Anonymous wrote:We know a family with a recent teacher grad. Her mom, dad and younger sister pitched in to help her setup/decorate her first classroom. In what other kind of job would you ask a family member to come in to set up your work space? Also, a lot of this happens outside of contract hours because they are flooded with in-service trainings, paperwork, etc…

My son is 20 yrs old. He has come into my school 8 times to help me move classrooms in the last 14 yrs. The first time was when he was around 8 yrs old. We have at least two more moves coming up in the next few years. He knows how to put up a bulletin board too! Nobody outside of teaching requires family members to help them at their office.

We know a family with a recent teacher grad. Her mom, dad and younger sister pitched in to help her setup/decorate her first classroom. In what other kind of job would you ask a family member to come in to set up your work space? Also, a lot of this happens outside of contract hours because they are flooded with in-service trainings, paperwork, etc…

Anonymous wrote:I think the only way to fix this issue is for ALL teachers at a school to make a pact, and only use what the school supplies.

As a former private school teacher, also with a small school provided budget, and a smaller salary, there was a lot of “un-upmanship” within teachers. There were older, married teachers, who worked “to get out of the house”. They had a lot of extra cash, and had the best looking classrooms. Meanwhile, the new teachers, who were struggling to pay off their student debt, and had three other roommates to make ends meet, felt the pressure from admin, fellow teachers, and parents to spend more of their own money.

If the whole school went “bare bones”, parents would loose their minds! Teachers could just refer them to admin, or even higher ups. But there are always a few teachers who will sacrifice themselves “for the kids”, and they make the others look bad.

Oh this is very real. The divide between the teachers with high earning spouses our coming from wealthy families, and regular middle class teachers who are single or have spouses in middle class jobs, can be stark and frustrating, especially if the wealthier teachers make a sport of "beautifying" their rooms and are always one-upping each other.

My current school pools funds and materials for classroom decor and upgrades, which is much better IMO. The PTA provides a ton of classroom items like bulletin boards, floor cushions, a laminating machine for making posters and signs, etc., and they also give teachers an annual stipend for additional classroom items (varies in amount depending on their fundraising, usually at least a couple hundred dollars). Also a few years ago they offered to help any teacher unhappy with the industrial lighting in our classrooms create alternative lighting that would be safe and to code, as we'd had issues with teachers bringing lamps that were not always secure or that would overload sockets. I am migraine prone and hate fluorescent lighting, so this was a huge benefit to me. I wound up moving classrooms since then and my new classroom has a better natural light situation so the alternative lighting is less critical (I can just turn off the overheads most days and the room is still well lit, and we just filter with blinds as needed) but that made such a difference in my well being and I loved how thoughtful it was.

But yes, it's better when teachers have roughly equal resources within the school. It puts far less pressure on young teachers just starting out who haven't amassed a big collection of classroom items yet, and who have to set up their classrooms only with what is available and what they can afford on their salary. Which is ultimately better for the kids so that you have a consistent experience across classrooms.

I think the only way to fix this issue is for ALL teachers at a school to make a pact, and only use what the school supplies.

As a former private school teacher, also with a small school provided budget, and a smaller salary, there was a lot of “un-upmanship” within teachers. There were older, married teachers, who worked “to get out of the house”. They had a lot of extra cash, and had the best looking classrooms. Meanwhile, the new teachers, who were struggling to pay off their student debt, and had three other roommates to make ends meet, felt the pressure from admin, fellow teachers, and parents to spend more of their own money.

If the whole school went “bare bones”, parents would loose their minds! Teachers could just refer them to admin, or even higher ups. But there are always a few teachers who will sacrifice themselves “for the kids”, and they make the others look bad.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is this "tacky" if they are using the supplies to benefit their classrooms? Do you suspect they are, like, reselling Mr. Sketch markers on the black market for a profit? If it was easier to get the supplies through their admin don't you think they'd do that?

I am an admin in higher education and I have access to a basically unlimited budget for supplies. If I spend my own money and get it reimbursed (which I approve because I'm in charge) it's easy and fast. If I go through the proper channels that do not require me to front money, then it can take WEEKS to receive what I need. That doesn't work for most teachers.

Most schools don't let teachers buy anything, quickly, with autonomy, even if they're wealthy. Somewhere there are allocations but more often than not they're centralized and timed or involve complicated request or grants from the PTA/PTO.

Being a teacher is hard if you are not wealthy or well off enough to get a box of markers or cardstock or books or snacks at will to support your teaching.

Because the “wish lists” are filled with a bunch of crap they don’t actually need.

Like what? Give us examples.

+1

NP OK I'll give examples!
-chairs and cushions for the classroom floor for kids to sit on
-bags of stuffed animals so each kid gets a "reading buddy"
-organizing bins for every single surface
-things to make fancy murals on each bulletin board
-framed art
-shelves
-mini fridge
-carpets
-prizes
-different themed decor every year

Things schools SHOULD provide but aren't:
-benches. My teacher last year bought benches for the playground because the alternative was that teachers stand the entire time or sit in the dirt.
-reams of paper
-tissues
-cleaning supplies
-soap
-whiteboard markers for teachers

Those are all appropriate. Who do you think pays for those things? Teachers. School system or school should pay and doesn’t.

