxes, hand sanitizer, paper towels, hand soap, loose leaf paper, pens, pencils, etc (really I can't remember all...my husband sure can though!) We got $200 for the year, at approved vendors, which sometimes aren't the cheapest (not WALMART) to purchase all of our supplies, industrial pencil sharpener, files folders, file bins...you get the idea. As a teacher, I spent an inordinate amount of time whittling the necessary school supplies to the minimum. And yet, I know that some of my students won't be able to buy them...so again I purchased them myself. This seems to be the norm.
Help a poor teacher out...I did alternative certification to become a Chemistry teacher at a great reduction in salary from what I made in the field. I LOVE MY JOB!!! But we need as much help as we can get! How can a teacher be solely responsible for the supply needs of 150 students???

wow, you have had quite a lot of responses already but i just had to throw my 2 cents in.
i taught kindergarten in texas for 2 years before staying home with my daughter. i cannot even add up how much of my own money i spent on additional classroom supplies and most of my students came to school with all of their supplies. i can only speak from my own experience, but i never had large quantities of school supplies left over at the end of the year. most of the items that were left over were either divided up and sent home or they were used to replace the centers supplies that all of the kids use. if you have questions about how the supplies are used or why you need several of the same itmes (like composition notebooks), i'm sure your child's teacher would be happy to share that information with you. most likely, there is a very good reason why you need the items on the list and if not, then it's definitely something to discuss with the teacher, principal and/or pta. every school district in texas is different and every school is managed differently as well. i would just encourage you not to become frusterated with your child's teacher before talking with him/her about your concerns. as for your child getting lower grades for not having supplies or not being given new supplies when asked, i would also clarify that with the current teacher and perhaps even the teacher from last year, just to be sure. it could be a responsibility lesson more than a hoarding issue. i realize that i too will probably have some sticker shock when i start shopping for the kindergarten supply list for my daughter in 3 years, but i have faith that the teachers will not be asking for anything that isn't going to be useful in furthering my child's education.

When we were young, the teacher handed outworksheet after worksheet to be handed in, so we didn't need too many supplies. However, most teachers today feel like they need to do more than that for their students and need the resources to do it. You certainly don't expect the teacher to fork over her hard earned money to buy these supplies. So, who is going to pay for them? The state? The district? Yeah, right! Also, most children do not have room in their desks or lockers to hold all their supplies, so teachers store them away for them. I seriously doubt your children's teachers aren't willing to give your kids new pencils or paper when they need it. Sometimes when children are telling their parents about school they tend to embellish a little or just don't understand that the teacher can't stop whenever they want her/him to in order to get them a pencil. So, give the teacher a break! If you have a problem, call or email the teacher politely. I have two little boys who will be in school soon and will hate to fork over lots of money each school year, but my children's education is worth it and if it makes the teacher's job easier then so be it. We complain too much about teachers instead of giving them the respect they deserve. Just my opinions.

I do understand your frustrations, but I would take the situation, where your child is denied getting a pencil when they need it, to the teacher specifically. When your kids get to college, one book will cost $150 (or more by that time!). Things cost more and I don't think anyone thinks their school is wasting money on things. We all know that teachers spend their own money on a regular basis. Sometimes it just feels good to vent, but your kids education is obviously important to you.

Last year we bought supplies through the PTA for my son who was in 6th grade and he never got any pencils. So all year he was asking for pencils, finding pencils on the floor - the teachers never gave him any. I find this out now because he never thought to tell me last year that he never got the pencils we paid for - I just always thought he was losing everything.

I really dislike the pooling of supplies. I think all kids should be using the supplies their parents purchased for them. It's only fair. If there are kids that are needy then maybe churches or fundraising group at the school and people can help them get supplies for them. But it seems to me like they increase the number of supplies needed by each kid to compensate for the kids who don't purchase anything.

Hi! I save myself the headache every year and just buy the pre-packaged supplies. I use to teach for 6 years and it makes the teacher's lives SO much easier when parents will just buy the prepackaged supplies. I always labeled all the supplies with the child's name on it and put it in storage, so when a child comes to me and needs another glue stick, then I go see if there are any glue sticks with that child's name on it. If not, then I send a note home for the parents to bring a gluestick. I also don't think it's fair to just throw them all in a pile and let all the kids use them.

