+ The Trouble with State Funds +

The problem is when no one buys supplies for their kids it does end up being the teachers and staff that buy them.

I'm merely an aide, but I've spent more money than I care to admit on supplies that I end up giving away, often to the same students every day I see them. And I make maybe a third of what a real teacher makes.

Any kind of state funded anything tends to not be able to spread money in all the places it needs to go. That's just fact.

Sometimes it's lack of all the needed funds, while other times it's a lack of wisely spending. I don't know what wizard is in charge of spending, but s/he is there appointing where it goes.

And if you really can't afford some pencils and paper, of course it's provided.

However, that doesn't mean it can be provided for all students. Each year I watch the amazing teachers I work with and the fantastic fellow aides give more than they can afford to help our students. 

That doesn't mean it's right to make my coworkers pay because in a perfect world it should be provided. To me that's just as wrong as it not being provided.

I don't even have kids and yet I spend plenty on supplies for strangers' kids. Sometimes I get frustrated because I just gave this kid supplies yesterday, but I do it anyway. I don't know what struggles they face, but if giving them pencils they lose everyday somehow helps I do it.

My parents shelled out money for school supplies, clothes, gymnastics, tap/ballet, musical theater, choir, soccer, yearbooks, asb cards, etc. every year because they could afford it. Randomly in the middle of the year they'd give supplies for extra credit and sometimes just because they knew it was needed.

I know everyone can't afford that, but if the people that could afford it continued it would help everyone. It isn't fair school supplies and extra curriculars can't be provided to students free of charge, but it can't. Not the way things are now.

But you shouldn't expect teachers and staff pick up the tabs just because you think it should be free and don't want to pay when you can afford it. That's just as wrong. Even when we are generous enough to keep doing it.

Excuse me while I go and stock up on more school supplies that're on sale which I'll likely be sharing with your kids in two weeks.