Teacher Panhandles to raise money for school supplies

[tarheel618]

This is probably off topic, but I think the saddest part of this is the number of parents who can't or won't provide supplies for their own children.

Yes it is sad. I usually avoid Disboards the month of August because soon there will be many posts complaining about the teacher's school supply list and how much the supplies cost and whether the supplies will be shared with other students. People writing their child's name on each crayon etc. Teacher's will try and defend the list and then it gets ugly quickly. I want to thank everyone who supports their schools and understands the message the panhandling teacher was trying to share with the public.

 

[spacemountainmom]

I had heard about the woman panhandling, and have read through many, but not all, of the posts here. I am among the many that find it disheartening to know that many teachers buy supplies out of their own pockets. I would love to brag on my church just a bit. This year, for the third year in a row, our church did a teacher supply give-away. We put the ask to our congregation and get tons of donations of school supplies, books, room decor...you name it, if a teacher can use it, you'll find it. In addition to the donations, we run a fireworks stand every year and for all three years a big portion of our proceeds from that go to purchasing supplies. Then, on the day in question (it was actually today!), we open our door to hundreds of teachers who can come get supplies for free. This year they opened it up to 1,000 participants. I just love this outreach event!!

Thank you!!!

I am a special ed para at a high school and if you think teachers are underpaid, I invite you to check out my paycheck. Just today I was at Target and picked up some school supples;not for my own children, they are out of school. I bought stuff to use with "my kids" at school. My husband just sighed and shook his head.

My kids are so far behind academically and most of them come from homes that can't or won't support their education. Anything I can do to help them succeed, I will.

I love that your Church does this kind of community outreach. I wish more would do the same.

 

[Magpie]

If all teachers did this collectively the children would remain in an even standing with each other, your performance reviews would stay comparable and you would think in an interview you would be given the chance to explain that your poor review came from not having resources to meet the standards.

This might work in a country where there's a centralized gov't controlled education system (which is one of the reasons Finland spends so much less per student and gets better results). It would not work in the US, where there are vast disparities in access to education, states set standards and provide most of the funding, and school boards are highly independent.

Children would not remain in an "even standing with each other", because they aren't in an even standing right now. In wealthy communities, children come to school fed, supplied, home-tutored and ready to learn. Their test scores are higher and their schools enjoy more funding. They go on lots of field trips, play instruments, and enjoy all kinds of supplementary learning opportunities. They have teacher's aides and psychologists and nurses. In poor communities, many children come to school hungry, without school supplies or even adequate clothing, and from chaotic homes with stressed, overworked parents. Their schools rarely, if ever, offer field trips, in large part because parents can't afford to pay for their children to go. These kids don't play instruments, because they can't afford them and it's nearly impossible to get enough used instruments donated for an entire class. And even if they manage this, these instruments are often poor quality, damaged, and horribly difficult to learn to play. And, because these schools have less funding, they can't afford to keep learning specialists and nurses, etc, on the payroll.

Plus there's many people who strongly believe that any sort of arts education is a frill and a frippery and why would poor kids need such a thing anyway? All they need is paper and pencils to learn their 3 Rs. So middle class kids continue to receive more, and poor kids receive less, and many people have no issues with this. There's a deep rooted cultural attitude that the poor don't deserve nice things, which interferes with efforts to fund the most troubled schools.

This is a good piece from the Atlantic on the inequality at the heart of the US Education system: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/08/property-taxes-and-unequal-schools/497333/

And that's not even touching on the idea that school children can just let a year or three of learning slide without suffering any long term impact.

I can see it now... There's the teacher saying to the class, "Sorry, kids, I didn't purchase any lab supplies, so this year's science class will just consist of reading and memorizing the text. Oh, but I can't afford copy paper or ink, either, so you'll all going to have to share these three books! They were published in 1985, so be gentle with them. That's one's missing 20 pages out of the center." That scenario might fine for MY kids, because I would have just signed them up for Saturday classes and taught them myself at home. I know a lot of elementary science! But, I also know many parents don't have the resources I have. And their kids would miss out, badly.

It's the kids who need the most help, who would pay the harshest price, with this kind of "job action". And in the end, the inequality between schools will only widen and the disadvantaged kids will become even more disadvantaged. Because the system simply isn't set up to respond in the way Happyinwonerland wants it to.