Here's a hint for you...you are not required to buy supplies in a public school system...so if you wanted to, save the extra supplies at your house until your child needs them and just send what is needed now.

I came from Pennsylvania and we never had to buy any school supplies. All was supplied for us. So coming to Texas it was a bit of a shocker. All we can do is write to those that make the rules and hope something will change.

I understand your frustration. As for the teacher telling your children that they can't have supplies that they need that is unacceptable. I would email the teacher questioning her or him as to why your children are not being given supplies when they request them. If the teacher doesn't respond then go to the assistant principal.

I feel your pain. My husband grew up were they took a pencil to school and that was it, so you can imagine his fit over the cost. I try to get the PTA packs,they really are the most economical. Even some middle school PTA's have them at orientation. The repeat items every year I get on clearance now, so next year I won't have so much to deal with, which helped a lot with just going back to work last week. In response to the budget questions. I know every school is different, but the office person should not be hording (sp) the supplies. Maybe this week until money is released Sept. 1st but that is it. The reason no one has budget right now is the Fiscal year ends August 31, therefore time is needed (this week) to close the books and set the new budget. If you have questions ask the school, you can always go above their head. Good Luck

I agree with you. And add to that the property (school taxes) and you've got to wonder why you are having to buy supplies to begin with?

You know, I have never really thought of it before. I now have 2 kids to buy supplies for and find it a bit of a stress, but I never really questioned the schools needs for these supplies. I do try to buy things as they are on a good sale, I think the most I paid for something was $1.29 for a 100 count wide ruled spiral notebook that I had to search everywhere for! I def. would not pay $3 for a comp. book! I think I paid $.33 for mine this year. I am sure it is frustrating, on top of school clothes etc., and maybe you could go in and ask the teacher to explain these needs more clearly so that you understand what it is your are buying. Also, if it is a financial burden, there are organizations that can help. Sorry I cant be of more help, it is frustraing to see the money flying this time of year, but lets hope that the end result is worth it! ~A.~

I have to say that our PTA sells school supply packs for each grade level. It seems to be the best deal for many reasons.
One, I don't have to run around to different stores to find what we need. And two, our PTA asks the team leader in each grade level what exactly they will nuse the next year and that is what is inside each of our supply packets. I feel bad that these some parents don't want to spend the $35-$55 on the packets and go out and by the ISD's list of supplies which looks MUCH different to what our teacher's want.

School supply shopping was a SHOCK to me, we moved here from California. Where everything and I mean everything is provided except for their Backpack! Yes, we would help the teachers out with things like Kleenex and handywipes. But the shcool districts covered the "Big list". Now to read this, and find out that my supplies are going to be pooled? I dont think so, since everything I bought I have already put my daughters name on. I know from talking to another mom who used to work for the school district that the teachers dont get thier budget money in Plano until September something. What the heck is up with that? Where does all the Tax money and Lotto money go? I dont get it at all. Why is it that the teachers dont get their budget money until after school starts? What is the logic in that?

You're not the only one.

My husband recently started working at Office Depot and as you can imagine, since school starts today here, the place was packed the last couple of days. All of the parents were frustrated as well and even though we don't have kids he realized how ridiculous the lists are.

I'm not sure there's much you can do about not turning items in to the teacher or the amount of items and their cost. The one thing I can think you could do about the teacher not giving your kids items to use that you already paid for is: call the school and leave the teacher a message to call you back. She most likely will and hopefully will have a good reason for not giving things to them.

Good luck to all of you!

What makes me angry is that you don't get anything back! What happens to the pencil boxes that they don't return? I shouldn't have to rebuy that every year.

I bet it was nice to get that off your chest :) I have 5 kids and 3 are in school, so yes I know exactly how you feel. I don't stress over it though. I get my kids what they need not what the school wants and as the year gos by I will replace as they need it. No teacher has ever had a problem with that. As for the underprivileged kids, I donate :) Next year just breathe.

