School supply lists are completely ridiculous these days. And overwhelming, and in some cases, amounts to extortion. When you're only buying school supplies for one child, most items on the list can be managed. Multiply your lists by three, and it gets more stressful. But with my oldest two children being in middle school and having multiple teachers, each teacher has their OWN supply list, and it's INSANE! I'm getting a migraine, and my checkbook is cowering from fear of the assault about to be inflicted on it.
Pencils, red pens, paper and folders, I can totally get on board with that. But every classroom is asking for Clorox Disinfecting wipes, 4 or more boxes of tissues (multiply that by 5 teachers, times 3 kids....) Some classrooms want Tennis Balls (for the chair legs... what happened to last year's tennis balls on the chair legs?). Some classrooms want batteries, dry erase markers, fish food and water tank conditioners (seriously? I have to feed the teacher's pets? And take care of its living needs? Don't I have a family to care for???), light bulbs, ballons, air freshener sprays (I know good and well the school employs janitors!), Ziplok bags, and Band-Aids.
(Insert scream of frustration here)
But wait! That's not all! Behind door number 3? A lovely USAGE FEE for each child to use the computers for their homework. What computers, you may be asking? The very same computers that the school received a grant for. The very same computers issued to each child at the beginning of the school year. The same computers that the teachers REQUIRE the students to use in order to complete their homework! $50 per child.
( I know you can't see it, but I seriously have my mad face on right now. )
Now, I offer suggestions to the public school system. Stop buying new books. Stop changing the books you use every year. And while you're at it, stop buying DOUBLES of the new books. Yes, they buy twice the amount of books they need, so the child can leave one at home, and have one at school, so they don't have to lug them around for homework. Ya know what? I lugged books, didn't hurt me a bit! That way, the school might be able to provide the science classrooms with the tin foil and light bulbs and batteries needed for 7th grade science experiments.
Another suggestion: perhaps your football field go forgo the massive million-dollar makeover, and you could apply that money to... I don't know... teacher's salaries? Or a healthier lunch menu? Or even Kleenex! Because 4 boxes of Kleenex per student, per classroom? RIDONKULOUS!
And yet another suggestion: Since you, the public school system, received a grant for those precious MacBooks, perhaps you should only charge us, the parents of the children to whom you issue them, if said CHILD loses or damages said MacBook. CHILD being the operative word there. Because if you issue a brand new computer to CHILD, you can be sure something bad will happen to it. I'm not saying all children are irresponsible, I'm just saying... Expect it to happen.
I'm not saying I have all the answers. I'm not saying our schools don't need money. What I'm saying is perhaps the public school system could be a little more responsible with how they spend the money the state and federal governments give them. And I'm not saying I shouldn't have to buy any school supplies. I am all for giving my children the tools for success. But I'm not going to go out and buy the teachers dry erase markers and zipper bags and tennis balls, just to make their jobs easier. I don't ask my clients to pay for my business cards or my Zumba Gear. Teacher's shouldn't be asking us to pay for the tools they need in their jobs. What teachers DO need and DESERVE are bigger salaries.
And teacher's salaries? Well, that's a rant for another day. Thanks for listening to me rant. Now I'm off to buy some school supplies.
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