I know a lot of folks like to grumble that school is just "glorified babysitting" and a way to "warehouse kids" so they don't roam the streets in feral packs. I've been guilty of this kind of hyperbole in the past myself, but the simple fact is that a publicly funded education is often the only education many children will ever get. Losing even just a few months is a big deal.

I support public education. I want to see it get better. I don't have the answer to the problem but I do know that telling teachers they should stop doing their best to try to educate their students is not the way to fix things.

I give full props to the panhandling teacher for doing whatever it takes to help her students succeed.

 

[Southernmiss]

We live across the street from the elementary school that our children attended. Great teachers, administrators and my kids learned all that they needed to move on to middle school and succeed in high school and beyond. The school's state test scores were good and well respected in the area.

We had hurricane Katrina in 2005. In the aftermath of Katrina, several low income housing developments were built in the local area that feed into the school. The demographics of the students changed from mostly middle to upper income students to low income students from single parent homes and students being raised by grandparents or great grandparents.

The test scores and the rating of the school has dropped. Same staff, teachers, administrators just a different mix of students.

I think this is telling of the statement that parents and families greatly influence the education of their children.

Kudos to all teachers in the trenches doing the best they can with multiple factors beyond their control.

 

[Southernmiss]

How much money has your superintendent, principal, or VP paid out of their salaries to fund those class supplies?

Our previous superintendent did not take his salary at all. He was a retired teacher and lived on his teacher retirement and his wife's teacher salary.

Not sure about our current superintendent, but he is a former teacher and his wife is a teacher. Those in admin usually have been in the trenches and understand what the teachers do.

 

[kimmar067]

....in regards to OP.....and folks have the nerve to say how much money teachers make....I don't think I could do that either, so, props to her for being creative about raising funds....

 

[DawnM]

I think the PP was meaning it is the teachers responsiblity to stay within budget not that is is the teachers responsibility to top up that budget.

I am sure however it is difficult to meet the performance/learning requirements and stay within the limited budget.

At my school it didn't quite work that way. They had a list of supplies and you check off what you need. If you checked off "dry erase board marker" but so did everyone else and by the time they got to you, they were out, you didn't get any.

I would MUCH prefer a "spend up to $250 in any of the following items and we will reimburse you with a valid receipt" allowance. I honestly can get by with very little if I need to.

But I don't teach labs, which would be much harder.

 

[DawnM]

I'm sure it isn't easy. And maybe if teachers stop making up the difference out of their own limited salaries, or begging online or on the street, then the districts will pony up for the supplies. When they start seeing declining test scores due to lack of supplies, they'll listen. But teachers continue to put up with the nonsense and make up the difference and the higher ups keep rolling in the dough.

Our city's superintendant makes a quarter of a million dollars, in a city where the average household income is just is $48,600, and our educational system in this state is a joke. Maybe if some of those superintendants made $100k less, the districts would have more to work with. But if we, the public, and teachers, keep making up the difference, it will never change.

I think you are living in lala land. Declining test scores means teacher blame, ALWAYS. It has NEVER equated to lack of funding for supplies. Never.

 

[DawnM]

So, if it isn't destroying their lives, how much of a detriment is it really? Will most kids suffer long term consequences because they scored a bit lower on the state test a few years? And is buying fewer supplies really going to keep kids from learning where the continents are, how to solve for X, memorize history, or construct a compound sentence? Sure, extra supplies make it more fun, but not necessary.

In my co-op, we have an elemtary aged class called math games. The kids learn so much from this class, but the supplies for it are things like computer printed flash cards and game sheets, nothing too expensive. I remember a game from school that we called "Around the World", that drilled facts in a fun way, at no cost. I remember cutting out our own "dollars" and "checks" when learning about money management. Making paper clocks when learnjng to tell time.Teachers can entertain and teach the students with low cost /free activities like this.

So you want teachers to spend an inordinate amount of time printing, cutting out, laminating, just for one lesson. Got it.

I am guessing you homeschool, so you already don't like public education and are very critical of it, which is evident by your posts.

