Kid's school has some odd "rules"

[germaine2626]

Originally Posted by Flamingomo

The other thing I have a problem with this particular elementary school is the school supply list. They expect the parents to supply the classroom with paper towels, tissues, hand sanitizer, liquid soap, dry erase markers (no chalkboards anymore), crayons, glue, colored pencils, etc. If I buy my child crayons or pencils, I do not expect them to be put in one big bucket for everyone to use, they should be in his desk for him only. I'm not paying for other kid's supplies. I refuse to supply the school with everything that should just be there to begin with for the class or teachers to use. I send him in with his own tissues and hand sanitizer in his bag and make sure he keeps his crayons and pencils with him. And really, they expect the parents to supply dry erase markers for the teachers to write on the board? And papertowels and tissues for the classroom? I never once purchased these items and never will. They should be supplied by the school, just like they used to be and like they are in most schools I know of.

...

I am only commenting on the school supplies.

I am a retired teacher, who taught in a upper middle class suburban school district for over thirty years. Most years I would spend $800 to $1,000 of my own money on those types of school supplies and other educational materials. Almost every regular education teacher I knew spent at least $500 to $600 per year of their own money and most of the special education teachers & therapists spent closer to $1,000 per year.

Even before the severe budget cuts of recent years, my district NEVER supplied tissues, hand sanitizer, hand soap & paper towels (except in the bathrooms). Who do you think supplied it for their classrooms? Yes, the teachers out of their own salary (if not provided by students or the supplies ran out). Perhaps my district was unusual but classrooms (even special education classrooms) were never supplied with these types of supplies since I started teaching in the late 1970s.

Who do you think supplies the extra crayons, pencils, notebooks, dry erase markers, glue sticks, etc when they run out of the supplies that the students bring in the fall? The teachers, out of their salary. Who provides the supplies for the children of the parents who are unable or unwilling to send in supplies? Yes, the teachers.

BTW Most dry erase markers are used by students when using individual dry erase boards during classroom activites, they are not just used by the teacher on the white boards.

I remember the year when our district "ran out" of copy paper in March. Who do you think purchased paper for their classes? Yes, of course it was the teachers. And the year that the school supply of construction paper ran out well before June. Most teachers went out and purchased their own for their classroom art projects. Thankfully, this didn't happen very often. But, when it did the parents were not even aware of the issue. Teachers just "stepped up" and provided for their classrooms.

And, what about classroom libraries? When I was teaching 80-90% of all classroom books were purchased by the classroom teachers and not the school district. When I retired I probably had about 1,000 books (most to go with various units that I had developed over the years) that I had purchased out of my own money.

I am sorry that I sound a little harsh, but I have had a very long and hard day as a substitute teacher. I am now kicking myself for spending that $20,000 to $30,000 during my teaching career on school supplies, enrichment activities, photographs for student books, art project supplies, etc., etc. for my students rather than saving it for my retirement.

Again, I am sorry for my vent but I wanted to give my opinion on school supplies.

[somebodynew]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

This thread has made me so appreciative of the fine private school that my child attends. Teachers, parents, and students all see education as a joint effort. We value the teachers' training and expertise, they value our input as parents and the role that the home environment has in learning, and the child is encouraged early on to take responsibility for their learning. There doesn't seem to be the wall between school and home (or church, for that matter) that I see in this thread.

Certainly there are differences of opinion, but I cannot imagine a teacher thinking they could work with our children "without interference," nor can I imagine parents lawyering up before they discussed a matter of concern to the administrators.

I've heard people say they can't afford private education, but our school gives a fair number of grants and other assistance, and I often see these same people who say they can't afford a private school spending money on things our family does without. In the end, we decided that we couldn't afford not to give our child the opportunity to be the best she can be.

And I'll tell you that she doesn't spend her day fooling around with a bunch of silly CYA rules either.

We are lucky that the local public school has largely terrific teachers. But we have dealt with ones that assume parents are the Big Enenmy.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by Flamingomo

The other thing I have a problem with this particular elementary school is the school supply list. They expect the parents to supply the classroom with paper towels, tissues, hand sanitizer, liquid soap, dry erase markers (no chalkboards anymore), crayons, glue, colored pencils, etc. If I buy my child crayons or pencils, I do not expect them to be put in one big bucket for everyone to use, they should be in his desk for him only. I'm not paying for other kid's supplies. I refuse to supply the school with everything that should just be there to begin with for the class or teachers to use. I send him in with his own tissues and hand sanitizer in his bag and make sure he keeps his crayons and pencils with him. And really, they expect the parents to supply dry erase markers for the teachers to write on the board? And papertowels and tissues for the classroom? I never once purchased these items and never will. They should be supplied by the school, just like they used to be and like they are in most schools I know of.

