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I too am not out to bash teachers - they have a tough job and I respect them tremendously. I pay taxes every year to pay for my children's educations. I don't think I should have to supplement all the children whose parents choose not to buy for them. In our system, if parents cannot afford items, the system or other donations make sure that kids have what they need. Every Walmart, Target, and office supply store has lists and donation boxes set up for people to contribute to for students that need it. Each year when we have gone to donate, those areas seem to be overflowing. Why does this community chest not make it to the classroom?
Our school has a wish list of needed supplies that I usually contribute to. I donate our used bookbags and lunch boxes for those less fortunate. I buy extra supplies on the teacher's wish list at the beginning of the year and buy books for the classroom at the yearly bookfair.
I more or less quit participating in the majority of fundraisers. If it requires that my child go out and sell something, I would prefer to make a flat donation and have the school get $20.00 instead of 20% of $20.00. The problem with pictures are that my children want to buy them so they can exchange them with all their buddies. Our system does pictures twice a year - two different companies. It seems that the moment my children go back to school we are bombarded weekly with requests for money for this or that or fundraisers and everything else under the sun.
I am on board with the complaints against the teacher appreciation week too where you are supposed to buy a different gift each day. We generally buy gifts at Christmas, and the end of the year. That alone should be enough to let the teacher know that we appreciate them. Spending time at home overseeing homework, good character traits and appropriate classroom behavior should show appreciation for the teacher. Helping out in the classroom periodically should show appreciation. I get irked when I'm expected to go out and buy gifts for appreciation week. And it is not like you have just one teacher - most classrooms in our district have two teachers per classroom - a lead teacher and an assistant. Then you have the music, art, pe, and spanish teacher that should also be appreciated. If I had just one child, perhaps a daily gift might be feasible. But I have three, and 10 teachers to appreciate per child, five days for the appreciation week, Christmas and end of the year gets expensive in a hurry.
I don't think this thread is intended to be a parent against the teachers thing. I think it is about is this the norm, and if so, why, and what can we do about it?
Lonestaradpi - thanks for explaining some other uses of the baggies - I had not thought about those.
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