Actually I think all of these things are totally unnecessary. There is soap in every bathroom and I’m sure it’s stocked in the janitorial closet should a teacher want to refill a dispenser for class (if there is a sink). The school also stocks bleach and spray bottles. The teacher doesn’t meant 20+ tubs of Clorox/Lysol wipes, those are expensive and wasteful. A spray bottle with 1:10 bleach and the brown paper towels are all that’s really needed. Tissues are not necessary, parents can send with their own child. Otherwise, they use brown paper towels. The school supplies black markers. Majority of work and teaching is done on Chromebook anyway

We have different experiences.

My last school didn’t provide copy paper, tissues, or cleaning supplies. No pens, lined paper, paper clips, or binders either. I provided all of it myself. We rarely had soap in the bathroom and there was no supply closet.

It’s the main reason I’m no longer there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is this "tacky" if they are using the supplies to benefit their classrooms? Do you suspect they are, like, reselling Mr. Sketch markers on the black market for a profit? If it was easier to get the supplies through their admin don't you think they'd do that?

I am an admin in higher education and I have access to a basically unlimited budget for supplies. If I spend my own money and get it reimbursed (which I approve because I'm in charge) it's easy and fast. If I go through the proper channels that do not require me to front money, then it can take WEEKS to receive what I need. That doesn't work for most teachers.

Most schools don't let teachers buy anything, quickly, with autonomy, even if they're wealthy. Somewhere there are allocations but more often than not they're centralized and timed or involve complicated request or grants from the PTA/PTO.

Being a teacher is hard if you are not wealthy or well off enough to get a box of markers or cardstock or books or snacks at will to support your teaching.

Because the “wish lists” are filled with a bunch of crap they don’t actually need.

Like what? Give us examples.

+1

NP OK I'll give examples!
-chairs and cushions for the classroom floor for kids to sit on
-bags of stuffed animals so each kid gets a "reading buddy"
-organizing bins for every single surface
-things to make fancy murals on each bulletin board
-framed art
-shelves
-mini fridge
-carpets
-prizes
-different themed decor every year

Things schools SHOULD provide but aren't:
-benches. My teacher last year bought benches for the playground because the alternative was that teachers stand the entire time or sit in the dirt.
-reams of paper
-tissues
-cleaning supplies
-soap
-whiteboard markers for teachers

They are trying to make the room comfortable. If walls were bare with only the floor to sit on someone would complain about that, too.

Although ds did have one teacher who went way overboard with the decorations. He had a bunch of stuffed animals that had been there for years. It was overwhelming. Fire codes wouldn't allow it anymore.

The next year's teacher had a really well organized room. Her husband built cubbies and shelves, she bought bins for every kid. She had a library corner with big pillows to sit on. A lot of parents donated to the library.

My kids go to a title 1 school. They don’t send a supply list for the kids at all. Teachers done post wish lists either. School districts actually do provide all the essentials. Now- the definition of what is essential varies by teacher and parent

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Helping teachers get supplies because the school literally won’t, isn’t tacky. Sign me up.

Bu teachers asking parents get supplies because they don’t want to go through the process (whatever that is) is intensely entitled. Only ordering from Office Depot, needing to put supply orders in weeks in advance, or having purchases approved is not a hardship, it’s part of most jobs.

The main issue is insufficient funding, not the bureaucracy. You are welcome to contribute or not as you deem necessary and worthy.

MCPS is on eof the highest funded school systems. Its not insufficient funding, its mismanagement. They should give each teacher $500 or more.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Helping teachers get supplies because the school literally won’t, isn’t tacky. Sign me up.

Bu teachers asking parents get supplies because they don’t want to go through the process (whatever that is) is intensely entitled. Only ordering from Office Depot, needing to put supply orders in weeks in advance, or having purchases approved is not a hardship, it’s part of most jobs.

The main issue is insufficient funding, not the bureaucracy. You are welcome to contribute or not as you deem necessary and worthy.

And when that’s true I think parents should step up as best they can. But I don’t think parents should forego family vacations, as suggested elsewhere, to help teachers avoid the inconvenience of making supply orders from Office Depot.

I don’t think that most people are suggesting that. You are under no obligation to donate. Clearly there are teachers who need or want supplies, and there are parents who are willing to buy them, so a list makes sense. But if you don’t want to buy items off the list, just ignore it. Most reasonable people will respect that decision.

At least one person on this thread suggested parents should forego family vacations to buy things for classrooms. So it’s not something I’ve invented.

I think anyone making a gift list should be mindful of the message it sends. Again in an under-resourced school, needs must. But you create a lot of ill-will for teachers by creating an expensive wish list and then saying it’s to avoid ordering from Office Depot (also on this thread)

The takeaway is that parents should ask administrators to comment on the lists before buying.

