Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:120 Ticonderoga pencils? You're exaggerating right?

Nope not kidding. 24 pack presharpebed pencils x 5 packs. Last year the teacher only let him have 2 pencils. This communal thing is crazy. We aren’t working hard to spend our money for other people.

I’m a teacher. I have to spend my own money on others’ children all the time. When parents don’t provide, I have to purchase. Some years parents are generous and provide what’s on the list. Some years parents provide very little and I have to do bulk orders with my own money. It adds up. I’ve spend over $800 on supplies some years.

Has it occurred to you that some parents can't afford the ridiculous lists teachers put out like the 120 name brand Ticonderoga pencils when their kids only see 2?

I could not afford it what did the teachers do? Shame me, time and time again. This happened in Fairfax county. I wasn't given anything I had to ask to borrow from other students a piece of paper, a pencil. I was not my fault yet I was chastised for it by EVERY teacher. Now you say you hand things out for those who don't. Well guess what? I never saw that. At all, ever. So I have a very hard time believing that to this day.

Believe it or not, I think schools try harder to be fair/not humiliating to poor children now. I live in a very mixed income district and the PTA and several charities give the principals store gift cards and gas cards to quietly give to needy parents at Christmas. They also pay for field trips for some kids. And there's a weekend food charity called Blessings in a Backpack so kids can get weekend food supplies.

I am surprised that schools need printer paper, towels, wipes and pencils. However, what I've learned is that some parents like to contribute, some like to shop back-to-school sales, and some are germphobic. So there are people who want to donate this stuff. And my principal opened my eyes when she said she had to spend $10K of building discretionary money on printer paper one year. She did like to ask for 2 reams of paper per kid because it allowed her money for other stuff.

For whoever is making a crack about communism, you need to stop and think again. Do we really want to slander community public schools, teachers, and requests to share in that manner?

When I was new to the game, I questioned supply lists more. Now I know it's more like going to church on Sunday. You participate for the long term value and focus on community. Not interested? Don't participate. Nobody is making you and nobody is really watching whether you do or don't.

I do like it better when teachers put notes on e-mails during the year regarding what they are out of. If it's put politely, I don't mind how often they ask. They are professionals and if they really want some unusual supply like 5 pink highlighters or red composition notebooks, I'm game. I do distrust the quirky asks on a whole school beginning of the year list...because then that might be old info from a teacher who left or rotated.

Anonymous wrote:I just don’t send it. I send my kids with things but not communal things.

And this is why they ask for 120, because you are providing charity for selfish people like this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:120 Ticonderoga pencils? You're exaggerating right?

Nope not kidding. 24 pack presharpebed pencils x 5 packs. Last year the teacher only let him have 2 pencils. This communal thing is crazy. We aren’t working hard to spend our money for other people.

So don't. Other people who are grateful and maybe have been helped by others at some point in their life will buy the insane number of pencils, knowing that they are covering for a few other people.

Our school usually asked for one or two boxes per grade year. My inference is that your school district doesn't have a lot of people chipping in for collective supplies.

Also, almost all pencils we purchased for our kids, including the expensive Ticonderogas, are poor quality compared to what I grew up with. The wood is softer. They don't stay sharp as well. My understanding is that teachers ask for pre-sharpened pencils because kids mess around while sharpening and it's harder to get them sharp.

So these are single use pencils? Lol.

I know some parents who are very stressed about this stuff and need to be seen as the “good grateful” parent. After learning my lesson a few times I don’t let this stuff bother me anymore. I’ll make sure my child leaves home with a pencil daily and that’s enough.

Anonymous wrote:I've no problem with communal supplies. Having you ever tried to determine whose pencil is whose?

Teach your child to take care of their own things.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just curious and this is mostly to teachers- why does each child need 96 crayons and 120 Ticonderoga pencils? In a class of 20 children that is 1.920 crayons and 2.400 pencils! What do you do with the leftover at the end of the year? Also why do you need paper towels and wipes? Aren’t these janitorial supplies?

Lists this year are MUCH more reasonable than other years. I purchased most supplies for under $40 each child (K and 4th) the pta box is almost $100 each! But still genuinely curious about these excessive amounts of items.

I accidentally bought the unsharpened pencils this year, so I feel particularly strongly toward this. It is what it is, but so. many. pencils.

