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My big gripe, too, we didn't get the supply list until the first day of school, past the sales tax free weekend. They sent home a detailed list on Monday, then somehow expected everything to magically appear on Tuesday.
Teachers constantly gripe about how they're so underpaid, they fail to realize many parents earn less than they do. They would sure squak if they were asked to spend a penny more than they thought they should, but think nothing of dumping a supply list on parents with one evening to shop, missing the sales, etc.
Of course, you can stock up on basic, common sense things, like paper, pencils, pens, etc, but usually teachers have wish lists so specific you can't guess ahead. And the more specific the item, the more expensive! I wish teachers would quit their gripping and realize the economy has many families barely able to afford the basics, let alone fufill their wish lists, ASAP!
I'm in Texas as well and have to disagree. Most districts had up on their website for the last 2 months a general list of school supplies for ALL grades. The only things added in after school started were either subject specific...like a sketchbook for art or the binders that some classes wanted. Not one teacher expected every single supply to be brought in on Tuesday.
Additionally my two older daughters are both teachers and they most definitely spend their money on their students willingly without squawking. My second daughter teaches high school math and has bought spirals for every single student each year when they go on sale for .01-.07 each.
Staples is certainly not the only place to shop either. There are much better choices of times and places to avoid huge crowds and empty shelves.
Where I live, property taxes are relatively high, but we don't have additional education expenses aside from notebooks and writing instruments.
I feel sorry for parents who have to pay for bus service and text books. IMO those necessities should be provided by schools.
The school district in the neighboring city to me growing up didn't even have buses because the population was mostly elderly people in that area. They all voted down buses.
Well if the population is mostly elderly people in the area, then the budget would serve the community better somewhere -other- than school bus service for the kids. Like, bus service to get the elderly in state-funded elderly housing to and from the supermarket, the library, and the town hall.
Conversely, in an area with a lot of children and not a lot of seniors, the budget would serve the community better supporting education.
Where I live, property taxes are relatively high, but we don't have additional education expenses aside from notebooks and writing instruments.
I feel sorry for parents who have to pay for bus service and text books. IMO those necessities should be provided by schools.
I think we all agree, but if a school does not have the tax base for those necessities, then parents have to step in. It might not be fair, but places where property tax increases keep being voted down are in bad shape. It is so odd to me that some older people believe that since they have no children, they should not have to help pay for the school systems. Have they forgotten that people paid to help schools when they were young? Also, do we want a generation of uneducated young people running the world when we are elderly? Of course not.
I don't see it as helping pay for school systems or not helping pay for school systems. I don't see that at all.
ALL municipalities have educational budgets. They all have funds that are used specifically and exclusively for education, and those funds are paid for by a combination of property tax, income tax, and federal grants (which are also paid by income tax). Everyone who pays tax, pays for that already-existing educational budget. Seniors have BEEN paying, all along. They don't get to vote against educational budgets. What they DO get to vote for, is whether or not they have to pay more for their property, which they've probably been paying for a lot longer than you have.
Parents who move to town for the first time, with 3 kids, are getting the benefit of an educational budget that has been supported by the people who have lived their all their lives. Renters don't pay ANY property tax, but their kids get the specific education in that specific town, courtesy of everyone who DOES pay property tax.
Seniors have been paying some kind of tax for a lot longer than everyone else. It has nothing to do with them not wanting kids to ride the bus. It has everything to do with them saying "you know, I've been paying for these kids to ride the bus for the past 40 years, and I think it's time some of that money come back to me for a change. How about instead of my increased mill rate, which would put me in a hardship because I am retired and no longer capable of working to earn an income anymore, how about we just put that money aside so I can handle heating my home this winter?"
The kids won't -not- be educated, they won't -not- have the opportunity or lose their right to a free education. But a free education doesn't necessarily require a free ride to the location of that education. It also doesn't necessarily require free scissors to cut art paper to make your halloween mask. It also doesn't necessarily require free lunch, or free bus shelters, or a free smoking lounge, or free parking, or free anything else. It's free education. Which isn't free, because all the tax payers are paying for it. But only children benefit from it, because seniors can't just walk into the public high school and say "Hey I'm here for my algebra class" and expect the town to pay for that.
What I"m saying through all this rambling, is that people are trying to simplify something that isn't simple, to make a point they really can't make.
I don't see it as helping pay for school systems or not helping pay for school systems. I don't see that at all.
ALL municipalities have educational budgets. They all have funds that are used specifically and exclusively for education, and those funds are paid for by a combination of property tax, income tax, and federal grants (which are also paid by income tax). Everyone who pays tax, pays for that already-existing educational budget. Seniors have BEEN paying, all along. They don't get to vote against educational budgets. What they DO get to vote for, is whether or not they have to pay more for their property, which they've probably been paying for a lot longer than you have.
Parents who move to town for the first time, with 3 kids, are getting the benefit of an educational budget that has been supported by the people who have lived their all their lives. Renters don't pay ANY property tax, but their kids get the specific education in that specific town, courtesy of everyone who DOES pay property tax.
Seniors have been paying some kind of tax for a lot longer than everyone else. It has nothing to do with them not wanting kids to ride the bus. It has everything to do with them saying "you know, I've been paying for these kids to ride the bus for the past 40 years, and I think it's time some of that money come back to me for a change. How about instead of my increased mill rate, which would put me in a hardship because I am retired and no longer capable of working to earn an income anymore, how about we just put that money aside so I can handle heating my home this winter?"