This is the price we pay for living in Texas and having Independent School Districts. My sister's live in Illinois and Nebraska and they don't spend a dime on school supplies. If they attend public school the state supplies those schools with what they need.

I'm with you - it's frustrating, but we need to remember what lessons we're teaching by our behavior. If you're getting frustrated in front of your kid and letting loose where they can hear you then that type of behavior is likely to be mirrored just when you least expect it.

As someone already said - talk to the teacher. Volunteer int eh classroom to see for yourself how things work. The more information you have the less likely you'll be to see things from only your perspective.

Texas has one of the worst school systems in the country.
You can thank former Gov. Bush and now Perry for that.
Maybe if every parent with a concern called Rick Perry he might take more notice. According to parents and teachers there is a big problem with the supplies.
As for paper ...teach your kids exactly where paper comes from and why its so important to conserve.
Teach your kids exactly how to use kleenex etc to their best advantage.
And consider that public school is free(kinda) and they will try to get your money other ways. It is a business, albeit a poorly run one. Hang in there your kids are worth it. And from you they learn how to handle and change things they dont like.

Maybe some of the teachers have started collecting the items because the parents haven't formally objected.

I hear ya, Sister! What really burns me is that our district is considered a 'rich' district, and money is being funneled to other area districts. Why not keep that money in our district and cut our parents and teachers a break on supplies? And the socialist answer to school supplies drives me nuts, too! Especially if it's notebooks or rulers or scissors that your kid chose his/her favorite color, but it just gets dumped into the community resource. Additionally, that prevents the children from learning a sense of responsibility for keeping up with things on their own. Yet another reason my 6th grader is likely going to Texas Tech University ISD starting next week.

I am a former teacher- kindergarten. I will say that we did community supplies- but just so we had supplies around the room, at different areas the children would work at. We actually went through supplies- and sometimes would need some replaced. This is with everyone bringing their supplies in the beginning. I will also say that the money that we would get from the school went to buy other- non consumable supplies- that we would use year after year. I know it is frustrating to spend all that money- I do it too with my kids- but I feel fairly confident in saying that it is probably not to go for kids that don't bring supplies. Those kiddos are working hard, all day, 5 days a week. You gotta think about how long those 24 pencils really last- especially if you ever see how they love sharpening them!

During elementary school years, I always purchased the supplies through the PTA program. It was worth it to me. Elementary schools do pool the supplies.

My daughter is now in 8th grade. When she started middle school, I bought all the supplies listed THEN, after the first day of school, each teacher gave her another list for that class.

SO, for 7th grade and 8th grade, I have minimal supplies that are kept at home because there is no storage at school. We will go back to Staples this week after she gets the list from her new 7 teachers. The lockers are not large enough for her to keep a stash of supplies. She just takes what she needs from my stash at home.

I have NEVER seen unused supplies "dumped". I have been a sub teacher for 8 yrs and that has never happened at our school.

TF

T.,

As a parent I am upset to her about the school supplies issues. I understand how expensive it can get, and it doesn't get any better as they go through their education years. I have always have a lookout for flyers with sales from staples, officemax, and office depot. They usually have penny sale every week up until the first week of school. If you don't mind going to 2 stores a week to get those sales, then you can actually buy all of the school supplies cheap. If you find good deals from these flyers, Wal-Mart will match the price as long as you can find it at Wal-Mart. You should not have to be stressed about this issue. Maybe if the teacher doesn't want to give it back, have a talk with that teacher. If that doesn't work, then go to the principal. Supplies should not be the cause of a grade. I would look at the handbook on grading policy and take some action. As parents we are not made out of money and when times get tough, we just don't have certain things. You do what you have to do. If you want things returned back, then let the teacher know ahead of time and if that doesn't work go to someone that can help you.