On this one I have to disagree. At least in so far as crayons, pencils and glue sticks go, don't you want your child to learn to share with others. Many of the problems in the schools today, imNsho, come from the fact that kids are taught *it's mine, mine, mine and I don't have to share it with anyone.*

As for tissues and hand sanitizers and liquid soap, etc. If these are not supplied by the school, teachers often need to buy them out of pocket. They don't have enough to supply the class for the entire year given the amount these things cost. By sharing the costs equally with other parents, you help both your child and the whole class. Why be so stingy? I guess I am a sucker because I buy extra for my grandchildren's classroom when they need more supplies of this nature, so I am subsidizing the parents like you who refuse to help. The attitude of not wanting to help others drives me crazy.

Originally Posted by Flamingomo

20 minutes is certainly not enough time for lunch. Especially when that 20 minutes includes waiting in line to buy your lunch. My son usually brings his, but does buy every once in awhile. And the ten minutes of quite time and head down is ridiculous.

And I stated previously about the dress code... they created this solid color shirt thing after school had already started for the year and after we had already purchased clothes big enough to fit for a couple of years. If they were going to change the rules, they should have done so beore the end of the previous year to let us know it was happening. I think dress codes are silly for public schools anyway and it is only for kids on the elementary level which makes no sense. Once they hit middle school, they can wear whatever they want as long as it isn't vulgar and fits properly, so why the grade school kids can't is beyond me. And the fact they let kids show up there looking like homeless people but make my kid change his shirt for three stripes on it is insane. As I said, he is always clean, hair neat and clothes clean and fitting properly.

On the last two I already agreed with you.

[txtqueen]

I think it was an elementary school and they had some odd rules, I didn't go there for very long but they had the quiet lunches, except the whole lunch was quiet.

It was my first week and I was so nervous I had some stomach issues and spent a decent amount of time in the bathroom and some other girl tried chatting me up in the next stall which was awkward cause I was trying to poop and the teacher yelled at me when I got back saying that I was in there just to talk and thy she could hear everything through the wall since the bathroom shared a wall with the teachers lounge.

I hated that school. I was new and scared and it was such a weird school and it was so awkward. It definitely didn't feel friendly or inviting.

[Sally_Sparrow]

Originally Posted by NorthStarDelight

So to parents of children in public schools everywhere, I urge all of you to demand that your school board pay for whatever the kids might need in the classroom - trust me, they've got the money.

Yeah I just wanted to chime in on this. My kids are in a charter school. As I mentioned in another thread, I was amazed one year that they decided to spend $$$ on flat screen TV's in every single classroom (before flat screens became more affordable) that they then rarely used, yet my son had to share a textbook with another student because they couldn't afford enough for each student to have their own.

Now I'm not saying it is this way at all schools, but that's the kind of nonsense I've observed at this school and it's why I refused to buy the required four reams of printer paper on the school supply list each year.

Oh and the OP's mention of the dress code change at the last minute reminded me of my kids' school doing something like that too one year. Thing is, they had never required uniforms and actually told me that they NEVER would, it was against their philosophies... but one year, on the first day of school we show up and guess what? Uniforms. A new administrator, someone I'd never met in my life, jumped on us as we walked in the door about the kids being in regular clothes. Um, what?? It was pretty awful but I told her I'd be glad to just withdraw them on the spot. They had not notified anyone except some parents who had attended an open house that month held for NEW kids/families. What do you know, they changed their tune (apparently I was not the only complainer) and dropped the uniform policy within the first week. How nice for those who'd just spent all that money on uniforms!?

Originally Posted by Glenfield

This thread has made me so appreciative of the fine private school that my child attends. Teachers, parents, and students all see education as a joint effort. We value the teachers' training and expertise, they value our input as parents and the role that the home environment has in learning, and the child is encouraged early on to take responsibility for their learning. There doesn't seem to be the wall between school and home (or church, for that matter) that I see in this thread.

Certainly there are differences of opinion, but I cannot imagine a teacher thinking they could work with our children "without interference," nor can I imagine parents lawyering up before they discussed a matter of concern to the administrators.

I've heard people say they can't afford private education, but our school gives a fair number of grants and other assistance, and I often see these same people who say they can't afford a private school spending money on things our family does without. In the end, we decided that we couldn't afford not to give our child the opportunity to be the best she can be.

And I'll tell you that she doesn't spend her day fooling around with a bunch of silly CYA rules either.

