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Post by King Rat on Sept 19, 2006 11:52:22 GMT -6
As always I went to Wal-mart the week before school started and filled my shopping cart with the items on the list for my daughter's grade. As always it irked me that these lists specify which BRAND (Crayola - not RoseArt, for example) items to buy. And, yes, it ticked me off that the list included paper towels and and computer paper and generic supplies my tax money is already paying for.
And it especially made my blood boil when I noticed the "Do NOT put your child's name on any of the items" note on the shopping list because that confirmed for me that I was NOT buying items for MY CHILD but was buying supplies for the classroom in general.
But I have grown to accept the fact that my tax money is gobbled up by overly inflated administration salaries made worse by 800,000 million trillion school districts in this state. So I filled the list and sent the stuff to school without my child's name on anything.
But when I got a flier home from school the other day informing me that I can purchase pencils, crayons, paper, etc (the stuff I bought and sent to school in bulk) FROM THE SCHOOL SUPPLY CLOSET my head almost exploded! They are selling the supplies I and other parents sent to school back to US as our child needs them.
Then I went to open house and saw (again) the terrible condition of the textbooks my child has to use. They had a new science book this year but we were informed our kids cannot bring them home because they don't have enough and all the classrooms have to share them.
So I have made up my mind. I will NOT participate in ANY school fundraisers ever again unless the proceeds go directly to BOOKS. I will never again buy a candy bar or a donut (or allow my child to sell them) to buy uniforms for the football team or to pay off the loan on the new field house. I want to see some fundraisers to purchase textbooks.
But, then, I get a Xerox copy of a typed letter from the teacher wherein she uses poor grammar and misspells words. Yes, she is a 4th grade teacher but does that mean her own writing should be at the 4th grade level?
And then there are the Xeroxed copies of homework assignments (since they don't have textbooks) so faded or chopped because they were placed in the copier incorrectly. I swear there have actually been pages with parts of the sentences chopped off and my child was expected to read/study it for a test the next day.
But that's not all. The other day the elementary principal (with a PHD, mind you) sent home a newsletter chock full of poor grammer and misspelled words.
Do they just not care? Or can they actually not tell the difference in "insure/ensure", "further/farther", "is/are", etc.?
Now I'm sure this will earn me a thrashing from all the teachers out there and all the family/friends of teachers but so be it. I'm ready for the onslaught.
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rutrow
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Post by rutrow on Sept 19, 2006 13:19:27 GMT -6
As always I went to Wal-mart the week before school started and filled my shopping cart with the items on the list for my daughter's grade. As always it irked me that these lists specify which BRAND (Crayola - not RoseArt, for example) items to buy. And, yes, it ticked me off that the list included paper towels and and computer paper and generic supplies my tax money is already paying for. And it especially made my blood boil when I noticed the "Do NOT put your child's name on any of the items" note on the shopping list because that confirmed for me that I was NOT buying items for MY CHILD but was buying supplies for the classroom in general. But I have grown to accept the fact that my tax money is gobbled up by overly inflated administration salaries made worse by 800,000 million trillion school districts in this state. So I filled the list and sent the stuff to school without my child's name on anything. But when I got a flier home from school the other day informing me that I can purchase pencils, crayons, paper, etc (the stuff I bought and sent to school in bulk) FROM THE SCHOOL SUPPLY CLOSET my head almost exploded! They are selling the supplies I and other parents sent to school back to US as our child needs them. Then I went to open house and saw (again) the terrible condition of the textbooks my child has to use. They had a new science book this year but we were informed our kids cannot bring them home because they don't have enough and all the classrooms have to share them. I suppose this is what happens when we get government run schools. Yeah, the textbooks are ragged. We also put up with that. What makes me mad is when my children got a ragged textbook, then at the end of the year, I am made to pay a fine for the book being even more worn, or my child does not get their report card or next year's schedule. I want to know, how can they tell the difference between an already ragged book and normal use? It seems as though they have all kinds of hidden ways to leech more money out of already financially strapped parents. I have to agree with you in that the school system can manage what money they have more efficiently, pay those who really deserve it, the good teachers and administrators, trim the excess folks who sit up there and only make decisions. I think that the teachers know more of what the children need than those folks. |
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Frey
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Post by Frey on Sept 19, 2006 14:10:29 GMT -6
Okay, Rat... I am a teacher and totally agree with you. I think it is quite ridiculous for your child's teacher or principal to be sending home letters with misspellings and incorrect grammar (this is a pet peave of mine since I am an English teacher). I would correct the letter and send it back to them, so they will not take it out on your child. I do proof the majority of letters and such that are sent home from my school so as to avoid this problem.
The supplies list also drives me crazy. It never fails, though, that someone I teach with requires her students to have construction paper, colors, markers, copy paper (I could go on forever). When I am asked what I want to put on the supplies list, the answer is always a very cool, "Paper and pencil."