As a teacher, I can not hold it against my student's grades if they do not have the necessary supplies. There are programs that help the disadvantage kids that should be at the school. You should only be supplying for your child. I do put things in a pile (construction paper, manila, etc.), but I let my students keep their stuff (glue, pencils, crayons, etc.) at their table area. With tissues, we go through a lot during the cold time so, we are always requesting more. I also buy tons of things as well for my classroom. It does get expensive if the items are not on sale. There are districts that only send out one type of supply list. There are going to be items on that list that the teacher does not want. There are programs that the school should be supporting with school supplies for the disadvantage kids--thats why they have school suppplie drives.

My neighbor feels the same way. She said last year she bought everything on the list, but her daughter's teacher wasn't paying attention when she brought in her supplies. She later claimed that she never brought her supplies, and gave my neighbor's daughter the last pick of supplies. I thought that was horrible!! She said this year she's going to buy the bare minimum, and then supply more throughout the year as needed. She said she also witnessed at the end of the school year some of the unused, brand new supplies being thrown in the dumpster. It's getting ridiculous what school's are demanding, especially with the way the economy is. If I had kids in school, I would be bringing this up to the school and the district, if needed, b/c I think some of the requests are unnecessary.

I haven't even started for my oldest daughter but, my niece just moved in and I insisted my brother take her school shopping on Saturday. Well, he brought her back on Sunday and she was about to put her name on everything and I told them don't bother. The teacher takes up all the supplies on the first day and they will never come home again. You should have seen his face fall. I agree with you, I do not like the way our supplies are dealt with. I feel like the kids should have to keep up with their own supplies, it helps teach them responsibility.

Last year, I did not buy the pre-packaged supplies from the PTA. When we showed up on the first day of school, I discovered that some of the items we had bought were no longer required or that we didn't buy the "right kind" of folder, colored pencil, etc. I ended up having to make a second school supply trip. I also had to order a specific colored pencil from Crayola.com, so my daughter had to wait the 7-10 days that it took for delivery. It was truly a pain in the neck and very costly. This year, we did the pre-packaged supplies. On meet the teacher night, her supplies were there and the teacher had pre-printed labels with students' names and Sharpie's to label each individual marker etc., so essentially we spent a half hour labeling and organizing her desk. I was pleasantly surprised by the forethought and organization of the teacher.

Anyway, I can see your frustration. Maybe a conversation with the teacher is in order. It is certainly not fair for you to spend money on supplies and have your child denied those supplies at school. Also, the idea that a lack of supplies, especially when denied by the teacher, would affect grades is absolutely ludicrous and should be addressed.

As a former teacher I definitely understand the frustration. I can also say that paper is wasted by all students, kleenex is like water, and pencils get broken, lost or taken. I have not seen much left at the end of the year. Most pencil boxes get broken from all the use. I taught Special Education and bought almost all of my supplies during my 6 years of teaching myself out of my pocket. I usually had to send a supply list home on the 1st day of school and hope that I might see some parents purchase supplies. I felt bad for those who bought from the general education list that was available at the local store only to find out their child was not going to use that in my classroom due to each child's specific need. I bought copy paper and kleenex. I finally broke down and got an all in one printer so I could print items needed in class from home since the copy paper and printer at school was off limits or limited in quantity. I am now a SAHM and know that by the time my kids are in school I will see an increase in supplies. I will also try to help in the classroom/school so my children and those who may be less fortunate can have the supplies they need to be successful. Much luck to all parents as they are willing to help in the education of their children.

I feel for you....It can get really expensive.

What I really hate is the pooling of supplies. I went out of my way to get exactly what was on the list, brand names and all. Then on the day we turned them all in I saw several people who bought whatever they felt like instead of what was asked for- cheaper versions and lesser quality. Made me pretty mad. I just dont understand why our kids cant keep their own supplies. They made us buy a spacemaker box to put things in, so let us put their OWN stuff in there. If you want to buy cheaper brands then go for it, I just want my kids to get what I paid for.

I am with you where everything goes into one big bin. I have two girls and what I do on some of their things, for example they wanted HSM spiral notebook, well I'm not letting whatever kid get it, so I write their names on the front of certain things to make sure they get back what I bought, right or wrong... If I spend $1.50 on a notebook instead of $.50, I want my child to get that one back. I think for some of the things it is okay to pool, crayons, markers, but all the other stuff should remain with the child that bought it so they aren't coming up short in the end...

