One More Reason Why I Just Hate ‘Um
I just hate Republicans.
Governor Rick Perry gutted public education in Texas so he wouldn’t have to raise taxes so he could go make a damfool of the entire state by running for President.
Ole Rick is still prancing all around singing his own praises for not raising taxes and boy howdy ain’t he the financial genius that taxpayers just love?
Remember when your school supply list was a notebook, some paper, a box of crayons, a ruler, a protractor, and a couple of pencils?
Oh no, not now. Check out the elementary school supply list right here in suburban Houston.
I added this up and, conservatively, you’re at $50 per kid not counting a Batman backpack.
Now let’s say you have two kiddos, that is a big expenditure. So, the tax break I get is passed on to those who can afford it least – young families with children in public school.
Rick Perry raised taxes – he just did it on the back of public education.
And that’s another reason I just hate ‘um.
When I was in third grade in 1957, all you had to bring to school was your Roy Rogers lunch box. Everything else was supplied, including all the library paste you could eat. I truly feel for parents and kids nowadays, especially here in Texas.
Rick Perry must be right proud of himself. He’s shown that you really don’t need to be educated to succeed.
1Don’t forget that kids really computer access to compete with other kids. How many computer labs have been cancelled because of tax cuts? More and more of these costs are going to be passed on to the parents because Perry, Abbott and the TEA Party have such disdain for education.
2And if those Crayola, Elmer’s glue and Ziploc boys don’t start kicking some big bucks into the ole Perry campaign/PAC coffers, there won’t be any favors aimed their way, either.
3My daughter’s school supply list is usually a box of pens or pencils, a box of crayons, and some glue. And even those things will be supplied if you don’t send them. I always send my daughter with double or triple of everything, just in case there are kids in her class who need them. If you get non-name brands, you can usually get everything on the list for less than $10.
They also give a list of a few optional things, like tissues and wipes. I always send two of each of those as well.
The wealthier areas of my county have a more substantial list, but from what I recall it’s at least half the length of that list.
4Good for you, Mara.
Long, long ago (and do not think I’m going to tell you how long) my 1st grade class had a communal box of crayons of all sizes and colors that we all shared.
5We moved to another state when the kids were in school. When I inquired about the school supply list I was informed that if the school required it, the school provided it. They did even expect a pencil and paper. The district I live in now has all your items plus a ream of copy paper.
6Teaching 2nd grade in Michigan, our supply list looks a lot like that. When I was in school you bought a notebook, paper of different kinds, pencils, rulers and a pencil bag. However the school supplied the rest. That was back in the day when Sputnik caused everyone’s heads to explode and they spent money on education. Now I have a budget of $120 for the year. That covers construction paper and maybe a big item like a stapler or pencil sharpener. As you said, $50 will buy supplies for about two kids, so my money would cover about 3. The lists are sent home but the supplies are NOT required by the school district. If a child doesn’t have supplies, we (the teachers) supply them with our own money. .
7Immediately after school starts parents of elementary kids get a supplemental list from Teacher which includes, a roll of paper towels, 1 pump hand soap and toilet paper. Apparently TP is now ‘issued on a controlled basis’, if the daily supply runs out before you get there, too bad. Kids take the classroom roll with them just in case, and bring it back.
8Mara – those brand name scissors alone can be $10. And brand name, no dollar store baggies? C’mon. Wonderful that you share, but Texas has managed to really set up a source for dividing (and conquering?) those who are “have nots”.
9Who doesn’t remember the chants in the yard if you fall short?
I remember being taken aback by the school supply list for my 5th grader the first year we were in TX (in the wonderful Cy-Fair ISD). Even better was that the supplies were collected by the teacher and if they ever came back, we didn’t learn about it. And of course those pencil sharpeners have blades in them which make them potential dangerous weapons and what’s the point of having a pencil sharpener in the teacher’s collection — when I went to 5th grade there was a Boston(r) pencil sharpener on the wall of every classroom in the school.