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Crimson
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Post by Crimson on Sept 19, 2006 14:14:25 GMT -6
Amen, brothers, amen. Though my son isn't old enough to be in school yet I can tell I'm going to have a problem when he does. I'm going buy HIM school supplies and I'm going to put HIS name on all of it. What are they going to say if I do that? That he's not allowed to go to school? If someone has a problem with that they can kiss my fat, hairy, white ass. The schools are going to hate me. I know it already.
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Frey
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Post by Frey on Sept 19, 2006 15:17:15 GMT -6
Oh I forgot this bit of information... I have not gotten new books in years. Our school's budget is in the red when it comes to books; however, our district has enough money to buy palm scanners to make sure employees are at their jobs on time (this is not going to work though). What would have been better is to fire those people who cannot come to work on time and use that money to buy textbooks... our tax dollars at work  |
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rutrow
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Post by rutrow on Sept 19, 2006 19:47:07 GMT -6
Oh I forgot this bit of information... What would have been better is to fire those people who cannot come to work on time and use that money to buy textbooks... our tax dollars at work ROFL! If only they would fire the lazy ones. They are no use to the school system anyway or to the children. |
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kontan
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Post by kontan on Sept 19, 2006 20:30:28 GMT -6
No thrashing. I think it is a wonderful post.
I do want to say spelling errors happen, and it sometimes has nothing to do with the ability level of the writer. I mix up no and know, there and their...totally stupid I know! I know the difference, however when in a writing frenzy my mind doesn't always use the correct one. Want to know how you fix this? PROOF YOUR WORK! I NEVER send anything home that has not been read by at least one other person.
Supplies and fundraisers- I KNOW! I do ask for a classroom supply. The money that is available for spending does not stretch far after purchasing copy paper, pens, tablets, and such. I ask (not require) each class to bring something different. Only 1 item for project/activity supplies, and they are out no more than $3...if that. Some will disagree with that, and it's fine. Understood.
The fund-raising is insane. We received something the first day of school and every week after. Every week we have been asked to send money, or hit up our friends/neighbors.
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Frey
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Post by Frey on Sept 20, 2006 7:39:46 GMT -6
Ooooohhhh... I absolutely hate fund raising. It seems like every time I turn around, some kid is in my face asking me to buy something, but I do think it is a necessary evil. Money we are given always ends up in the wrong places (the palm scanners... a great example). I would rather the majority of our money go to the kids. Are they not what school is about anyway? And back to the scanners...  If I were an administrator, would meet the offending, consistently late person in the parking lot and say, "I am sorry, Mr. So and So. You just need to get on back to your house. You no longer work here because you cannot seem to get here on time. McDonald's does not have to put up with tardiness and neither do I." How hard is that exactly? |
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Post by King Rat on Sept 20, 2006 8:07:24 GMT -6
Speaking of teachers who need to be fired, we are always hearing about "tenure". That concept has always eluded me because my understanding of it is that after a teacher has put in a certain amount of time they are virtually impossible to fire. That just doesn't make sense so my commonsense-brain rejects it without allowing me to chew on it much. But I'm not sure if tenure applies only to college professors or if it also reaches into our public grade schools.
Reminds me of when I was in high school. There was this one particular joke of a teacher who had absolutely no control over his students and could not conduct himself in his classroom. Also, he literally couldn't see beyond his own reach. Everyone - teachers and students alike - constantly griped about how he should be fired. Finally the complaints mounted to the point that the school board held a hearing to determine whether or not to fire this teacher. Several of my friends had to go and testify as did several of the teachers. I had somehow always managed to dodge being in his classroom (except for study hall) so I didn't have to go. But the transformation in students and teachers shocked me even then. They (those who had called for him to be fired the loudest) rallied around this guy and testified FOR him instead of against him. Around school everyone was talking about how WRONG it was for the school board to try and fire this guy. He suddenly became the best teacher who ever cracked a textbook. Needless to say, he wasn't fired and was still teaching long after I had graduated. And as soon as the hearing was over the same people who rallied around him went right back to saying he should be fired. It was an amazing example of human sociality that has never left me. The truth of the matter is that the guy never had any business being a teacher because he was completely ineffective.
I've noticed the same thing when someone dies. The sorriest SOB in the world suddenly becomes a saint while his body lies in state.
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Frey
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Post by Frey on Sept 20, 2006 9:06:32 GMT -6
We do not have tenure; however, it is virtually impossible to fire a teacher. And, many times when that does happen, the deposed teacher turns around and sues the district... It becomes a huge mess.
...And I agree wholeheartedly with what you said about dead people... Just because a person is dead does not mean he or she was a wonderful person in life...
