Crayola payola might explain schools' pleas

Independence Institute ^ | Jon Caldera

[danneskjold]

Here in East Baton Rouge Parish, each public school child has to bring 100 pencils...

[TheBigB]

Or what? Do the teachers stand outside the school and check to see if every child is bringing 100 pencils, and if not, the child is turned away? That's just ridiculous that a school would say that.

[TexanToTheCore]

I agree. Our schools are swimming in cash and superfluous administrators.

The requirement to buy these supplies is nothing more that fraud perpetrated on the parents of school age children.

And yes, the school systems have deals with manufacturers and distributors which help explain the reliance on brand names and specific distributors. The schools get cash back.

[danneskjold]

It's not the schools, it's the school board...

[TheBigB]

Still, seriously, what do they do if a child doesn't bring 100 pencils with him/her? Is the child not allowed to attend school? What are the consequences of not complying?

[Millee]

Plus it gets the little darlings used to the idea of "shared property". Just like good little socialists.

[MamaTexan]

Is the child not allowed to attend school? What are the consequences of not complying?

Nothing happens...just more voluntary compliance by government.

I caught on to this scam pretty fast. I have twin girls, and when they started Kindergarten, it almost broke the bank.

When they started first grade, I bought only half of what was on the list and sent a note to the teacher that I could not afford to supply other people's children.

The supplies sent were for my daughters, and my daughters ONLY. If THEY needed anything else, she should let me know, and I would supply it.

I've been doing it ever since, and have YET to have a teacher send a note home to tell me they needed more.

[TheBigB]

Good for you!

[drjimmy]

And if all the glue sticks and Crayola crayons and Fiskars scissors are voluntary, as Chris King made clear, they therefore must be for the "non-academic portion of the educational program." If they were for the "academic portion," the school would have supply it, just like textbooks.

Either Chris King was not as clear as the author thinks, or the author of this piece needs a refresher course in reading comprehension. I looked up Colorado state statute 22-32-117 and found the "voluntary" part. But right above it is what I think is the relevant part of the statute:
"A board may require a pupil to pay...any fees reasonably necessary for and reasonably related to the actual cost of textbooks or expendable supplies not provided free of charge."

"Expendable supplies" is where the crayons, tissues, etc., come in. The author of this piece rants about what is "voluntary" and what constitutes the "non-academic portion of the educational program," which has nothing to do with the relevant part of the law. My guess is that that might have to do with class parties and whatnot. This is an Emily Litella moment for the author.

[cyclotic]

I cannot understand how it could possibly cost that much. I was in a modern elementary school recently that had a classroom World Book encyclopedia from 1958.

Our first year of homeschooling (about 10 years ago) cost us around $50.00 in non-reuseable materials.

These schools need to learn to budget and golly, they might be able to buy their own Kleenex.

Thinking about it though, it's not the Kleenex, it's part of the communal brainwashing ideology. Teach the kids early that they own nothing.

[Gerish]

Good idea - I will use that plan if you don't mind.

I had to give my daughter's 1st grade teacher $14.00 at the beginning of this past school year and supposedly she bought all the supplies ($14.00 from each child - 20 kids altogether). At the end of June, I sent a note in asking the teacher to make sure my daughter's crayons and markers etc. were sent home on last day of school with her. I never got a reply and nothing came home with her, so I am assuming that everything became "community property." What a scam - this will not happen again.

[Yo-Yo]

At the end of June, I sent a note in asking the teacher to make sure my daughter's crayons and markers etc. were sent home on last day of school with her. I never got a reply and nothing came home with her, so I am assuming that everything became "community property." What a scam - this will not happen again.

LOL! You ever see what's left of those crayons and markers by the end of the year? You wouldn't WANT them back!

[kittymyrib]

In Texas, the illegals/"disadvantaged" children walk into the class and tell you they want their "free stuff." I put disadvantaged in quotes because these same kids came back after Christmas bragging about all the newest video games they'd received, while we couldn't afford those games for our own boys. Of course, these same families were on the free breakfast and lunch programs, so the taxpayers made it possible for them to buy their kids these expensive toys. The milk of human kindness tends to clabber in one's veins after a few years of watching this scam.

[T.Smith]

My son started kindergarten yesterday and his list of supplies was this:

2 boxes 8 count crayons
2 boxes 24 count crayons
1 box white board markers
1 ream copy paper
2 boxes kleenex
1 box #2 pencils (sharpened)
2 glue sticks
2 4 oz bottles glue
2 70 page notebooks
2 folders with brads
2 folders w/out brads
1 pair headphones
1 container germicide for hands
2 containers of disinfectant wipes
1 box ziploc bags
1 pair fiskars scissors
1 box fat markers
1 box thin markers
1 towel (for naps)
1 backpack

Only the backpack and towel were allowed to have his name on them. At the top of the list it said "optional school supplies". My wife and I figured we had to buy two of everything to cover the parents that "opted out". All of the supplies had to be dropped off with the teacher on orientation day, several days before school started. My son picked out blue folders and blue notebooks because that is his favorite color. He came home yesterday with an orange folder...

[Old Professer]

Changing the caliber of the weapon doesn't change the nature of the crime.

The real complaint is that the student's personal purchases don't remain the student's personal property.

[3AngelaD]

Yes, I believe that is the entire idea: from each according to his (parents') means; to each according to his need. There is a good reason why it is called communal property.

[T.Smith]

I almost made a stink about my son's supplies becoming community property, but I didn't want to put my 5 year-old in that position.

[Old Professer]

I was in basic training for 11 weeks; each weekend someone's grandmother died and the T.I. took up a collection for flowers which, I presume, were delivered by the time he returned, bleary-eyed, on Monday morning.

[Gabz]

My husband picked up the school list of supplies for the Second grade yesterday.

In very big bold letter at the top of the list it states to label EVERYTHING with the child's name.

And abslutely no brand names are listed.