# Outraged



## beachgurl (Aug 20, 2008)

Okay, maybe I'm just weird, however I really need to rant about this; since when do you have to pay for your kids to go to public school ??!!  When I went to school, everything was provided for you, you didn't have to pay to take electives, or for a locker.  My how things have changed.  The school district here charges $10 for band, $5 for chorus, $2.50 for keyboarding, and $3.50 for art.  On top of this is a $5 blanket fee that every student must pay along with a $2 locker fee.  If you don't pay these fees (and every child is required to take 2 electives) your kid doesn't move up to the next grade !!!  I don't have a problem paying these fees, but I don't think it's fair for everyone.  What if (and I have a friend who falls under this category .. single mom, working at Subway with three kids to support) you don't have the money to pay?  What if you don't have the money for your kid to be in band?  It's not like there are a lot of decent jobs around here!!  The poverty here is nothing to scoff at.  I know that these fees seem nominal, but when you're on a tight budget, there might not be an extra 12.50 (if your kid is taking the cheapest electives) to spare, especially if you have more than one child.  I just think this is craziness.  No wonder North Carolina schools remain at the bottom.  I'd rather pay a school tax than exclude kids from participating in school activities.  It gets even better though, in the middle school, there aren't enough books for the kids to take home their social studies and one other subject (can't remember off the top of my head) books.  The school has only "classroom" copies.  Where in the heck is the lottery money going?  Where are my property taxes going (it's not like we have a park, sidewalks, or anything else like that here where I live).  Alright .. I'll get off my soap box now


----------



## WilsonFamilyPicnic (Aug 20, 2008)

when i was in school, the only thing you had to pay was for optional things....

what the heck is a "locker fee"??? aren't the lockers already there and not going anywhere??? there is either underfunding or mismanangement somewhere or both....


----------



## beachgurl (Aug 20, 2008)

I went to school in PA and that's how it was.  You didn't have to buy a darn thing except the things that you wanted .. everything that you needed was supplied for you.  I just can't get over this.  I'm writing a letter to the school board and the county board of commissioners.  We pay tax on everything here in NC (unlike in PA where necessities aren't taxed) we pay tax on our vehicles, property tax, and we have to pay for our kids to go to school??  I think it's so ridiculous... it makes me so mad for the kids whose parents can't afford these stupid fees.  No child should have to pay to go to a public school.


----------



## Tabitha (Aug 20, 2008)

WE are in TX & the city we are in only has  classroon copies of books in the high school, but we got a nice new multi million dollar foorball stadium 2 years back. It makes it real hard to dohomework when you can't bring a book home  :roll: .

Surely they must have some sort of hardship thing for single moms/people that qualify for food stamps, etc where the locker fees, etc will be comped.

What surprised me most about the distric we are in is the extensive list of school supplies that have to be bought in elementary school. They want 144 pencils per kid, 2000 sheets of notebook paper & each child even has to provide the teacher W/ a box of dry erase markers, not for the kids to use, but for the teacher. I won't buy them on principle. The teacher needs to buy their own supplies. I only buy 1/2 of what is on the supply list too. I know it is supply heavy because they are counting on only 1/2 the kids bringing supplies, so the ones that do bring supplies They want you to bring 2x as much. The list for supplies as it stand is about $65.00, but you are not permitted to put your name on anything because it all goes into *the pot* and gets used by all. Even the pencils, you get 1 out of *the pot* in the morning & return it at the end of the day. Which means you have 20 different kids putting each pencil in their mouth & then the next day the pencils get swapped around to someone else.

Odd indeed how things have changed.

That's the end of my rant  :wink: .

Oh, and how about this, last year the coach weighed every child and made them line up thinnest to fattest in each class :shock: . How do you think THAT made the heavier kids feel?


----------



## WilsonFamilyPicnic (Aug 20, 2008)

i am in pa. i saw one school where they send home their kids BMI on their report card and a letter telling you that your kid is either overweight, normal. or underweight. yeah, its great they are taking an itnerest in health, but they are doing it all ass-backwards it seems. 

our local HS has a cappucino machine for the seniors and apparently it doesnt have sugar, its got some kind of sweetner! argh!?!?!


----------



## pepperi27 (Aug 20, 2008)

Over here in nyc they have a list of supplies that yes some goes to the classroom and the rest gets shared by the students which I don't think is right. I don't mind buying supplies for my kids but I work hard and should not have to pay for other kids because those parents don't want to contribute. The city councilwoman over here was getting parents to sign a petition because they want to cut an enormous amount of money from the schools hence why they are charging for materials. It's not in their budget nor do some feel band and other extra curricular activities should be funded nor are necessary.