 

[DaisyJ]

So you want teachers to spend an inordinate amount of time printing, cutting out, laminating, just for one lesson. Got it.

I am guessing you homeschool, so you already don't like public education and are very critical of it, which is evident by your posts.

Yes, she does homeschool.

 

[Magpie]

So you want teachers to spend an inordinate amount of time printing, cutting out, laminating, just for one lesson. Got it.

I am guessing you homeschool, so you already don't like public education and are very critical of it, which is evident by your posts.

Yes, she does homeschool.

As a former homeschooler myself, I really don't think that homeschooling disqualifies Happyinwonerland from participating in this discussion.

I strongly disagree with her, I think her proposed solution to the current situation ("Don't strike, don't quit en masse. Simply do your job, within the budget given to you. If the education isn't effective within those boundaries, the test scores will show it. And administrators respond quickly to lower scores.") is incredibly naive and unworkable, and I think there's an element of hypocrisy in her willingness to sacrifice other people's children before her own... but I also think she has just as much right to be critical of the school system as any of us.

It doesn't matter if we have children, or not, if our children are in public school, private school, or home schooled, if we are young or old, we all have experienced some kind of education and we are entitled to express our opinions on the matter. Even when we're wrong.

 

[DawnM]

Yes, she does homeschool.

As a former homeschooler myself, I really don't think that homeschooling disqualifies Happyinwonerland from participating in this discussion.

I strongly disagree with her, I think her proposed solution to the current situation ("Don't strike, don't quit en masse. Simply do your job, within the budget given to you. If the education isn't effective within those boundaries, the test scores will show it. And administrators respond quickly to lower scores.") is incredibly naive and unworkable, and I think there's an element of hypocrisy in her willingness to sacrifice other people's children before her own... but I also think she has just as much right to be critical of the school system as any of us.

It doesn't matter if we have children, or not, if our children are in public school, private school, or home schooled, if we are young or old, we all have experienced some kind of education and we are entitled to express our opinions on the matter. Even when we're wrong.

HA, I am a former homeschooler too, so I have every right to my opinion as well. There were MANY who are anti-PS. Some weren't. But her posts are showing that she is one of them. I don't really care other than she isn't trying to understand how things work.

 

[Magpie]

HA, I am a former homeschooler too, so I have every right to my opinion as well. There were MANY who are anti-PS. Some weren't. But her posts are showing that she is one of them. I don't really care other than she isn't trying to understand how things work.

I guess I'm always just a little more tolerant of the anti-public school homeschool crowd, than their flip side, which are the ones who are anti-public school, but send their kids anyway. And then don't support their learning.

At least most of the anti-public school homeschoolers are committed to educating their own child (if not necessarily everyone else's).

 

[Happyinwonerland]

So you want teachers to spend an inordinate amount of time printing, cutting out, laminating, just for one lesson. Got it.

I am guessing you homeschool, so you already don't like public education and are very critical of it, which is evident by your posts.

So, what is Your solution?

So far, I have seen argued that:

a)Teachers should use their own money to top up their classroom budgets.

b) The budgets should be increase, but then it has been argued that the funding isn't there.

c)Parents should make up the difference, but also that parents can't afford to make up the difference.

What do you suggest to correct the problem?

 

[DawnM]

I guess I'm always just a little more tolerant of the anti-public school homeschool crowd, than their flip side, which are the ones who are anti-public school, but send their kids anyway. And then don't support their learning.

At least most of the anti-public school homeschoolers are committed to educating their own child (if not necessarily everyone else's).

I think we have a different definition of tolerant. I am fine with whatever way you choose to educate your child, but once you start bashing any other method, all bets are off. I am pro-public education, pro-private education, and pro-homeschooling. My specific argument was with a specific person who has no interest in understanding the issue and thinks it is just easy for PS teachers to "just stay within your budget and all is golden. It is YOUR fault.....again, PS teacher"

 

[Happyinwonerland]

HA, I am a former homeschooler too, so I have every right to my opinion as well. There were MANY who are anti-PS. Some weren't. But her posts are showing that she is one of them. I don't really care other than she isn't trying to understand how things work.

I'm not anti-public school at all. I know that not every family can or wants to homeschool. I'm glad kids from those families will get a good education. I've also said that if my child were in public school, I'd be working with her outside of school to fill in the gaps .