It makes me miss my children's private school. The reality was, even though tuition was low, I was a single mom and I simply could not manage anymore and no scholarships were available. Prior to becoming a single mom I had the luxury of working a job at the school to get partial tuition credit, which helped. Oh, my ex in laws paid double the amount for my youngest son's cousin to go to a super fancy private school but I guess one grandkid was more important than the other. Anyway, I never had any of these issues that I read about so often and that I also experience with my children's current school. As you said, there was no "wall", we were all on the same team and there was not this "us vs. them" feeling at all. It was so much more of a feeling of being partners in the goal of educating the kids in the best way possible.

Originally Posted by nana053

On this one I have to disagree. At least in so far as crayons, pencils and glue sticks go, don't you want your child to learn to share with others. Many of the problems in the schools today, imNsho, come from the fact that kids are taught *it's mine, mine, mine and I don't have to share it with anyone.*

The charter school the kids attend don't do community supplies and I wish they would! Why? Because we buy our youngest what she needs, and some other child is always lacking pencils or paper, etc., so DD gives her stuff away! I am glad she wants to share, but to the point where she has nothing left? Ya can't win.

If there were community supplies it would not be an issue. Again about the private school my kids went to previously, my older two were there over a span of about five years and I was there every day.. I saw how they managed supplies for the classroom overall. Parents bought stuff at the beginning of the year, it went into containers for general community use, everyone put stuff back when done, and stuff lasted for a LONG TIME this way!

Not the case now. DD never has the scissors, ruler, etc. by the end of the year and the same things (especially products that don't get 'used up') are on the list every year. Where do all those scissors go? I am sure some of them break but all of them?

With the community supply thing at the private school we didn't have to buy it all over again, we'd just get a list that was basically to "top off" things that did get used (crayons, paper towels) unless it was a new incoming family. Seems simple enough to me.

[clarksvillemom]

this school sounds crazy. Not only does it sound stifling, boring and not educational at all - like something out of east germany - but wouldn't prepare kids to engage socially with others at all. This is stupid. Rules anad zero tolerance run amok

[Flamingomo]

Originally Posted by cc0789

I agree that the school should have told you about dress code changes well before the start of the year. But they gave you a waiver and let him wear the striped shirt. However, to expect your son to be able to wear the shirts you bought prior to the change until not only the end of the year, but until he outgrows not only HIS shirts, but also outgrows the ones his older brother passes down, is a bit ridiculous. The exception should only apply for this school year, since they didn't give proper notification. Anything beyond that would completely undermine the dresscode. After all, the kid with the sweatpants should also be allowed to wear those until he grows out of them, and then his brothers old sweatpants once those are passed down.

Sweats are not allowed, never were. Striped shirts were allowed when I purchased all of them and I cannot afford to go out and rebuy all new shirts when the ones he has will fit him for at least two years and we were not informed of the change until AFTER the school year began.

The principal agrees with me about the shirts so it is allowed now. A few other students wear them as well.

The dresscode states that clothes must be clean and well fitted. Also states that children are expected to be clean and neat. No vulgar clothes, belts must be worn at the waist, nothing that would effect the learning environment. Which I am pretty sure a striped collared shirt doesn't, but a smelly, dirty kid might.

Classroom supplies are not for me to provide. That is the school's responsibility. I send in supplies for my child just as I know other parents do. He has what he needs. I don't need to provide these things for everyone else to use. I'm not being stingy (rude to say by the way), I cannot afford to buy $40 worth of supplies PLUS whatever my son needs. I buy for him and him alone. I didn't mention the supplies in my original post because I just thought of it...why does that matter? I am not refusing to "help others" I am refusing to supply the classroom with things that I feel the school should provide for the learning environment. Not to mention, I cannot afford it with everything else I have to buy for my 3 kids. Sorry, but if they expect it in the classroom, then the school should supply it.

And FYI...my child shares everything he has with everyone at all times. He certainly has no problem "learning to share". Always has. His generosity and caring got him a point remember? He got up to help someone who had spilled her pencil case and got in trouble. I've taught my children pretty well. Even my 3 year old shares everything.

And the school, academic-wise is really great. My son is in all advanced classes and they were great with my oldest who is autistic (and has other learning issues as well) and he ended up on the honor roll the last two years he was there (despite him wearing a striped shirt...oh the horror), but the nit-picky crappola makes me crazy along with the short lunches, and points...and yes, the dress code.

We have discussed all of these issues with the principal and even took the dress code and lunch issue to the superintendant, so I am not just complaining here...people are so quick to judge and so quick to only read what they feel like...