----------



## beachgurl (Aug 20, 2008)

Oh, on top of the fees, the kids are supposed to buy community supplies like hand sanitizer just like y'all mentioned, notebooks, pencils, blah blah blah.  In addition, about 2 weeks before school starts they send parents lists of things that the kids are supposed to bring in like you guys said.  I just found out about this (the girls don't start school until next year) because one of my friends just had her oldest move into middle school, and she didn't have the money to pay last year's school fees, so they weren't going to put her kid in the next grade!!  She had to appeal to the school board and it's still in the works.  This is what gets me .. we have money in this county .. hello we're on the coast and some of these people live in mini mansions on the water .. some of the houses have elevators .. you mean to tell me that property taxes don't cover this?  Or the sales tax from the hundred thousand Marines that patronize the businesses here don't cover it?  It just floored me.  Another friend just paid 250 dollars for her 4 kids' supplies (which will be put into a community pot) and the first week of school she'll have to dole out close to 60 bucks in fees!!  Crap, how are you supposed to afford school clothes?  On top of that, you have to pay for field trips and all that other stuff.  I swear, I can't believe that schools are getting so ridiculous.  Can't take a book home ..??  But new football stadium .. that sounds like what is going on here!  Now this I thought was funny though ... there is no such thing as study hall .. it's called FANAO .. stands for failure is not an option ... and they don't get sent to the office anymore ... it's now called chill time.  I find it funny that we can pay some psychologist or school counselor to come up with crazy crap like this .. btw .. the school cafeteria also has a Taco Bell and Pizza Hut in it .. but yet we can't afford to buy enough copies of books for kids to take home .. or cover the supplies they need to learn?


----------



## jettibo (Aug 20, 2008)

You obviously live near me!  I'm just south of you in the next big town.


----------



## Tabitha (Aug 20, 2008)

You wanna hear about TX lunch rooms? It's not this way in my small town, but we were in Dallas & in Dallas the student must ask for their food, each & every item & the cafeteria lady is not allowed to say "honey would you like some of this?" So what happens is shy kindergartners go through the line & come out w/ a roll & pay full price. The reason for this is they think kids are too fat & by making them ask for each & every item they will  not get as much & not eat as much & not be as fat. It's a policy called "Offer vs Serve". It's a *non verbal *offer rather than serving unrequested.


----------



## Wax Munky (Aug 20, 2008)

Schools are just a nightmare today.Seems the school administrators are so good at telling the parents what they are required to do,and the subtle threat of the "If you don't submit"...really makes me feel more comfortable in the decision that my husband and I made 12 years ago to home school our kids

We had our oldest in public school until he was in 2nd grade,that was enough for me,and him.

 I live in Cali.Our local schools from elementary to high school were stripped of there accreditations 2 years ago.This after they had received quarterly every school year a warning,for 3 years that they were in serious trouble of being shut down.Low test score,no improvement,it just got worse.

When they took the accreditations away from the high school,they told that graduating class in April that they would not be receiving there hard earned diplomas in June.How many ways could they hose those poor kids? They then went on to tell the kids that they could go out and get a GED..  What was the purpose of them going to high school for 4 years..to get a GED?  

Lately it seems anything to do with the local schools.just has the teachers and principals booking photos. Those are people parents trusted with there most precious things. Scary!

The no child left behind.. is a joke.Seems to me they are more then willing to let kids fall behind for petty reasons, band money? Are they really kidding here?

What would your local school districts do if you filed the the paper work (Affidavit) to home school your kids.If you demanded that they provide a resource teacher for your kids?  See how the tables just got turned?

Resource teachers have to by law answer to the parents,it's a pretty cush job. I've had one.. Let the schools bring you the parents all the materials,they have to by law. You already paid for it with your taxes..

They expect parents that have kids enrolled in public schools to pay up for needless things,let them pay back with needless things.

Everything's eventual.


Munky.


----------



## Tabitha (Aug 20, 2008)

Admin... snicker... listen to this...

I had an issue w/ the school  councilor so I reported her to the principal, come to find out the principal was the councilors daughter, so I almost reported *them* to the district administrator until someone told me her was her husband/father :roll:  :roll:  :roll:


----------



## Deda (Aug 20, 2008)

Tabitha said:
			
		

> Admin... snicker... listen to this...
> 
> I had an issue w/ the school  councilor so I reported her to the principal, come to find out the principal was the councilors daughter, so I almost reported *them* to the district administrator until someone told me her was her husband/father :roll:  :roll:  :roll:



No way!  Can you say nepotism?