It’s clear that you feel strongly about this, so perhaps the best thing for you to do is contact your school about specific teachers you feel are abusing the system, and to tell them how that makes you feel as a parent.

Or just fact check whether it’s true the school won’t buy them/has no budget, or whether it’s just more annoying than begging the parents.

Lots of parents in wealthy schools don't buy all the supplies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Helping teachers get supplies because the school literally won’t, isn’t tacky. Sign me up.

Bu teachers asking parents get supplies because they don’t want to go through the process (whatever that is) is intensely entitled. Only ordering from Office Depot, needing to put supply orders in weeks in advance, or having purchases approved is not a hardship, it’s part of most jobs.

The main issue is insufficient funding, not the bureaucracy. You are welcome to contribute or not as you deem necessary and worthy.

And when that’s true I think parents should step up as best they can. But I don’t think parents should forego family vacations, as suggested elsewhere, to help teachers avoid the inconvenience of making supply orders from Office Depot.

I don’t think that most people are suggesting that. You are under no obligation to donate. Clearly there are teachers who need or want supplies, and there are parents who are willing to buy them, so a list makes sense. But if you don’t want to buy items off the list, just ignore it. Most reasonable people will respect that decision.

At least one person on this thread suggested parents should forego family vacations to buy things for classrooms. So it’s not something I’ve invented.

I think anyone making a gift list should be mindful of the message it sends. Again in an under-resourced school, needs must. But you create a lot of ill-will for teachers by creating an expensive wish list and then saying it’s to avoid ordering from Office Depot (also on this thread)

The takeaway is that parents should ask administrators to comment on the lists before buying.

It’s clear that you feel strongly about this, so perhaps the best thing for you to do is contact your school about specific teachers you feel are abusing the system, and to tell them how that makes you feel as a parent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Helping teachers get supplies because the school literally won’t, isn’t tacky. Sign me up.

Bu teachers asking parents get supplies because they don’t want to go through the process (whatever that is) is intensely entitled. Only ordering from Office Depot, needing to put supply orders in weeks in advance, or having purchases approved is not a hardship, it’s part of most jobs.

The main issue is insufficient funding, not the bureaucracy. You are welcome to contribute or not as you deem necessary and worthy.

And when that’s true I think parents should step up as best they can. But I don’t think parents should forego family vacations, as suggested elsewhere, to help teachers avoid the inconvenience of making supply orders from Office Depot.

I don’t think that most people are suggesting that. You are under no obligation to donate. Clearly there are teachers who need or want supplies, and there are parents who are willing to buy them, so a list makes sense. But if you don’t want to buy items off the list, just ignore it. Most reasonable people will respect that decision.

At least one person on this thread suggested parents should forego family vacations to buy things for classrooms. So it’s not something I’ve invented.

I think anyone making a gift list should be mindful of the message it sends. Again in an under-resourced school, needs must. But you create a lot of ill-will for teachers by creating an expensive wish list and then saying it’s to avoid ordering from Office Depot (also on this thread)

The takeaway is that parents should ask administrators to comment on the lists before buying.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Helping teachers get supplies because the school literally won’t, isn’t tacky. Sign me up.

Bu teachers asking parents get supplies because they don’t want to go through the process (whatever that is) is intensely entitled. Only ordering from Office Depot, needing to put supply orders in weeks in advance, or having purchases approved is not a hardship, it’s part of most jobs.

The main issue is insufficient funding, not the bureaucracy. You are welcome to contribute or not as you deem necessary and worthy.

And when that’s true I think parents should step up as best they can. But I don’t think parents should forego family vacations, as suggested elsewhere, to help teachers avoid the inconvenience of making supply orders from Office Depot.

I don’t think that most people are suggesting that. You are under no obligation to donate. Clearly there are teachers who need or want supplies, and there are parents who are willing to buy them, so a list makes sense. But if you don’t want to buy items off the list, just ignore it. Most reasonable people will respect that decision.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Helping teachers get supplies because the school literally won’t, isn’t tacky. Sign me up.

Bu teachers asking parents get supplies because they don’t want to go through the process (whatever that is) is intensely entitled. Only ordering from Office Depot, needing to put supply orders in weeks in advance, or having purchases approved is not a hardship, it’s part of most jobs.

The main issue is insufficient funding, not the bureaucracy. You are welcome to contribute or not as you deem necessary and worthy.

And when that’s true I think parents should step up as best they can. But I don’t think parents should forego family vacations, as suggested elsewhere, to help teachers avoid the inconvenience of making supply orders from Office Depot.

Anonymous wrote:Helping teachers get supplies because the school literally won’t, isn’t tacky. Sign me up.

Bu teachers asking parents get supplies because they don’t want to go through the process (whatever that is) is intensely entitled. Only ordering from Office Depot, needing to put supply orders in weeks in advance, or having purchases approved is not a hardship, it’s part of most jobs.

The main issue is insufficient funding, not the bureaucracy. You are welcome to contribute or not as you deem necessary and worthy.