A school supply question for parents

[Josie]

Every year you get the list of supplies that your child needs for their grade level. You buy it all, pack it in their backpacks and they bring it to school. But sometimes there are things on the list that teachers don't need or won't use because the list isn't for each individual teacher, but for the entire grade level.

So....

I know a couple teachers who take all the supplies they get that they won't use and return them to Walmart or wherever they were purchased. They use the money from the refund to buy things they'll actually use in the classroom.

I'm very uncomfortable doing that. I never have and never will.

My question is --- should I be uncomfortable about it? Would it bother you if your child's teacher did that?

 

[d0gbreath]

How can they return those items when the parents have the receipts?

 

[Josie]

How can they return those items when the parents have the receipts?

Apparently they take them back without receipts.

 

[americanwoman]

Every year you get the list of supplies that your child needs for their grade level. You buy it all, pack it in their backpacks and they bring it to school. But sometimes there are things on the list that teachers don't need or won't use because the list isn't for each individual teacher, but for the entire grade level.

So....

I know a couple teachers who take all the supplies they get that they won't use and return them to Walmart or wherever they were purchased. They use the money from the refund to buy things they'll actually use in the classroom.

I'm very uncomfortable doing that. I never have and never will.

My question is --- should I be uncomfortable about it? Would it bother you if your child's teacher did that?

It wouldn't bother me, as a teacher you know more about what you have planned for the school year and need the tools to get it done. If the school asks the kids to bring index cards that won't even be used but not rulers, I see absolutely no issue with the teacher trading what they get for what they need. Now if they were trading for non school items, that would be an issue.

 

[d0gbreath]

I guess they do it somehow. I seem to feel that there is a wrong involved in those transactions. Not a bad, bad wrong, but a little one.

 

[Lutherf]

Why not just send the extras back home with the kids so the parents can return them if they so choose?

I don't really have an ethical problem with teachers doing what you mention provided the parents are informed ahead of time that it might be required and, of course, that the refund is actually used for classroom supplies instead of personal use items.

 

[MaggieD]

Every year you get the list of supplies that your child needs for their grade level. You buy it all, pack it in their backpacks and they bring it to school. But sometimes there are things on the list that teachers don't need or won't use because the list isn't for each individual teacher, but for the entire grade level.

So....

I know a couple teachers who take all the supplies they get that they won't use and return them to Walmart or wherever they were purchased. They use the money from the refund to buy things they'll actually use in the classroom.

I'm very uncomfortable doing that. I never have and never will.

My question is --- should I be uncomfortable about it? Would it bother you if your child's teacher did that?

I think you should be uncomfortable doing it. Better you pack it up and return it to their parents. if the lists are wrong, getting the lists right is a much better focus.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Why does the student's personal property suddenly belong to the teacher? If something on the list is not needed then return it to the parent.

 

[Josie]

I think you should be uncomfortable doing it. Better you pack it up and return it to their parents. if the lists are wrong, getting the lists right is a much better focus.

The lists aren't wrong, per se. Like in my case --- I don't use a couple of the things on the list for my grade level, but the rest of the teachers in my grade level do. So the parents of my kids have to buy stuff I won't even use.

 

[Lutherf]

Come to think of it, what school supplies does a 1st grader require these days? If I remember correctly I needed a ruler, a protractor, a compass, maybe some glue or paste, and probably some crayons. If that's what we're talking about then no big deal but if we're talking about iPads that's a different story.

 

[Josie]

Come to think of it, what school supplies does a 1st grader require these days? If I remember correctly I needed a ruler, a protractor, a compass, maybe some glue or paste, and probably some crayons. If that's what we're talking about then no big deal but if we're talking about iPads that's a different story.

No protractor or compass for first graders. Haha.

Actually, first grade Common Core math doesn't teach measuring with a ruler either....

They bring crayons, glue, scissors, headphones, markers, colored pencils, watercolors, crayon box, notebooks, folders, dry erase markers, pencils, germ-x, large and small ziploc bags, kleenex....

 

[clownboy]

This is different from school to school. Some schools expect the teachers to make do, and so the good teachers generally ended up paying for the extra materials. In some schools the PTA steps in to cover any extra materials individual teachers needed. And in other schools this (the OP) is what happens.

 

[Josie]

This is different from school to school. Some schools expect the teachers to make do, and so the good teachers generally ended up paying for the extra materials. In some schools the PTA steps in to cover any extra materials individual teachers needed. And in other schools this (the OP) is what happens.

I should add --- we do get some money ($100) from PTA at the beginning of the year (at least we did last year --- it changes year to year depending on how active the PTA is) to buy other supplies.

 

[joG]

Why does the student's personal property suddenly belong to the teacher? If something on the list is not needed then return it to the parent.

He's bigger'n'em.