I bought the unsharpened Ticonderogas one year and sharpened them myself. You could assign your kid to do it. It's easy if you want to save the money.

Anonymous wrote:My thinking is, if there was a stocked closet somewhere in the school with cleaning supplies, extra pencils, whiteboard markers, Kleenex, etc., then the teacher wouldn't be asking for those things. They're asking so they need them. It's not like there's some secondary market where they're making a killing on my Costco supply donations.

Exactly. The schools don’t buy these things or budget for them. We put these things on the supply list because they get used. We’ve been had the office staff asking classrooms to spare Kleenex and wipes for the office.

My thinking is, if there was a stocked closet somewhere in the school with cleaning supplies, extra pencils, whiteboard markers, Kleenex, etc., then the teacher wouldn't be asking for those things. They're asking so they need them. It's not like there's some secondary market where they're making a killing on my Costco supply donations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just don’t send it. I send my kids with things but not communal things.

Exhibit A: Reasons why teachers ask for extra supplies

Or why they spend their own money on classroom supplies for kids who aren’t theirs.

Imagine if you had to pay for the ink toner and printing paper to do your job. Add to that, new teacher salaries are usually not high enough for them to live on their own in FFX County. So please, just send in the supplies. Your kid might end up sharing a pencil/marker here or there, it won’t be the end of the world.

Yeah, but the OP’s teacher is asking for too many pencils in my opinion.

welcome to federal employee land, except we don't get to deduct it from our taxes.

I can deduct $250 on education expenses. I’m guessing at 66k salary I’m probably making at least $250 less than you. LOL

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:120 Ticonderoga pencils? You're exaggerating right?

Nope not kidding. 24 pack presharpebed pencils x 5 packs. Last year the teacher only let him have 2 pencils. This communal thing is crazy. We aren’t working hard to spend our money for other people.

I’m a teacher. I have to spend my own money on others’ children all the time. When parents don’t provide, I have to purchase. Some years parents are generous and provide what’s on the list. Some years parents provide very little and I have to do bulk orders with my own money. It adds up. I’ve spend over $800 on supplies some years.

Has it occurred to you that some parents can't afford the ridiculous lists teachers put out like the 120 name brand Ticonderoga pencils when their kids only see 2?

I could not afford it what did the teachers do? Shame me, time and time again. This happened in Fairfax county. I wasn't given anything I had to ask to borrow from other students a piece of paper, a pencil. I was not my fault yet I was chastised for it by EVERY teacher. Now you say you hand things out for those who don't. Well guess what? I never saw that. At all, ever. So I have a very hard time believing that to this day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:120 Ticonderoga pencils? You're exaggerating right?

Nope not kidding. 24 pack presharpebed pencils x 5 packs. Last year the teacher only let him have 2 pencils. This communal thing is crazy. We aren’t working hard to spend our money for other people.

There is no way I'd send him with that many pencils then. That's obscene. Nope!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just don’t send it. I send my kids with things but not communal things.

Exhibit A: Reasons why teachers ask for extra supplies

Or why they spend their own money on classroom supplies for kids who aren’t theirs.

Imagine if you had to pay for the ink toner and printing paper to do your job. Add to that, new teacher salaries are usually not high enough for them to live on their own in FFX County. So please, just send in the supplies. Your kid might end up sharing a pencil/marker here or there, it won’t be the end of the world.

Yeah, but the OP’s teacher is asking for too many pencils in my opinion.

welcome to federal employee land, except we don't get to deduct it from our taxes.

I've no problem with communal supplies. Having you ever tried to determine whose pencil is whose?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just don’t send it. I send my kids with things but not communal things.

Exhibit A: Reasons why teachers ask for extra supplies

Or why they spend their own money on classroom supplies for kids who aren’t theirs.

Imagine if you had to pay for the ink toner and printing paper to do your job. Add to that, new teacher salaries are usually not high enough for them to live on their own in FFX County. So please, just send in the supplies. Your kid might end up sharing a pencil/marker here or there, it won’t be the end of the world.

Yeah, but the OP’s teacher is asking for too many pencils in my opinion.

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sending 1000 things so their communist teacher can pool school supplies.

Wonder if the people at Gatehouse have to bring janitorial supplies and pencils.........?

I’m not sending 1000 things so their communist teacher can pool school supplies.