The kids won't -not- be educated, they won't -not- have the opportunity or lose their right to a free education. But a free education doesn't necessarily require a free ride to the location of that education. It also doesn't necessarily require free scissors to cut art paper to make your halloween mask. It also doesn't necessarily require free lunch, or free bus shelters, or a free smoking lounge, or free parking, or free anything else. It's free education. Which isn't free, because all the tax payers are paying for it. But only children benefit from it, because seniors can't just walk into the public high school and say "Hey I'm here for my algebra class" and expect the town to pay for that.
What I"m saying through all this rambling, is that people are trying to simplify something that isn't simple, to make a point they really can't make.
Yes, budgets need to be trimmed. Where is there a smoking lounge at a school? Most states require that schools be no smoking zones. Also, buses should not stop every ten feet. However, property taxes still need to be raised in some parts of the country. Many states are broke. The solution could be to freeze the property taxes of the elderly that are on fixed incomes. Some states do just that. You take your driver's license to the probate office and your taxes do not go up, if you are over 65.
Well if the population is mostly elderly people in the area, then the budget would serve the community better somewhere -other- than school bus service for the kids. Like, bus service to get the elderly in state-funded elderly housing to and from the supermarket, the library, and the town hall.
Conversely, in an area with a lot of children and not a lot of seniors, the budget would serve the community better supporting education.
That's just demographics, and it makes sense.
property values are higher in places with good schools. that benefits everyone who lives there, not just the families with kids.
I think we all agree, but if a school does not have the tax base for those necessities, then parents have to step in. It might not be fair, but places where property tax increases keep being voted down are in bad shape. It is so odd to me that some older people believe that since they have no children, they should not have to help pay for the school systems. Have they forgotten that people paid to help schools when they were young? Also, do we want a generation of uneducated young people running the world when we are elderly? Of course not.
Or that since they didn't ride buses to school, kids of today shouldn't have the priveledge.
We have very few sidewalks in our area & it took 3 levies (1 1/2 yrs) to get the bus renewal levy passed. The elderly were out in droves to shot it down. Then they were back in droves to renew it as they saw that the drop off line interfered w/ the drive to the grocery store at 8am.
NCLB has been brutal on funding & how it is spent. Federal guidelines and red tape are massive on funding.
Anyone see the high school in LA that cost something like $3mil to remodel/update yet the same area has laid off over 350 teachers in the past several years?...
I had one set of 28 textbooks and 3 classes of 30 students each. I purchased the remaining 2 at the cost of $85/bk. Did I write a letter home to parents complaining or getting on a pedestal? No. Was I a little bitter? Yes, at the system.
The education system is more messed up than the health care system in this country. And too many want to complain b/c they want free handouts w/ public education.
The country made the mistake of offering so much for free for too long. Not possible to keep up such a lifestyle. If a large majority do not refocus their priorities, our kids have no chance & it is not their fault!!
Just as we all provide CMas presents and do what it takes to make sure our kids get gifts, gotta do the same with education.
And not sure why so many are complaining about early ed/middle school/high school....college is ridiculous and that is even at the community college level...but then again, maybe those same parents have no intention of their children furthering their education.
Or that since they didn't ride buses to school, kids of today shouldn't have the priveledge.
We have very few sidewalks in our area & it took 3 levies (1 1/2 yrs) to get the bus renewal levy passed. The elderly were out in droves to shot it down. Then they were back in droves to renew it as they saw that the drop off line interfered w/ the drive to the grocery store at 8am.
NCLB has been brutal on funding & how it is spent. Federal guidelines and red tape are massive on funding.
Anyone see the high school in LA that cost something like $3mil to remodel/update yet the same area has laid off over 350 teachers in the past several years?...
I had one set of 28 textbooks and 3 classes of 30 students each. I purchased the remaining 2 at the cost of $85/bk. Did I write a letter home to parents complaining or getting on a pedestal? No. Was I a little bitter? Yes, at the system.
The education system is more messed up than the health care system in this country. And too many want to complain b/c they want free handouts w/ public education.
The country made the mistake of offering so much for free for too long. Not possible to keep up such a lifestyle. If a large majority do not refocus their priorities, our kids have no chance & it is not their fault!!
Just as we all provide CMas presents and do what it takes to make sure our kids get gifts, gotta do the same with education.
And not sure why so many are complaining about early ed/middle school/high school....college is ridiculous and that is even at the community college level...but then again, maybe those same parents have no intention of their children furthering their education.
The cost of school supplies is ridiculous. Just because the cost is ridiculous doesn't mean the parents aren't going to let their kids go to university. Why must everything turn into a debate. The topic of this thread was about school supplies and I was interested in what others had to supply and how much they pay for their kids school supplies. That's it.
And not sure why so many are complaining about early ed/middle school/high school....college is ridiculous and that is even at the community college level...but then again, maybe those same parents have no intention of their children furthering their education.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lisalan
The cost of school supplies is ridiculous. Just because the cost is ridiculous doesn't mean the parents aren't going to let their kids go to university. Why must everything turn into a debate. The topic of this thread was about school supplies and I was interested in what others had to supply and how much they pay for their kids school supplies. That's it.
It's not a debate. 121804 made an important point. College school supplies cost well over $1,000 per year!
That sure puts into perspective how affordable school supplies are in the younger years.
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