But we are in a very educationally poor state. We have one of thr lowest high school graduation rates in the nation. I'm not putting my daughter's mind into those hands. And our administrators do take their high salaries, while asking people in the district to volunteer 10 hours a month to providing janitorial duties, so that thry can have less janitorial staff. This was a real suggestion by our superintendent who makes a quarter of a million dollars per year. So yeah, I believe there is fat to cut at the top.

 

[DawnM]

So, what is Your solution?

So far, I have seen argued that:

a)Teachers should use their own money to top up their classroom budgets.

b) The budgets should be increase, but then it has been argued that the funding isn't there.

c)Parents should make up the difference, but also that parents can't afford to make up the difference.

What do you suggest to correct the problem?

I have already said that it would be far better for teacher to have an "allowance" of sorts, to spend for their classroom. Thankfully, teachers do get $250 from their taxes to cover some of it.

But for things like science, there needs to be some padding for labs, etc....

Do I think there is excess? Yes. I was given a bunch of supplies this year I didn't even ask for and couldn't use, meanwhile, I needed some things for my Senior projects that I couldn't ask for because the supply funding was spent. I did use my $250 for that.

But we have to follow the curriculum, and I think that if the department chairs can make a valid argument to the admins for those items, they can be purchased for the teachers.

But the assumption that teachers and parents should buy them???? First of all, I work in the poorest schools in the city (I was in 2 schools this year) and parents cannot even afford uniforms.

For my OWN children, they do ask for lab fees and teachers send home requests. I donate. I have no issue with that. But I can't donate to the teachers in my kids' classrooms AND pay for the students I have at the same time. I make so little already. I still need to eat.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I think we have a different definition of tolerant. I am fine with whatever way you choose to educate your child, but once you start bashing any other method, all bets are off. I am pro-public education, pro-private education, and pro-homeschooling. My specific argument was with a specific person who has no interest in understanding the issue and thinks it is just easy for PS teachers to "just stay within your budget and all is golden. It is YOUR fault.....again, PS teacher"

That isn't what was said at all. What was said is that if teachers continue to make up the difference out of their own pockets, nothing will change. Because the higher ups don't care whether you spend $500 or your $32 k salary, as long as the job is done. I'm not trying to blame the teachers, I understand why it is easier for then to just poby up the cash, I'm just saying it isn't going to change anything to keep on doing it while grumbling about it.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I have already said that it would be far better for teacher to have an "allowance" of sorts, to spend for their classroom. Thankfully, teachers do get $250 from their taxes to cover some of it.

But for things like science, there needs to be some padding for labs, etc....

Do I think there is excess? Yes. I was given a bunch of supplies this year I didn't even ask for and couldn't use, meanwhile, I needed some things for my Senior projects that I couldn't ask for because the supply funding was spent. I did use my $250 for that.

But we have to follow the curriculum, and I think that if the department chairs can make a valid argument to the admins for those items, they can be purchased for the teachers.

But the assumption that teachers and parents should buy them???? First of all, I work in the poorest schools in the city (I was in 2 schools this year) and parents cannot even afford uniforms.

For my OWN children, they do ask for lab fees and teachers send home requests. I donate. I have no issue with that. But I can't donate to the teachers in my kids' classrooms AND pay for the students I have at the same time. I make so little already. I still need to eat.

My argument is that teachers should stop buying the supplies, because it isn't their responsibility. So I'm not even sure why you are arguing against me?

 

[DawnM]

That isn't what was said at all. What was said is that if teachers continue to make up the difference out of their own pockets, nothing will change. Because the higher ups don't care whether you spend $500 or your $32 k salary, as long as the job is done. I'm not trying to blame the teachers, I understand why it is easier for then to just poby up the cash, I'm just saying it isn't going to change anything to keep on doing it while grumbling about it.

And I am telling you once again that that isn't how it works. You don't just not provide and the powers that be say, "Oh, it must be because we screwed up by not providing the supplies!~ Let's up that budget for supplies!" The FIRST thing that comes out of their mouths (and the public's mouth) is that teachers are to blame! Teachers didn't teach well. Teachers didn't provide the necessary learning environment.