Am I the only one who is ticked about the "school supply" lists?

[derketchup]

Originally Posted by jonjaktez While I understand what you're trying to do with giving extra credit for kids to bring in extra supplies, I disagree with this. When you have kids out there that are not in control of what their parents buy and what they can afford, these kids are not going to receive any extra credit. I consider this bribery. I am in college and I had a professor do this in class. I was so totally against this that I lost respect for the professor. A group of kids were going on a trip to China. The group was doing a car wash for $5 per car to raise some money. The professor told our class that anyone that bought a car wash ticket, he would give extra credit to. Extra credit, IMO, is to be given to student for work that pretains to school. Not spending money to get it. If you want to give a reward for helping with supplies then give something that does not pretain to education. Give candy, a bag of chips, a coke, stickers, and etc that pretain to the age you are teaching.

I agree. I think giving extra credit for bringing in school supplies is wrong.

One of my college professors ensures her extra credit assignments are something available to everyone -- volunteer work, watching a video available in the library and writing a small paper on it, watching certain TV shows available with rabbit ears, etc.

[brandee]

Originally Posted by jonjaktez While I understand what you're trying to do with giving extra credit for kids to bring in extra supplies, I disagree with this. When you have kids out there that are not in control of what their parents buy and what they can afford, these kids are not going to receive any extra credit. I consider this bribery. I am in college and I had a professor do this in class. I was so totally against this that I lost respect for the professor. A group of kids were going on a trip to China. The group was doing a car wash for $5 per car to raise some money. The professor told our class that anyone that bought a car wash ticket, he would give extra credit to. Extra credit, IMO, is to be given to student for work that pretains to school. Not spending money to get it. If you want to give a reward for helping with supplies then give something that does not pretain to education. Give candy, a bag of chips, a coke, stickers, and etc that pretain to the age you are teaching.

I will NOT bribe my students with candy, chips, or coke. I will however offer pencils, extra credit (called Raise a Grade Coupon) or homework passes. Students can receive these for things other than bringing in supplies (ie behavior). I have tried to just ask for the items but the students do not care unless they get something for it. The school does not supply tissue and hand sanitizer, the overwhelming majority of parents will not supply it, and I will not supply it for the entire year. Unless it is donated we do not have it. The children will be conpensated for their donations. The extra credit does not make a large differrence in their grade. The majority of my students are from low-income families. However, money is found for expensive name brand clothes and shoes. Students have cell phones and Ipods. Girls have $100-$200 hair dos and fake nails from the salon. Its about priorities. If you can afford all of that you can afford a box of tissues.

[jonjaktez]

Originally Posted by brandee I will NOT bribe my students with candy, chips, or coke. I will however offer pencils, extra credit (called Raise a Grade Coupon) or homework passes. Students can receive these for things other than bringing in supplies (ie behavior). I have tried to just ask for the items but the students do not care unless they get something for it. The school does not supply tissue and hand sanitizer, the overwhelming majority of parents will not supply it, and I will not supply it for the entire year. Unless it is donated we do not have it. The children will be conpensated for their donations. The extra credit does not make a large differrence in their grade. The majority of my students are from low-income families. However, money is found for expensive name brand clothes and shoes. Students have cell phones and Ipods. Girls have $100-$200 hair dos and fake nails from the salon. Its about priorities. If you can afford all of that you can afford a box of tissues.

All I did was state my opinion on giving extra credit for spending money. I believe extra credit should only be given for education or citizenship (behavior, volunteering, etc).

The coke, chips, cookies, candy were only examples, you have other ideas which are good ideas and much better than the junk food. I don't know the age you teach so coming up with other things was difficult.

Of course parents should put school supplies above $100 hair dos and fake nails but each person has different priorities.

My opinion was not said to harm you or your teaching skills. My opinion was the use of extra credit grades to get school supplies.

One more thing. You dont' consider it bribery and I do. We disagree on this and that cool. We can agree to disagree.