Target had the best pricing on the supplies. Dallas Morning News did a comparison between Target, Wal Mart, Staples, office depot, etc. Target came out cheapest. 5 notebooks in a pack for 50 cents. Next year look at Target. It may help the pocketbook some.

A lot of school districts do not give teachers any funds towards the classroom supplies. I know my Dad worked for Fort Worth ISD and had to pay a lot of money out of pocket for his things. Also each notebook is for each subject matter. School supplies can add up. I know I will be in for a shock when my 3rd child gets into school.

Good luck!

I am totally with you on that...last year, for Kindergarten, we had this enormous list of VERY specific, brand-name supplies that we had to get. When we got to the school for meet the teacher night, I was SHOCKED at the quantities of supplies that were ALREADY there, before anyone had even dropped off their supplies. I was disgusted, for example, when I saw vats and vats of brand-new or like-new markers and scissors and crayons, and yet we were made to buy multiples of each of these things in addition. There were enough scissors for the whole Kindergarten wing, and yet we still had to buy 2 pairs of "Fiskars," of course. I felt very used, as if the school is using us as their own, free bulk-supply store.

This year, when I told my daughter's teacher that there were a few things on the list that we couldn't find, she rolled her eyes and laughed and said not to worry, that most of the stuff on those lists are totally arbitrary and useless. I was speechless! She said that, at least in this ISD, all the principals get together and compile requests from all the teachers and then just make something up for the final list. She said the amount of things like paper and notebooks is ridiculous and that the kids (first grade) could never, ever get through that amount of paper in one year.

I think it is time for a review of school supply requirements. I am tired of being forced to buy more than I need. And like you said, my daughter continually had a hard time trying get the supplies, the ones we PAID for and FURNISHED, she needed throughout the year. I want to go back to the old days...when you bought and were responsible for your own needs as they arose!

I too am a bargain shopper - mine being in 10th and 11th, I started watching for sales prior to the start of school on things I knew they'd need - paper, pens, composition books etc. - Friday, I bought 1 5 pack of spirals at Target for 50 cents - I bought 5 packs - I have a storage closet full of stuff...the only thing I can offer is encouragement, when my kids were in middle school, it seemed the lists were VERY long and excessive - now that they're a little older, it's very basic - paper, pens and binder :) So at least it's something to look forward to! Best of luck for an awesome school year though!!!

Try big lots! I went there and was very surprised to see how much they had and alot of the same brands as the higher priced places.
The only thing that bugs me is some schools have you bring in all the stuff and just put it all together (not keep track of who's is who's). How do you know if some parents dont bring anything?

I always buy the supplies through the school so I don't have to look every where for them. I shopped for them myself the first year, and it was a pain. It's so nice to go to meet the teacher night and have all the supplies waiting for us. I don't like to pay taxes, but the money has to come from somewhere. Texas does not have an income tax, so they rely on sales taxes and property taxes. Our property taxes go up every year. We get taxes in other ways (e.g., cell phones) and it would be great to tell where all the money goes. Schools aren't cheap. I don't mind paying for good schools, and Frisco has a great school we want to be in. Since no one wants an income tax or other taxes, then we parents end up paying more. I don't like it, but I'm willing to pay since I want good schools and parks and emergency services and the like. And I don't want a bunch of uneducated kids growing up and inheriting the world. We already have a shortage of nurses and teachers. Good education is the best predictor of financial independence, and I don't want to pay for more social services or prisons later on for the kids who drop out of school. No one ever thinks of the long term investment of education...

If my child's teacher told them "no" to the community pool of school supplies...I would have a major problem! You should have probably contacted that teacher directly and asked them about it.

We are not a rich family, we just "get by"...but what I do have a problem with is having to put all school supplies in a pot so that all can share from it.

Usually the teacher does have to buy supplies for those who do not...neither of us should have to do that though. There are programs that can provide.

It bugs me too, so don't feel bad.