From my cold dead hands...
ping
Today was my daughters first day of 1st grade, and yes all the supplies went into the huge hopper before we left.
But I let the teacher know all of my daughters stuff had her name clearly printed on it.
The confiscation of private property also happens in private and parochial schools. We are indocrinated early and often to become “sheep of the state”.
I don’t send my kids to public school, but I understand why the teachers do what they do.
If you have to warehouse a bunch of kids together, it’s much easier to keep the peace if they all have the same stuff.
bttt
When I was in elementary school the only communal thing was everyone had to bring two boxes of kleenex. I don’t know about this other stuff, but it doesn’t surpise me.
I will say I do think growing up in one of the reddest of red states helped.
Ping
Is there any confirmation of this claim?
“Wait a little while, and you just might get that call from Teacher with vague, dark hints of a better world for your child if you’ll just allow him to go on Ritalin.”
This is exactly what happened to us - twenty years ago. When our son was *screened* for kindergarten, we were told that we needed to take him to our family physician because they felt that he would need to be medicated for school (Ritalin). This from a tiny school district where his graduating class would be 46 kids. Needless to say, we did not see the doctor. I quit my corporate job to stay home and homeschool the boy. Best move I ever made.
I would not think of taking supplies that were bought by a parent or child.
I estimate that I buy about $400 worth of various supplies for the school year. The great majority of the material is supplied by the school system.
Each individual teacher does require certain supplies for class.
The only supplies I require are book covers for their text books, a binder to put all their notes and assignments in, and something to write with.
This goes on at my kids’ school. When I was in school, you borrowed what you didn’t have, if the owner allowed it, and then gave it back later. Developing relationships, reputations, and all that...
Now, nobody needs to be accountable for anything. They just take from the pot.
My school circumvented this problem completely by supplying all students with supplies.
A school cannot, by federal law, force a parent/child to buy supplies for school. I can recommend them, but not outright demand.
I gave each of my kids in my homeroom a 3 ring binder today. There are Post-It notes in the back, along with paper and highlighters for when we need them. The only thing I will not supply them with is a pencil/pen. As someone has pointed out, a good facilitator does provide for those who need it, when needed.
The only collective then, comes from the school already, not from other parents.
I teach 3rd grade in Texas. State law mandates that school must start on the last Monday of August. As for school supplies, I have a large plastic tub for EACH kid to keep their own supplies. I do collect the kleenex boxes though and we keep two boxes out at a time during the year. If we run out, I just buy some more.If a kid comes to me after I hand out an assignment and says that he/she doesn’t have a pencil, I make them do it in crayon then they have to redo it in pencil for homework. This usually only happens 2 or 3 times before everyone gets the idea that they need to come prepared. By having a tub for each student it is also very easy to catch kids who may decide to “borrow” some other student’s supplies without permission. Parents always think I am hard on the ids at the beginning of the year but they always thank me for being that way at the end of the year.
When I was in grammar school (NYC public), the only “new” things we brought were a pencil box with pencils and pens (however many you wanted), a binder with 5 subjects, a homework pad and my lunchbox.
Things like crayons, markers, paints, glue, rulers, protractors, scissors, etc., were handed out to us via large old cookie tins filled with these items all clearly marked “PROPERTY OF NYC BOARD OF EDUCATION.” “Take one (or a few, in the case of crayons and markers) and pass the tin back,” the teacher said. And all was well.
Whatever happened to SCHOOL TAXES paying for SCHOOL supplies? Silly me.
Regards,
PS: In the interest of full disclosure, my own kids go to Catholic school and are required to bring many of the items that used to be in those cookie tins. However, the items are THEIRS, and the Catholic school does not collect outrageous taxes that are supposed to be going toward supplies. Why ANY public school kid should have to bring in a pair of scissors is beyond me.
This never happened to my children in public school, and it doesn't happen in my classroom. It may happen somewhere, however.
I’ve worked in public schools for years and have never seen or heard of any teacher confiscate a student’s school supplies.
I personally purchase a pencil box, pencils, erasers, homework folders, crayons and whiteboard markers for each of my students out of my own funds. I provide 2 new pencils each month. If they need more they bring their own from home.
My only rule is no pencil sharpening during class. If their pencil breaks, they may use a loaner and sharpen at recess.
And with budget cuts, my school didn’t provide much this year. I got a stack of spiral notebooks, and composition books. That’s it! Everything else is out of pocket. I’ve become a huge fan of the local Dollar store.
This is not happening in all schools. My friends’ children have not had this done to them.