[brandee]

Originally Posted by jonjaktez All I did was state my opinion on giving extra credit for spending money. I believe extra credit should only be given for education or citizenship (behavior, volunteering, etc). The coke, chips, cookies, candy were only examples, you have other ideas which are good ideas and much better than the junk food. I don't know the age you teach so coming up with other things was difficult. Of course parents should put school supplies above $100 hair dos and fake nails but each person has different priorities. My opinion was not said to harm you or your teaching skills. My opinion was the use of extra credit grades to get school supplies. One more thing. You dont' consider it bribery and I do. We disagree on this and that cool. We can agree to disagree.

No harm taken And I do consider it bribery...it is bribery. It could be looked at this way. Bringing in tissues and sanitizer is a donation to the class...donating where there is a need is good citizenship.

[jonjaktez]

Originally Posted by brandee No harm taken And I do consider it bribery...it is bribery. It could be looked at this way. Bringing in tissues and sanitizer is a donation to the class...donating where there is a need is good citizenship.

You're right, it is good citizenship.

[darkwing932]

Originally Posted by brandee Here is what I will be supplying my class. 400 spiral notebooks 180 Elmers Glue sticks (we will probably run out. When that happens students will be offered extra credit if they bring some in) Scissors, markers, crayons, and colored pencils that I have been using for the last 4 years (unless I find markers for a quarter; then I will buy them) We will not have hand sanitizer or tissue unless students provide them (they will recieve extra credit).

DD had a teacher last year that gave extra credit for them bringing something in. I called and asked the principal since when were grades for sale? After our conversation that was the end of that form of extra credit.

I hate when teachers corner the parents by offering extra credit for the parent making a purchase. What is a young kid suppossed to do when mom & dad won't buy them grades? Maybe the kid should drive to the store in their car and use their paychecks to pick the stuff up themselves? Providing of course mom & dad don't mind their second grader borrowing the car.

On a side note, I also take slight offense to your other post regarding the kids having iPods, etc. We could be considered middle-low income, and my kids have cell phones and iPods. However, I saved all of my survey earnings, coke points, and mypoints for over a year to have enough to afford those iPods. My DDs iPods were technically free. My DD's have cell phones that were FREE and DD pays the bill from her part-time job. I also have a DD that has a Coach purse. 10 people chipped in for her to have that purse for her 13th birthday. Not everything is as it seems.

[brandee]

Since I've gotten negative feedback on offering extra credit for supplies; I'm open for other suggestions.

[brandee]

Originally Posted by darkwing932 On a side note, I also take slight offense to your other post regarding the kids having iPods, etc. We could be considered middle-low income, and my kids have cell phones and iPods. However, I saved all of my survey earnings, coke points, and mypoints for over a year to have enough to afford those iPods. My DDs iPods were technically free. My DD's have cell phones that were FREE and DD pays the bill from her part-time job. I also have a DD that has a Coach purse. 10 people chipped in for her to have that purse for her 13th birthday. Not everything is as it seems.

I didnt mean to offend you:frown: Not all parents are as resourceful as you.

[hotcouponmama]

Originally Posted by brandee Since I've gotten negative feedback on offering extra credit for supplies; I'm open for other suggestions.

In all seriousness in this answer, I would love to see teachers do something that makes a statement about the need to properly fund education. I am ot one of those who doesn't believe in compulsary education. I would just as soon drive over a bridge than homeschool my kids.

But I think something like teachers on the side of the road with a cardboard sign "need change for school supplies" would get some interesting media attention and shed light on school boards and adminstration that waste school dollars and keep money out of the classroomswhere it should be.

Something else that fries me about our state is that we have 180 school districts with less than 1000 kids per district. That means that each of those districts as its own superintentdent and its own payroll people, etc etc. Many of these districts have less than a few hundred kids. So the waste that exists because of community pigheadedness about consolidating is beyond me.

[brandee]

Originally Posted by hotcouponmama But I think something like teachers on the side of the road with a cardboard sign "need change for school supplies" would get some interesting media attention and shed light on school boards and adminstration that waste school dollars and keep money out of the classroomswhere it should be.

I kinda like that idea!