Happiest day of my life?  June 11th.  My last child graduated from High School!

I was shocked when I got a letter telling me I owed a $225 graduation fee, on top of the $75 for the cheap, flimsy mortarboard and robe.  I know when my other 2 graduated there were no fees.  
Now I get to pay for college - again.

The schools were so bad in Dallas/Trophy Club my Dad & Stepwitch had to send my sisters to private schools.  Last one graduated in 2000.  Sorry to hear its worse now.  Ugh, I feel for you all.


----------



## digit (Aug 20, 2008)

I live in PA, just paid my school taxes.  :shock:  Where does the money go? My friend who lives in Philly has to buy the "community" suppplies also. I was floored when she said it included toilet paper!! Her kids only get the text books on certain days. I am shocked that middle schools have armed guards. Wait......that is where my taxes go, to pay the salaries of the guards and build new stadiums.

What has happened to schools? And I should also add to parenting in some cases. My sister is a teacher in Florida and has had 10-12 year olds say the nastiest words and nothing happens to them. She has even had one punch her in the face. Kid did not get suspended. 

Geez, I was not a bad kid, but I did get whacked every year until I graduated from public school in GA. I worked a job so always traded detention for whacks. These were minor offenses such as being late to class or the minor girl fight here and there.  No kid would *dare *curse at a teacher, much less take a swing at one. 'Cuz when your mama found out, you were in more than a heap 'o trouble.  :roll:  And she would find out...all the lunch room ladies were other kids' mamas. So our lunches were fab, too. Though I was never fond of the stewed tomatoes and sausages.    

It is definately a different world today.  :roll:  I have turned into my mother.........."back in my day.........."

Digit


----------



## Tabitha (Aug 20, 2008)

I know what you mean, I was the green haired punk rocker in high school, in the mid 80's, now I am the one shouting everything is *inappropriate! Inappropriate!*


----------



## digit (Aug 21, 2008)

beachgurl said:
			
		

> I just found out about this (the girls don't start school until next year) because one of my friends just had her oldest move into middle school, and she didn't have the money to pay last year's school fees, so they weren't going to put her kid in the next grade!!  She had to appeal to the school board and it's still in the works.


Is this in public school? This is unfreaking real!! Start writing letters to the editor of the local, state and base paper. Send them every week until it gets published. Make it well known to the community. No kid left behind????? If she is a military family, get family services involved. Make noise. Get the local tv news involved. 



			
				beachgurl said:
			
		

> Now this I thought was funny though ... there is no such thing as study hall .. it's called FANAO .. stands for failure is not an option ... and they don't get sent to the office anymore ... it's now called chill time.  I find it funny that we can pay some psychologist or school counselor to come up with crazy crap like this ..


Oh please................they need study hall to STUDY and do their homework since they can not take books home!!! Chill time? My definition of "chill time" is a good thing. 

Sometimes I wonder about these techniques and ideas. It simply is not real world, IMHO. What happens when the kids do go out and find they are not prepared to meet it? The thing that gets me is games where there are no winners or losers. Because in life, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. It is important to learn how to use what you learned and how to win or lose gracefully. 

Digit


----------



## otter (Aug 21, 2008)

Sorry to hear about all of this. :cry:   I am done with schools and am so glad.  

Ever notice how they are not teaching any more?  All the kids learn is how to pass the stupid tests that the state wants them to pass.  Ask your kids about anything you learned in school.  They don't know history or anything else anymore.  WWI, WWII, Civil War, almost like none of it ever happened. 

I never sent any supplies to school for other kids.  It was always as much as I could do to supply my daughter with her own stuff.  Forget college.  She went to the Navy for the GI Bill (and to retire in 20 years).  :wink:


----------



## beachgurl (Aug 21, 2008)

That's why I went into the Marines; I got the college fund and GI Bill and I'm sending myself through college as we speak .. about to finish my second B.S.     My parents didn't have the money to put me through college and even if they did, I don't think they would have paid for it (God forbid that you actually work you butt off for something these days).  I'm drafting a letter to the editor; I just can't believe that our schools are so ridiculous.  They aren't real and they don't prepare kids for life and it seems like fewer parents are helping their kids to prepare either.  It's shameful that in a county with so much money that this is how the school system is.  I'm doing some digging because I think that the schools around here get a formidable amount of federal subsidies since the schools are packed with military kids.  I'm so tired of the touchy feely crap .. I wish they'd just teach the children!!


