School Daze
Junior starts kindergarten this week. We (and by we I mean mostly the Mrs.) have been doing the prep stuff. Last night was open house where we got to go meet the people who will be shaping Junior’s life. Frankly, they were not the most organized bunch and I really question some of the things they did. For instance, yesterday was open house. And this morning was document day, in which I had to haul over various documents showing proof of immunizations and such and pay some fees. Why they can’t combine open house with document day and save me 45 minutes of time, I do not know.
Also, one of the documents was a computer usage agreement. In this agreement, Junior agrees not to look at porn and bomb making instructions on Al Gore’s Internets. And she has to sign it as though it’s a contract. For a five year old. I guess we gotta introduce them to legal contracts at some point.
Next issue I had was the ridiculousness of paying for stuff. We had to pay a supply fee, buy a tote bag, and get a prepaid meal card. Now, one would think that the school would be set up to handle common transactions in a convenient manner. You’d be wrong. I have to write one check to the school. One check to the cafeteria. And one check to the PTA. I guess they don’t have an accountant or bookkeeper to sort that out. I wrote three checks today, which is more checks than I’ve written in the last five years.
Speaking of the supply fee, that really annoyed me. In addition to paying a $40 supply fee, we also had to go buy supplies like markers, pencils, hand sanitizer, and tissues. So, we buy supplies. Pay a supply fee. And, of course, I’ve paid property taxes in The City (My The City) for a while that I thought were there to partially fund the schools. But then, it gets better. You see, those supplies we bought? Yeah, they’re community supplies. They’re not Junior’s supplies. They’re for everyone. I figure it’s a good way to teach Junior about taxes. Or communism.
The tote bag seems like a scam to me. Sure, it’s only $5 but it looks like it cost $1.25 for Chinese kids to sew it together. All the kids have the same bag. Between that and the community supplies, I’m not getting a big individualist groove from the school. I think that will be a problem for Junior, who tends to take after me. Also, we were sternly warned that the bag is for school supplies only. Sorry, Sparky, I paid for it. It’s mine. I’ll use it for whatever I choose.
It also makes me wonder. I’m guessing that not all parents can readily afford these expenditures. And it might be a particularly undue burden on some of them. I guess that’s why we all pick up the tab on supplies. But what about the fees and such?
Complaints aside, her teacher and assistant seemed to be nice folks. And the school’s renovations were nice. And they have a lot of interesting items and activities in store. This is going to be fun. But I’ll still complain about it.
August 5th, 2009 at 10:40 am
” But then, it gets better. You see, those supplies we bought? Yeah, they’re community supplies. They’re not Junior’s supplies.”
I remember when they did this to me in 5th grade in the early 70’s. I guess they need to regurgitate these bad ideas every generation or so.
They better watch out though.
That experience was one of the things that set me on my life long path towards libertarianism.
August 5th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Further solidifying my resolve to homeschool at LEAST until middle school.
This article will be forwarded to my wife. Thanks Unc!
August 5th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Hey Unc,
Just so I can get my I-know-it-all on early this morning, contracts with minors are not legally enforceable in some states. Check yours for compliance.
August 5th, 2009 at 10:49 am
If the money is going to a public school or a non profit school, the supplies that are community property are tax deductible as a contribution. Document with the reciepts and the paper from the school saying they are required and that they are community supplies.
At least get something out of it.
Don’t forget to deduct the miles and out of pocket for volunteering in the classroom. And make sure that you are a constant face in the classroom. It makes a difference when the teachers know you may be looking over their shoulders.
August 5th, 2009 at 11:03 am
You’ve just touched the tip of the iceberg– The first week of school, Junior will come home with the first of many “fundraisers”– Then there’s the school pictures– remember how you had those yearly when you were in school? Well, now they’re 2 or 3 times a year. I kept looking down at the checkbook and asking “Didn’t I pay for school pictures already?” Well, those were FALL pictures, these are SPRING pictures, and next week it’s sports pictures… I had 4 kids in achool at once, and I should have claimed ‘Lifetouch photography’ as a dependent!
August 5th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Heh! Heh, again!
Just kidding. Don’t let this crap bother you. Just go with the flow. You worry about two things: Your daughter is safe and sound, and she can read The New York Times at the end of the year.
Most of her education will come from you, not the school. You read with her, do her homework with her, talk to her about what went on. Sometimes she will just burst out and tell you while you’re giving her her bath or you’re on your computer. Listen.
