So I was thinking about taking a vacation, or buying something fun, maybe some pretty, pretty shoes by the lovely Tory Burch, but instead I spent our money on binders. And lots of 3-hole punched folders, with pockets.
I’m not alone. Parents around the country are currently participating in the annual spend-a-thon that is back-to-school shopping. Apparently, last year, the average amount families spent on back-to-school supplies was a mind-boggling $600. $600!
My kids need these supplies for school and I don’t mind supplying them one bit. I don’t even mind buying crayons and glue sticks for the classroom to share.
But printer paper? Dry erase markers?
Shouldn’t we draw the line somewhere? Unfortunately, I have a sneaking suspicion that it would be the poor classroom teacher, not the school district, that felt the pain if I didn’t pony up. It doesn’t seem right.
I’m thinking about sending the school district a copy of my earlier donation, also known as my tax bill, along with my printer paper and dry erase marker receipts. Times are tight, I know, but asking parents to supply printer paper? I’m not sure that the right way for schools to “save” money is on the back of the parents who already donate, through taxes and fundraisers.
Oh I am SO IN LINE with you. Can you believe that some classrooms at our school put an "optional" ipad on the supply list this year? We spent over $400 on our first trip out for suplies at Staples. HATE it!
An iPad?! I guess I'm glad our optional purchases were a pocket dictionary and thesaurus! 🙂
I actually think we should count our blessings. At least we aren't asked to "voluntarily" chip in an extra $650 per child so we can continue to pay our gym teachers and media specialists. Unfortunately, that is happening in public schools around the country.
Janet, That's a fair point and brings up an idea beyond the scope of this blog: the discrepancy in public education from town to town and state to state in our country. I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one, in general. At least one school in our district is a Title 1 school that qualifies for Federal assistance, which means there are lots of people having a tough time making ends meet. In addition, I personally know two families with nice houses and cars who are having trouble paying bills–I'm sure there are many more I don't know or don't know about. Given the current economy, I think it's asking a lot of families on a tight budget to provide supplies for each child's classroom. I remember the days when an extra $50 in a given month was a big deal. That said, I'll certainly agree that it's better than $650!