----------



## IanT (Aug 23, 2008)

yeahh this is stupid... i dont understand why they would make you pay extra for that crap (its cause they dont want to actually pay the teachers so they redistribute the costs to you!)

On a side note dealing with the BMI on the report card...did anyone hear about that thing where a whole state is going to be making people pay taxes if theyre overweight as in price per pound overweight!?!? wooooah!


----------



## Deda (Aug 23, 2008)

The new GI Bill is great. My oldest son was set on the military, Grandfather is Ret.Col. US Army.  He earned an appointment to Annapolis, but was rejected for poor vision.  He enlisted in the AF after HS and has loved every minute of it.  He will be going to Arizona State to finish his degree in Engineering.  When he's done he will go back in the AF.  I know there is a name for that program, but I can't remember.  Bootstrap? 

I have great respect for all of you that have chosen to serve in our Military.  Very honorable.

I feel really lucky that our local schools were top notch. I know it's not that way everywhere. Now that I don't have any more kids in school I'm going to miss the whole school thing.  PTA, Boosters, teacher lunches, nurses aid - geez they really put you to work!   I think I spent nearly as much time at the schools as my kids.


----------



## Lane (Aug 24, 2008)

IanT said:
			
		

> On a side note dealing with the BMI on the report card...did anyone hear about that thing where a whole state is going to be making people pay taxes if theyre overweight as in price per pound overweight!?!? wooooah!


 Thought that issue was in Japan?


When I went to school in Iowa, I had to pay for everything,  enrollment, extra classes, locker fees, graduation fees... My husband and I lived on our own Senior year and paid these costs out of OUR pocket, him working a 20 hour a week job to pay rent so we didn't have to drop out of school. I was pregnant and since I technically did not have a child yet, I was not exempt from anything, also no aid, nothing. It was like they WANTED us to drop out. We showed them...Graduated on High Honors in the top 5% of our class.  :wink: 

Anyway, I just enrolled my daughter in first grade out here in Vegas... NO enrollment fees, no fees at all! They give every parent a list of supplies that are to be "community supplies" But it says in big bold on the top of the sheet..."Your child will be provided with materials through the Clark County School District. You are in no way responsible for supplying the class room materials, but any and all help is appreciated" Heck yeah! If you ask me nicely, sure I'll help! We went out and spent $50 just on supplies for the class...If they would have told us we HAD to...I wouldn't have sent in a darn thing....

We also have school uniforms...and me being the rebel in school, I was outraged at this...and then I realized how much stress is taken off the child when they all have to dress alike..no logos, no brand names...It makes character and behavior more important than a fifty dollar pair of jeans... Not happy about buying all new clothes, but the school even had an open house recycle drive for gently used uniform clothes.  

Also, as soon as your child gets to fourth grade, the state will FUND HOME SCHOOLING, if you want to take your child out of public school! HOW cool is that??


----------



## Tabitha (Aug 24, 2008)

WE just got uniforms last year & I do not find it helps a thing. You still have some kids in Walmart uniforms & some in Calvin Klein uniforms.

My biggest gripe about uniforms is, there *will be *days, when you wake up & ****, you don't have a clean white shirt, which means your child is not allowed to attend school that day, which means a parent has to stay home from work, hope the boss is tolerant on that day!


----------



## Lane (Aug 24, 2008)

I was really upset about the uniform issue...but get this...NO logos what so ever.  There was a kid wearing a Tommy polo and it had the tiniest logo and they were like you can't wear that again...(There is a lawsuit involving it I believe)...I guess I would rather deal with the logo issues than ever have to deal with the fads and fashions that roll in and out every year. 

We were very very lucky this year as my daughter got a more liberal teacher. I asked her about my girl wearing colorful bows and the teacher flat out said "In my class room, yes she can. There is no reason to rob the children if their individuality. But she needs to know that after class, she should probably take it out and put it away"   The teacher also said my four yr old looked like a young Winston Churchill... :roll: 

We  also bought her all new clothes since she out grew literally everything this month, so we just said to heck with it and only bought school colors. She's on some patriotic kick right now and is fascinated with learning Americas history and such... So she was thrilled with the red white and blue shopping spree


----------



## Tabitha (Aug 24, 2008)

> did anyone hear about that thing where a whole state is going to be making people pay taxes if theyre overweight as in price per pound overweight!?!?



