Class Participation: Where to draw the line when it comes to parental involvement in school

From the Community…

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  Posted by Kay Tue Sep 9, 2008 1:50pm PDT

  I also feel that we are being asked to provide too much. I don't mind purchasing the things my kid needs, but the paper towels, ziploc bags, kleenex, and so forth are ridiculous. We are all paying full price for this stuff. At the very least, schools should buy the items by the case and we could split the cost!! The only things my kindergartner needed this year for school were paper products for the school. I'm currently raising a kindergartner, but had four kids in four years when my own kids were small. I provided enough paper towels to clean up every spill in the school for years. I agree: We don't ask government workers to bring their own pens to work (can you just imagine?). Why do the kids have to provide everything? Besides, everything should be STANDARDIZED. I sent nice Kleenex to school, the soft kind. And I really hate it when my kid comes home with a runny nose she got at school and tells me that the tissues there are scratchy. They sure aren't the ones I sent! Oh, BTW, teachers get a tax break on the money they spend for school. Parents don't. And although I agree that teachers aren't paid enough for taking care of what is most precious to us in this life, many of them make more than the parents do.

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  Posted by DD Tue Sep 9, 2008 6:34pm PDT

  I am a first year teacher and a parent so I understand both sides. Sometimes the lists can seem ridiculous to the parents, but believe the majority is needed. The paper towels, ziploc bags, and kleenex are definitely needed, especially for an elementary school. It is true that teachers get a tax break on the money they spend for school, but its only for about $250. So after you've spent around 500-1000 dollars a year on items for your classroom and your students, the tax break is nothing. The bottom line is that parents and teachers have to supply the things that the government should be taking care of. If they want our students to perform better academically then they need to provide the students with the supplies to do so.

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  Posted by DD Tue Sep 9, 2008 6:34pm PDT

  I am a first year teacher and a parent so I understand both sides. Sometimes the lists can seem ridiculous to the parents, but believe the majority is needed. The paper towels, ziploc bags, and kleenex are definitely needed, especially for an elementary school. It is true that teachers get a tax break on the money they spend for school, but its only for about $250. So after you've spent around 500-1000 dollars a year on items for your classroom and your students, the tax break is nothing. The bottom line is that parents and teachers have to supply the things that the government should be taking care of. If they want our students to perform better academically then they need to provide the students with the supplies to do so.

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  Posted by Melissa N Tue Sep 9, 2008 8:59pm PDT

  Some of us just plain can't afford it and I don't see why they need such specialized things. My nephew had to have whatever that thing is called that plugs into the front of the computer to save things.

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  Posted by blahblahblah Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:30am PDT

  zip-lock bags are definately needed? For what seems to me that 30 years ago when i was in grade school we brought our own small box of kleenex and there were no such things as ziploc bags and somehow we managed to get by...We live in a very small town where the class sizes for my sons class when he was in grade school was 8 kids my daughter has 12 kids in her class why on earth does each kid need to bring 2-3 big boxes of kleenex at the beginning of the year when the class is that small? Most kids wipe their nose on their sleeves or just sit there and "snuff" it up--or least that's what my kids do at home and I can't imagine that the majority of kids are any different! Somehow I'm betting that the teachers go home at the end of the year with all the extra's that I've spent my hard earned money on. Oh and another thing that anoys me me is when I send plates, cups and napkins or plastic silverware to school for a party or for my kid's b-day treats I really want them to bring home the extra's and not have the teacher take them to use in the teachers lounge!!!

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  Posted by Sophie_Phoenix Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:47am PDT

  This seems like it should be less of a discussion of teacher vs. parents, and more about making sure our schools get enough funding and that those funds are handled correctly.

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  Posted by Kodi Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:32pm PDT

  Well I find this all very interesting. I currently home school my son ( who has dyslexia and let me say the public school system and teachers were at best inadequate for addressing his needs) and my daughter attends the public school now, having been in a private preschool and kindergarden. In the private setting, including one my son attended for 1 year prior to my moving, I was not asked to supply any kleenex or ziploc bags or many basic necessities other than a few notbooks,a backpack and daily snack and lunch. Special projects may have had some special requests but nothing like the ridiculous level of requests from the public school teachers. I realize that the public schools receive what some feel are inadequate funding, but seriously, there is a tremendous amount of unnecessary spending and waste in the public school setting. Residents pay school real estate taxes and schools get state funding - the money is being collected from the taxpayers to provide for the basics of education. Teachers salaries are not based on performance - why not? If a teacher is not capable there needs to be a means to replace them. I have been home schooling my son for 2 1/2 years now and I work full time. My son is progressing faster now than he ever would in the public school setting because his education time is focused on that - education. His social time with the other kids is at his friends houses or parties or community activities and sports. Frankly, I am not going to provide kleenex or ziploc bags, or other items like that which I as a business owner know full well can be obtained in bulk by the school district much more cheaply than the individual parents can get them. I buy them by the case for my office - do they really think I am going to go by several boxes to donate to the class because it is such a hard think for the district to supply? Give me a break! Same thing with basics of office paper, notebooks, pencils etc - hello? anybody heard of Staples out there? Anyone who thinks that the schools cannot afford to buy these basics needs to start asking why not? Where are your tax dollars being spent?

  Sorry for ranting, but it just bugs me because I own and run a business and I know that you need to have your basic supplies in your operating budget and the schools have a budget of a known amount of money and they should be able to do this - the private schools do.

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  Posted by Me Fri Sep 12, 2008 8:36am PDT

  I would send an email back:

  To missie

  My child is not permitted to drink soda, hence none of those are to be found in my house. I am a vegetarian, hence no meat-trays. I am a green person, hence have no car.

  Please note that nobody is allowed address me as mommy or mom unless they are my children

  Signed Name, title

  PS I teach my children to say please and thank you

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