10Well, and then there is the “oops” in Austin when the memo to the school land fund from the lege asking for money to supplement the current school budget asked nicely for the money . . . . and the land fund decided that since the memo asked and didn’t demand, they would just refuse the money . And did!
11We have a “stuff the bus” drive up our way where you can purchase school supplies to help the “have nots” and I spend a lot of time reminding people to participate. A lot of the kids that benefit from this program don’t have enough to eat, much less extra for school supplies.
12There are usually “stuff the bus” drives in San Antonio as we have a large population of needy children. Last year there were a number of high school football players who did a great job at the local HEB collecting supplies. It’s hard to imagine a school not supplying a good pencil sharpener (attached to a stable bookcase or table) in each classroom; those little sharpeners are awful.
What the heck are the PTAs doing these days? When my boys werre in school we did all sorts of things to raise money to help the schools and the classes. Since we had friends with children in private schools who hit us up for donations for their schools; my husband and I turned the tables and raised money from them to buy some equipment for the public grade school.
13We are in Frisco ISD, and for my 1st grader, we have a VERY specific brand-name list:
2 CRAYOLA CRAYONS 24CT
1 4PK EXPO 2 LOW ODOR CHISEL TIP DRY ERASE MRKS
24 NO2 DIXON ORIOLE PENCIL
1 FISKARS 5″ SHARP SCISSORS
4 0.77 OZ. (22 GRAM) ELMER’S GLUE STICK
1 PLASTIC SCHOOL BOX 8.5″ X 5.5″ X 2.5″
1 12 X 18 50 CT. ASST. CONST. PAPER
3 70 CT. SPIRAL COMP. BOOK WIDE RULE
3 100 CT BLACK MARBLE COMP BOOK WR
2 RED POCKET & BRAD FOLDER
1 BLUE POCKET & BRAD FOLDER
1 GREEN POCKET & BRAD FOLDER
1 ORANGE POCKET & BRAD FOLDER
1 184CT KLEENEX TISSUE
1 MED PINK PEARL/CARNATION ERASER
1 12 X 18 BRT WHITE 50 CT CONST. PAPER
I’ve already bought this stuff…it cost around $35. The teachers also have wish lists of things they need like disinfectant wipes, dry erase markers, sanitizer, etc. I am thinking the next step will be asking parents to provide office supplies for the school…copy paper, staples, and maybe some coffee filters!
14A lot of items on those lists aren’t for the child but for the school/teacher/classroom. I’m not gonna say anymore because I’m quite sure Mama can run faster than I.
15The schools I’ve taught in have pencil sharpeners but I think it’s more of a class management issue. The kid can stay at his desk and sharpen as opposed to getting up, meandering around the room, disturbing others, etc.
After being laid off last year, I found another teaching job but I no longer spend my money onclassroom supplies. All the little extras that teachers supply are missing from my room.
Two years ago we were given a mandatory curriculum with lessons. There were a lot of supplies needed for the science labs. When a coworker emailed the district science coordinator to let her know we didn’t have all materials for the mandatory labs, she received a reply with a link to Amazon! My team each spent about $35 month on these required materials for the kids. No more…someone has to make a stand! Might as well be me.
16My oldest son is a about to begin his third year teaching math in elementary school. He spent his intern year and his first year in a small but unGodly rich district before moving to a DFW metro district last year. Read that latter as something less than unGodly rich. The differences are astounding. In the first district, despite headlines about having to close a school and retask administrators, if the student needed it the school provided it. If the teacher needed it the principal magicked it up. In the closer to his home district, it’s hard to tell what the district provides aside from palatial 7 story press boxes at their several football worlds.
17This is just plain wrong. Education should be our nations top priority. Without an educated population we will continue to slide in the rankings amoung industrialized countries. Teachers are asked to educate our kids for a sorry income then also kick in money for the supplies so the administrators can continue to collect 6 figure incomes will all the benefits. Nonsense I tell ya!
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