lots2do

I was lucky and had a decent budget for my classroom supplies and didn't ask parents for anything. I liked getting my own because everything would be uniform and I could color code also..the yellow folders are for math, the green writing etc. I,too, didn't allow sharpening during class time. Each day we'd start with a container of sharpened pencils and one to collect the dull pencils to be sharpened at the end of the day.

I know someone who teaches in the same area of Florida. She gets a small baggie of post-its, highlighters and pens for her own use and anything else she is expected to buy or ask her elementary students to provide. Fortunately for her, her Mom shops the back to school sales and buys things for her to use. In a public school district, every expense has to stand up to an audit so I'm not sure how school monies are spent on teachers' clothing. I sure never got money for that!

I won't even get into the subject of hungry kids. But in rural NH, we had many who didn't know if they'd have anything to eat when they got home and if anyone would even be home when they got there. Very, very sad. Hard to get good test scores out of kids who are living under such stressful conditions. Now, I'll step off my soapbox!

lots2do

Just wanted to add that the school sales are not as good as they used to be, as well. Over the past few years, the big box stores have stopped offering as many deals. As teachers, we would share the good places to get supplies. I pretty much stopped shopping at Staples for school because their deals weren't all that great.

romanojg

When I was buying for my kids and now grandkids. I wait until the supplies are all on sale, check the sales adds. Wal-Mart and Target are normally in competion. Don't wait until the week before school because they go up. I also buy lots of extras and normally have enough for the whole year. My kids were always great at telling me late at night or early the morning of school that they need something. My one son always told his teacher he forgot his pencils so I gave her a big box that she kept in the drawer for him. I also buy my project boards from the dollar store too, that's another great one, waiting until the last minute to say they have a project due. I try to plan ahead. Here in Va most are buying school supplies this weekend because its tax free for school supplies and hurricane season preparedness.

Last year the teacher wanted the parents to buy her red pencils, etc. the things she uses. My daughter and I agreed, no way. That is not our job. Now if I have extra stuff, I'll give it to their teachers only because even though they do the fund raising at Wal-Marts, etc for kids who don't get what they need. Not all kids who need it fall onto that list and do without. The teacher on the other hand, knows what kids just don't have any supplies or anyhow what they need. Just because you don't qualify for assistance doesn't mean you don't need help buying supplies, clothes, etc.

Geri B

No $$ for pens, but have cell phones and cars- gas costs $$$.... My mantra would be no pen, no grade! Oh but that wouldn't be allowed...

P-BurgKay

I understand what you are saying, I have a daughter that is a teacher, and you would be surprised at how many hundreds of dollars she spends out of her own pocket each year for school supplies for her students that don't have any. This is not school money, but her own money. So those of you that can buy your children's supplies please do so.

Fizzle

I love school supplies! I will help out the grands with their lists. I would also be happy to buy some of those penny and dollar items and donate to the schools.. Have a brand new one opening down the street this year. Maybe I will check into that...

meanmom

I work in a school and kids go thru pencils like crazy. At my school when the custodian sweeps he sweeps up whatever is on the floor. The kids getting up constantly to sharpen pencils is so distracting. In the lower grades I would say the kids need 3 or 4 packs crayons. They break them and lose them. Usually the best time to hit the sales is before school starts. There aren't usually any of the good 1 cent sales later in the year. I spend a lot of my own money to supply kids that don't have any. In kindergarten sometimes they use a glue stick every 2 weeks.

GailG

Several parishes (counties) around here have drives called School Bus drives (Stuff the Bus). A large school bus parks in a parking lot (perhaps at a Walmart, downtown, or anyplace where people can easily bring donations). When the bus is full (to the brim!) Another bus drives up and it goes on until nighttime. They will fill sometimes 7 or 8 busses during one drive. Many stores also have school supply drives where donations fill shopping carts. We have very generous people who want our kids to have what they need. The school supplies are donated to local schools.

That being said: for 33 years I purchased classroom school supplies to be sure that the kids in my class had what they needed when supplies ran short. It was part of my "household budget." I'm not sorry I did it.

Geri B

Thats ridiculous! What happened to books, notebooks? If the kids are glued to computers they may as well stay home and take classes like some adults take college courses.
a lo-o-ong time ago when my youngest was in elem. school and calculators were popular.....the teacher was asking that the kids bring a certain type to class. I marched over and told the teacher, not my kid....you will teach her how to use her gray matter first, then we will discuss calculators...ended that request!- til the last quarter of that year...entitled intro to calculators......

quiltmaker52

I was a high school math teacher for 26 years. I did the same thing when a student needed a pencil. Some would even leave me 1 sneaker as collateral, but I always got the pencils back. I also bought mechanical pencils which I got cheap. Would figure out the cost per pencil, then have them for sale (usually 10 cents). I never made a profit on them. Kept the money and went out and bought more!