 

[justabubba]

The objective is to get the right items
Correct the list

Teacher risks being unable to prove they did not pocket the money from the returned items

 

[Cephus]

Irrelevant here. My kids are way too old for that, but even when they were younger, supplies were bought for your child, not for the classroom. You didn't give anything to the teacher, you bought things for your child to use individually.

 

[PirateMk1]

The lists aren't wrong, per se. Like in my case --- I don't use a couple of the things on the list for my grade level, but the rest of the teachers in my grade level do. So the parents of my kids have to buy stuff I won't even use.

If I were you I would make up my own list and either have the school distribute it or distribute it to your students charges yourself. I think the parents would appreciate it.

 

[Gaius46]

Every year you get the list of supplies that your child needs for their grade level. You buy it all, pack it in their backpacks and they bring it to school. But sometimes there are things on the list that teachers don't need or won't use because the list isn't for each individual teacher, but for the entire grade level.

So....

I know a couple teachers who take all the supplies they get that they won't use and return them to Walmart or wherever they were purchased. They use the money from the refund to buy things they'll actually use in the classroom.

I'm very uncomfortable doing that. I never have and never will.

My question is --- should I be uncomfortable about it? Would it bother you if your child's teacher did that?

My two are both in college so it's been a while - and even then my wife dealt with the school but you're right to not do that. It's the the kid's supplies. If they aren't needed the parents can return them or do whatever with them. Returning them and using the money to fund supplies for everyone is wrong. Either tell the parents to get the things the kids need or, if the classroom has a general supply need that the school board isn't meeting ask the parents to donate money. Just taking the kid's stuff is wrong.

 

[PirateMk1]

No protractor or compass for first graders. Haha.

Actually, first grade Common Core math doesn't teach measuring with a ruler either....

They bring crayons, glue, scissors, headphones, markers, colored pencils, watercolors, crayon box, notebooks, folders, dry erase markers, pencils, germ-x, large and small ziploc bags, kleenex....

Wow. I just had to have a pencil and paper when I went. Oh and be clothed properly.

 

[Critter7r]

The lists aren't wrong, per se. Like in my case --- I don't use a couple of the things on the list for my grade level, but the rest of the teachers in my grade level do. So the parents of my kids have to buy stuff I won't even use.

Is there any way to change the list before it goes out? Can't the Admin send the email to teachers first, to be edited and returned before sending the letter home with the kids?

 

[Cephus]

Is there any way to change the list before it goes out? Can't the Admin send the email to teachers first, to be edited and returned before sending the letter home with the kids?

What the OP might be talking about, because I've seen this before, is that stores like Office Depot and Target will have papers with lists of supplies for parents to buy. It doesn't come from the teachers, it doesn't come from the schools, it comes from the school districts, printed out by the ton, and distributed to stores. The individual teachers aren't even in the loop.

 

[Beaudreaux]

Every year you get the list of supplies that your child needs for their grade level. You buy it all, pack it in their backpacks and they bring it to school. But sometimes there are things on the list that teachers don't need or won't use because the list isn't for each individual teacher, but for the entire grade level.

So....

I know a couple teachers who take all the supplies they get that they won't use and return them to Walmart or wherever they were purchased. They use the money from the refund to buy things they'll actually use in the classroom.

I'm very uncomfortable doing that. I never have and never will.

My question is --- should I be uncomfortable about it? Would it bother you if your child's teacher did that?

If it were me, as long as I use the refund money for my class and students, then I wouldn't see any problem on a personal moral or ethical level. I would, however, ensure that I documented every penny in case some parent thought they were some official auditor of teachers.

Although, I definitely can understand being uncomfortable doing so.

My kids teachers gave a teacher specific list at orientation before classes started that told parents what was really needed and what not to waste their money on.

 

[roughdraft274]

Odd situation. If it were my sons teacher I certainly wouldn't care, especially since the teacher is only using it for other school supplies, but if it were me I'd certainly feel odd about it. If it were more than a few bucks per child, I definitely wouldn't do it.

 

[Groogrux]

Every year you get the list of supplies that your child needs for their grade level. You buy it all, pack it in their backpacks and they bring it to school. But sometimes there are things on the list that teachers don't need or won't use because the list isn't for each individual teacher, but for the entire grade level.

So....

I know a couple teachers who take all the supplies they get that they won't use and return them to Walmart or wherever they were purchased. They use the money from the refund to buy things they'll actually use in the classroom.

I'm very uncomfortable doing that. I never have and never will.

My question is --- should I be uncomfortable about it? Would it bother you if your child's teacher did that?

I think it's a little dishonest. I'm not sure why each teacher can't have their own list of supplies. I doubt my kids teachers are able to return their stuff as I write their names on everything in big capitals letters with a black Sharpie.

 

[Josie]

If I were you I would make up my own list and either have the school distribute it or distribute it to your students charges yourself. I think the parents would appreciate it.

The school won't -- there's one list. I could distribute my own list to parents, but they would've already purchased what was on the grade level supply list.