August 5th, 2009 at 11:42 am
P.S. It’s ok if she has to wait until about the middle of first grade to read the New York Times.
August 5th, 2009 at 11:44 am
I’ll also bet they won’t let them use old cigar boxes as a supply holder either, will they?
August 5th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
We’re going through the same thing. I hate this “community property” crap and huge list of needs. Who needs 15 glue sticks for kindergarten? We are investing in having pencils engraved, and other personalized options. I paid for it it’s mine.
August 5th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
This is what you get when they don’t have to rely on market forces for their funding.
Public schools = huge scam
August 5th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Heh… my sister and I used to fight over who got which cigar box for school supplies.
August 5th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Don’t write that check to the PTA. The PTA is anti-gun. Most parents get sucked in to thinking the PTA is just the group of parents for the school where their kids attend and they do neat little things like raising money to buy new school signs and other things for the school. However, a portion of the fee you pay gets passed through to the state and national PTA and they are decidedly anti-gun.
August 5th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Private School. Some things are worth paying for, and far more important than cable TV or an unlimited data plan for your iPhone. If you’ve been paying for daycare, I can almost guarantee private school tuition is cheaper.
August 5th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
I took my supplies in a cigar box I found in my brothers room. Of course, he kept his weed in it most days.
August 5th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Want to have some fun? Pin them down on just what the ‘supply fee’ is for, and demand solid answers. They REALLY won’t like that.
August 5th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
I find it supremely interesting that Unc’s kid is going to school in TN, and has to contend with “communal” property; whereas my kids who go to school in Massa-fucking-chusetts do not…
August 5th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Dude, it’s gonna get worse. Much worse. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
Homeschool, if you can.
August 5th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
I’m about to be a father and wondering if I will be able to take this kind of B/S calmly in 5 yrs or so.
August 5th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Private schools have tons of fees, too. Tons. And more fundraisers than you can shake a stick at. At least they serve beer at functions and some involve golf.
August 5th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Ask the PTA for a copy of their budget/expenditures? They didn’t like us very much.
August 5th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
all my children are grown and all my grandchildren are either grown or at the least more than halfway through school.
I am not much at socializing. I go weeks without seeing anybody outside the family and I don’t miss not having to deal with people anymore. However, I always enjoy school functions. Not because they ever accomplish a damn thing, but every time I go I realize that my belief in my intellectual superiority is justified.
How’s that for petty reasoning?
August 5th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Not that I needed any more reminders, but this certainly helps cement my decision not to submit any spawn of mine to government indoctrination.
You worry about two things: Your daughter is safe and sound, and she can read The New York Times at the end of the year.
Funny, those are two things that are much, much more likely to be true if she stays home than if she shows up for daily indoctrination.
August 6th, 2009 at 3:12 am
Oh man. Soooooooooooo homeschooling.
August 6th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Homeschooling: around $1800 for 2 kids this year, in addition to (more than that in) school taxes. Non-refundable school taxes.
Totally worth it.
I’m surprised nobody has brought up the practice found in some government schools of “sharing” the supplies the parents bought, thinking they were buying for their own children. YOUR pencil? We have Communism here!
August 6th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Eh, writing separate checks is probably a better option. There isn’t a competent accounting team that’s going to properly divide the funds (and if there were, it would be subject to predation by the school administration). Writing to the different groups increases the chances that the money actually goes there.
Also, what happens if you don’t supply community property? They can’t kick him out, and your kid has as much right to the pencils Sally brought as she does under this system.
August 6th, 2009 at 9:55 am
What gets me is when you have to fill out seven different forms with the exact same information like “contact information” over and over. I asked them why and was told that different government agencies and departments in the school needed it. I then asked them why they didn’t just have one generic form with the required info that they could then plug into a database and populate the other forms?
The deer in the headlight look was priceless.
Now my wife is mad at me because I insisted that we didn’t need to provide a birth certificate because our glorious leader led by example. 🙂
August 7th, 2009 at 10:24 am
The point of the community pencils is so that the irresponsible/selfish/greedy children will always have pencils for class even though they carelessly lose or take them home.
How many pencils does a child need who doesn’t do these things?
You’re subsidizing the very type of behavior that when the kids grow up will be cemented into their personalities: carelessness and a well-practiced sense of entitlement.
God forbid a child should miss recess or write on the board. Taking to the parent (since so many are raised by mother only) in these cases usually will only get you hauled in front of the principal for being an “incompetent teacher”.
Axt me how I know-