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momof3
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Post by momof3 on Sept 20, 2006 9:51:32 GMT -6
We do not allow our children to do fund raisers for the schools. Although we live in a really good neighborhood in the county, I don't think it's safe for my child to go door to door to people that they don't know. (The people that they do know have kids that are selling the same thing.) I also do not believe in asking family or friends to buy stuff that they will never use or don't need at ridiculous prices. The only other alternative is to sell this stuff at church and I definitely do not believe in that! My children, however, will come in every year and start telling me that if they sell $100.00 worth of stuff, then they will get this 3 inch teddy bear. I try to explain to them that it would be easier to go to Wal-Mart and buy the same 3 inch teddy bear for $2.00. They still don't completely understand it and it's very frustrating as a parent to try to explain it to them. I wish the schools would cool it on the fund raisers!!!
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Post by themetermcse on Sept 20, 2006 12:13:59 GMT -6
Ahhh.....the great debate about funding our schools. I, like frey, work in education however I am in administration. No, I'm not a principal, superintendent, curriculum director, SPED director, nor federal programs director or testing director. I'm not a secretary of any sort, however I am the director of a department that all schools have. When everything works, people love us. When it doesn't, people curse us. Yes, you got it, I'm in technology. I see some things from a different perspective, because the child's school supply list does not concern me, yet.(either as a parent or employee)
To address the hand readers:
Frey, by your comments I am guessing that you are much like me, when it comes to being at work. You get up every morning, go to work, and while you are at work, you are doing what you get paid to do. So, the hand readers were somewhat of an insult to your integrity and honesty. I know how you feel. However, right after we put them in we immediately noticed an increase in productivity by administrators. At the same time, however, we also were able to find the ones who were trying to "beat the system." We would have an administrator punch in at one location and then go to the country club and have some brews. If you called his secretary, she would just say that he was in the district, but she'd have to call him for you and get him to call back. He'd always call back from his cell. Finally, one day, the superintendent called, and got the call back. He told them that he was out at one of the schools in the office, to which the superintendent replied it was impossible for him to be there since the superintendent was there in the very office he said he was in. At the same time, this man's vehicle was observed leaving the country club. So, in this case, the clocks proved to be a valuable tool. Are they enough? In some cases yes, some cases no, and some cases too much. I don't mind them now. I look at it as verifying my honesty and integrity.
To Address the lists and buying classroom items:
I wouldn't buy a single thing for the whole class, unless I was wanting to help give a class party for making level 4 or 5. Just wouldn't happen. If I want to buy the budget items, I will buy the budget items and tell my kid to keep them in his/her backpack. Why should I, as someone said, buy paper towels? Go to the bathroom and run you off what you need.
I'm not one who says more technology is the answer, because it is a known fact that if you constantly give teachers new things, without their requesting it, it won't get used. I'm one of those weird people who preaches on the topic of working smarter not harder and using what you have to its fullest potential, however technology funding is going down. I haven't bought new computers for anyone in a looong time, except in computer labs, because I can't afford them. My money is better spent on training the teachers new and innovative ways to use what technology they have and how to integrate it in the classroom. The problem I face now is that as my teachers get more and more advanced, and want to do more and more with the technology they have, the discover that we need to upgrade what we have. We need more technology funding and less in other areas. Why so many administrators? Why can't some school districts combine responsibilites? We have one administrator who is doing three jobs and I am doing two, but it is not enough. Why so many secretaries? I don't even have one nor do I have a technician to help me, nor do I have a service contract with anybody to help us out. I agree with the fact that nothing can replace the textbook. I do think that textbooks should always be a top priority.
This is my two or three cents worth. I don't necessarily care what anyone thinks about it.
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Post by King Rat on Sept 20, 2006 13:03:12 GMT -6
The the football team has new uniforms and a nice fieldhouse I'd bet.........
One of the problems with fundraisers is that the kids are used as leverage against the parents. The class that sells the most gets a pizza party. The kid who sells the most gets a nifty new t-shirt. The kids who don't sell -- well, there must be something wrong with them. And it is very hard to explain that to a young child who wants to fit in and who likes pizza.
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Post by zipzam on Sept 20, 2006 13:36:24 GMT -6
The the football team has new uniforms and a nice fieldhouse I'd bet......... right or wrong... the football team generates money. i'd be surprised if money from football games (entrance and concessions) wasn't enough to pay for uniforms, busing to away games, etc etc. IF money is taken FROM acedemics and given to athletics,,, then yeah, i have a problem with that. i seriously doubt football isn't self supporting. anywho, on to meter's post (the scanner part). it's great the super caught that guy goofing off at the country club. i really fail to see how the scanner helped catch him though. like you said... he scanned in and then left. it seems to me it'd be fairly easy to check up on people without spending tons of money on scanners. if an employee is chronically late... they could be fired (scanner or no scanner). seems like a waste of money to me. |
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Post by King Rat on Sept 20, 2006 14:04:47 GMT -6
If the football program is self-supporting then why the constant fund raisers to buy new uniforms, or pay off the loan on the new field house, or build new bleechers, or buy new weight equipment? That's my main complaint here - the fundraiser proceeds are not going to buy textbooks or a new copier or new computers. Next time your kid brings home a fundraiser kit look to see what the money is earmarked for. If it is textbooks just let me know and I'll buy two of everything.
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