This makes me sad!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"MCPS teacher here. Staff at my school were informed that we could no longer include items like tissues, hand sanitizer, etc. on our school supply lists. We were informed that it's MCPS policy that we may only list items that students will use themselves. I'm talking about things like pencils, folders, journals, crayons/markers, glue sticks, etc. We were allowed to list the tissues, etc. as part of a "Wish List" which likely will result in ~ a third of the class donating consumable items."

MCPS parent here. One of the problems we experienced last year at our school is that the teachers asked for name brand items on the school supply list. Crayola crayons for $2.50 per box instead of Rose for eight cents a box. Elmers glue sticks instead of Target brand for two dollars more per stick. Etc. I ended up spending over $250 for school supplies for my kids that I could have bought for well less than half that amount had the teachers not specified the expensive named brands. So, my return to school budget was spent supporting Elmers and Crayola instead of donating to the classrooms. In past years when name brands were not required, I purchased everything on the wish list for the school. Last year, not so much. Thankfully, this year the school was more reasonable and I only spent $73.

I went ahead and bought the Rose Art ones myself-I don't see any difference in crayons. But to clarify, they aren't 8 cents a box-I found them for 99 cents a box vs. $3.49 for Crayola. Do teachers really care if it's Rose Art or Crayola? If so, why?

Sometimes name brand school supplies last a little longer. Sometimes there isn't any difference. When I taught, I was happy for any supplies I didn't have to pay for myself. In my own child's first couple of years of school, I tried to honor brand requests, though I noticed other families didn't. This year, money is tight, so I honored quantity requests, but not brand name requests. It saved me about $40!

[Anonymous]

What do they do with all of the ziploc bags? This is one thing I've never been able to figure out...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do they do with all of the ziploc bags? This is one thing I've never been able to figure out...

The ziploc bags can be used for so many things. They can be used to hold vocabulary flash cards made at school. They can be used to hold pencils, crayons, pencil sharpeners, glue sticks, etc. Sometimes not all of the supplies will fit in a pencil box/pouch and keeping them loose in the desk is not a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do they do with all of the ziploc bags? This is one thing I've never been able to figure out...

Money manipulatives. and spelling words that are cut out for word sorts.