What?

If it's TX we should be able to raise enough cash to pay of the national debit ASAP      !


----------



## IanT (Aug 24, 2008)

Tabitha said:
			
		

> > did anyone hear about that thing where a whole state is going to be making people pay taxes if theyre overweight as in price per pound overweight!?!?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



lol yeaaaaaahh... i kinda bawked when i saw that i was like whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


----------



## jettibo (Aug 25, 2008)

One of our schools went to uniforms (this is a school issue not a county issue around here) specifically to try to thwart gangs.  So they decided on red, white and blue!!  Some stupid parent running the PTA didn't know that read and blue are the main gang colors!!  So now the ONLY kids in the school who will wear anything other than white are gangs!!  The other kids are too scared to wear anything but white.


----------



## Tabitha (Aug 25, 2008)

> So now the ONLY kids in the school who will wear anything other than white are gangs!! The other kids are too scared to wear anything but white.



 :roll:  Uniforms are supposed to acheive a lot of things but seem to have the opposite effect.

One big reason our district adopted uniforms was so they could see if someone was on campus who shouldn't be, well that did not work cause if you shouldn't be on campus & you put on a white shirt you totally blend in w/ everyone else.

"Who hit you?"
"Ummmmm, a kid in a white shirt!"

Our kids can not wear pants/shorts/skirts w/ more than 4 pockets, 2 front & 2 back cause they might hide a knife in the 5th pocket. What? They don't thikn a knife would fit in the first 4? :roll:  :roll:  :roll: 

Another great school plan is to require everyone to sign in at the office if they visit the school, but they do not check ID. I get a kick out of writing Peter Pan  :roll:  :roll:  :roll: Picking up my visitors badge & entering the school anyway, just to prove a point. I do think it is important to sign in, I just know they need to pair that w/ validating IDs.


----------



## Wax Munky (Aug 25, 2008)

Lane said:
			
		

> IanT said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Funding homeschooling 4th grade and up?  What?!  
Why don't they fund preschool or K and up to 4th graders? That's the most critical time for a child"s learning and structure. 

It might not be so cool when the state funding dictates to the parents what your child's curriculum will be.But I guess it would be okay, what they decide,why not the parents just got the funding for it. Technically your child is still in the public school,just at home.But the public schools still get there money for each child.It doesn't matter where there little bodies are.

If they have the funding to fund the parents,for the decisions that the parents make.why doesn't the state provide all the teaching materials that the kids in public/private schools need to begin with? That started this topic?
 The system is flawed, and the only one's who are benefiting from it all are the school administrators and politicians.

I'd also like to know what the states funds, for homeschooling. Are they paying the parents,providing all the materials,field trips,clothes.. ?? :shock:  Do the parents have restrictions on the spending?

My post isn't intended to criticize you or anyone else here.That's not my intentions at all!
I was shocked and still am a bit to read about the funding is all.And to point out how it's flawed on both sides of the fence. Please don't take it personally.It's not you,It's them.


Munky.


----------



## Black soap n candle lady (Aug 26, 2008)

Where I'm at, the public school system forces parents to buy expensive uniforms. I actually send my son to private school and it is very costly. I am shocked that this system insists on uniforms for these kids. If my son went there. He would be in jeans and a t-shirt. Nonsense!


----------



## digit (Aug 26, 2008)

Wow, we did not have school uniforms, but we had a strict but reasonable dress code that worked well. If you violated it, you were sent home. Since the micro mini was in, most girls wore pants.  Now, I have shirts with more fabric to them than the dresses I wore.     I wore a shirt over my halter top to take off after school. Oh wait........I forgot it was a different world then. 

I do think a dress code could work if enforced. You will always have kids with $$ clothes and those who do not. Just like when they grow up and enter the work force. Uniforms are fine....IF they are truly uniform and all parents can provide them. If your kid does have nicer clothes, maybe teach them that they are fortunate, if not, then show that clothes do not make them who they are. Their brains will take them further. I do realize that fitting in is important to kids, but developing self esteem is so much more. JMHO.

Digit


----------



## Black soap n candle lady (Aug 27, 2008)

I agree, Digit. A good dress code should definately be enforced rather than forcing parents that are at or below poverty to purchase expensive French Toast uniforms. Most of our public schools (in my city) are in real academic trouble. I'd think that education should be the main order of business.


----------

