Me in a neurotic nutshell
Floating along in a sea of uncertainty, I seem to thrive on self-doubt, overindulgence and a ridiculous need for affirmation. I’m the cool mom to every kid who is not living in my uncool house, and I keep telling everyone I know that I’m funny. I have reference letters.
When God calls me home, I hope to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant,” but my constant stumbling makes that an uphill battle. Join me on that trek. And like me. Please?
My B+ Attempts at Being All That 
My new favorite obsession. Even for someone without children, I do remember being a child, so I can relate!
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I totally agree with your frustration, I have 5 children go thru or school system and 3 more to go.
However, I am tired of ‘sucking it up’ and saving my money to help the teachers. I appreciate their job. We need our teachers.
After volunteering for years, I watched teachers, have their coffee supplied by tge district, 5-6 newspapers delivered daily, great treats and meals from PTA and they all get a coffee break and a lunch break, which is a luxury for me as a Staff RN.
This is on the school district. I do not bring in tape, bandages, IVs, gloves, sanitary pads or diapers to do my JOB in OB.
As a home owner we stopped years ago getting daily papers due to $.
We are poor working middle class. The start up of school with the request for supplies ‘that become the community of the class’ has cost us hundreds over the years.
After volunteering at school and seeing the REAMS of white paper go to the stack in the office absolutely drove me crazy, low income getting their stuff fot free, msybe if theit patents quit smoking, they could afford supplies, we pay taxes -why are citizens supplying this.
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This in a nutshell shows the inequity in education. I have heard of this Nirvana, but as a 23 year veteran in a low income district, I have NEVER seen this.
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I just read your post about not buying kleenex or other supplies for school. As the aunt of a 1st grade teacher, my niece spends a lot of her own money to make sure the kids in her classroom have the supplies they need. She purchases all her own decorations and she has been know to buy food, jackets, shoes, etc for children who don’t have those things. So you whining and complaining about having to buy a few extra boxes of kleenex that your child might not use is ridiculous. Not only does my niece spend hundreds of her own dollares, but her mother and I also give her funds to help. Schools are broke and teachers woefully underpaid. So don’t be making uneducated comments without knowing the facts!
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I think you didn’t read the whole post.
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Did you actually read the post or just the title?
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I completely disagree with your conclusions. Many parents come from an era when the school system provided most everything a student required minus a paint bag, glue, crayons (the 64 pack) and a few other items. The problem or issue is–the school doesn’t know when to stop. How much is too much? Each week my child returns from school he brings but yet another request for something that costs money. My kid doesn’t understand how he is expected to provide money when he is only a kid. Yes the burden of cost in education is extended to ever one, but at what cost? If the school system, the bosses, would operate the school as an institution of higher learning rather than a business then maybe there would be Expo markers by the thousands. The crux of the issue is ‘underpaid’ educators spend their own money on supplies! What? That’s like asking the guy who works at the grocery store to bring ‘meat’ to sell. Who are you kidding? Understanding the problems within our educational system requires solutions! Not judgments. Walk in another person’s shoes. Why should a child have to be given supplies, like charity, when other children have them. How embarrassing.
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As a retired teacher, I wanted to compliment you on the great article! I usually spent 50-100 dollars each month when I taught. I did it for the kids and that is the only thing that mattered!
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I completely agree with your frustrated post. It is unfair to support the slacker-parents who don’t feel any connection or need to meet the needs of their children. But your child will benefit more by being able to do the projects designed by the teacher. My girls are fortunate enough (no-I & my wife bust our butts hard enough) to be able to go to an amazing private school in Atlanta. I know, however, that there are kids at the school on scholarships and parents who barely weathered the economic downturn (architects, anyone building 2008-2011?). Anyway, as libertarian and leaning Republican as I am, I have no problem donating extra time, money, gift cards to the teachers-who ALWAYS end up spending their own money anyway-it betters my kids’ environment. Selfish motivation, sure. But why should my kids not be able to do something educational over something as trivial as a Starbuck’s run? I’ll suck it up. (=brew my own coffee). My kids have “bank accounts” and debit cards-they are early teens-if they lose something; they replace it with their own effort and funds. I apologize for the non-organized diatribe.
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