Finding out teacher

How soon before school starts do you find out who they have for a teacher? If we are lucky here we get about a weeks notice, and that is only if the teacher sends out welcoming notes to the students. Otherwise you won't find out until the open house for your grade (in our case 2 days before school starts). I find this kind of annoying. Although the school issues a supply list for each grade, most teachers have one that they use as well. Some of the list include more than the original, others want don't want stuff on the list, but instead different items. It is annoying to have to run back out with all the last minute shoppers to pick up a few more items the day before school starts. For some reason I am thinking they used to post the class list about 3wks before school started when I was younger.

 

We find out about 2 weeks before school starts. When I was a kid, I remember going to the school one or two days before it started to find my name on the posted list to find out my teacher. We bought school supplies that night--along with everyone else!

I have worked in a school where the kids, on the first day, report to their previous years' class and then are sent to their new rooms--so no one finds out until that day.

One reason schools don't tell until the last minute is because of a couple of things. If they have a lot of late moves, they don't want to have to worry about re-shuffling the classes because one class suddenly had 5 kids less than the others due to chance. Also, they don't want to deal with parents calling all summer to complain and demand moves simply because Joey isn't in Andy's class this year.

 

My oldest DD's school puts the next school years teacher on the last report card, so we found out the last day of school. They will post class lists on the front door of the school around Aug. 15 and the first day of school is Aug. 27.

However, here it is up to the school as to how they do it. I taught in this county for 10 years before becoming a SAHM. One school I was at did not tell the next years teacher until 2 weeks before school started and another school told the kids and they got to meet that teacher on the last day of school, so this way too they knew who would be in their class already.

As for supply lists they are done here by the team, so all first grade has the same supplies, they compile the lists together, and they have to keep them somewhat small so parents will not complain about having to buy too many supplies.

 

Jenn, this is one of my biggest pet peeves with our school! We find out who their teacher is the night of open house, which is usually a day or two before school starts, which is fine. But, we miss out on all of the back to school sales because we don't get the supply lists until that night or even the first day of school! Plus, shopping with everyone and their mother is no fun either!! I wish that they would implement a supply list for each grade level and keep it the same from year to year. :unknw:

 

We get our teacher assignment sent home with the kids on the last day of school along with their report cards. Our school is also really good about posting the supply lists, as well as specific supply requests from the teachers, on their website. Ours has been on there for a while but we start in less than two weeks.

 

School starts here on the Thursday after Labor Day. Class lists are posted at 4pm on Friday, before Labor Day weekend.

We are not allowed to request school supplies (give out lists to parents), so I guess that is not a major issue.

 

Our school posts lists on the door eight days before school starts. Any communication from the teachers (summer reading incentive program, or supply lists) is sent from both teachers in the grade. That works well, as they can send it early enough for parents to hit the sales, but there is no indication given of which teacher the kids have, though kids and parents have been known to scrutinize the handwriting for clues! :lol:



QUOTE(sharongl @ Jul 7 2007, 11:32 AM) [snapback]320796[/snapback]
I have worked in a school where the kids, on the first day, report to their previous years' class and then are sent to their new rooms--so no one finds out until that day.


Wow! That's really different!

QUOTE(sharongl @ Jul 7 2007, 11:32 AM) [snapback]320796[/snapback]
One reason schools don't tell until the last minute is because of a couple of things. If they have a lot of late moves, they don't want to have to worry about re-shuffling the classes because one class suddenly had 5 kids less than the others due to chance. Also, they don't want to deal with parents calling all summer to complain and demand moves simply because Joey isn't in Andy's class this year.


That's why I assume that our school does it late, along with the fact that our school accepts -- but can't always honor -- teacher requests. The principal doesn't want to deal with two months of "How come SHE got her request, and I didn't?"

 

When report cards came out at the end of school, they said that class lists will be posted one week before school starts which is Aug 27. The school is not allowed to ask students to bring supplies.

Hayley and Brianne will be starting pre-K and their is only one class so we know who their teacher is this year.

 

I got you all beat.....our school posts the classrooms/teachers at 5 pm the evening BEFORE the first day of school. Can you believe that???? They just started doing this 2 years ago. Prior to that the info was always posted on the Friday before school started, which is typically the Tuesday or Wednesday after Labor Day. It's very frustrating.

 

The high school kids know over the summer when they get their end of year report card and next year's schedule. The middle school kids find out about a week before school starts (although I already know what team B&C are on because my friend is going to be their science teacher this year so she told me!). The elementary school kids find out the day before school starts at about 3pm.

 

I thanked you for this topic.

Wow! I thought our school was the only one! Both the grade schools DH and I grew up at mailed out the supply lists to parents with the final report card in June.

In our area, when the back to school sales start, the public schools supplies lists are available near the supplies list aisle at Walmart, Kmart, and Target. They are also available on-line. Our school (a small catholic school with one teacher per grade) gives you the supply list on "fee day", 2 days before school starts.

Last year was our first year there (Kindergarten) and I called to ask for a supply list in June. They pointed me to their website and I downloaded the list. I dutifully went out and bought every item on the list paying close attention to things like "no buttons on the paint smock" and "shoes must have white soles". Then, at "fee day" I got the "real" list. Half of the stuff I bought wasn't on it, and there was another $50 per kid worth of stuff on the list I didn't have including some special oversized pencils. Ggggrrrrr! I had to take time off of work to collect it all!

Then, when we got to school the first day, the teacher collected all of the stuff and gave it out in bits throughout the year. WTF!?!? I spent my money on it, I want MY kids using it. I know at least a half of the kids didn't bring in all of their supplies. In January, the kids started telling me that they were getting upset because the classroom didn't have enough pencils for everyone, they had to share (I bought 24 at the beginning of the year just for my 2 kids). I went out and bought another 50 of the "special" pencils and brought them in. Why couldn't the teacher have sent a note out? Why did I have to hear it from my kids?

Schools cannot expect 100% compliance from parents when they will not give adequate notice of need. The "we need 20 empty paper towel rolls by tomorrow" type thing makes me nuts! Don't teachers use lesson plans anymore? Don't they know what they will be doing next week? They should.

School supplies is just one bone of contention I have with that school!

 

QUOTE(kdmom @ Jul 10 2007, 01:30 PM) [snapback]324758[/snapback]
Then, when we got to school the first day, the teacher collected all of the stuff and gave it out in bits throughout the year. WTF!?!? I spent my money on it, I want MY kids using it.

DH and I had a discussion about this kind of thing. Just before we had kids.

Him: Hey, what would you think about a teacher who collects all the supplies the kids bring in and put them all in a big box to dole out later?
Me: Oh HAIL NO! The fight would be on!
Him, laughing: Yeah, I thought so.

He told me read an article about how more and more teachers are doing that and the discussion basically ended with us agreeing that we're labeling EVERYTHING with our kid's name and if the socialist theory was employed, we'd be up there demanding our kid's stuff back. I wouldn't have a problem providing extra for the kids who didn't bring, but I'm not going to stand for my son's stuff being TAKEN from him. No way.

 

Actually, one of the reasons teachers collect them is because kids, especially young ones will aren't great about keeping up with their supplies, and loose them before they use them. If you let a child keep 12 pencils in their pencil box, they will sharpen them all the first day, then kill off/pick off all the erasers, and they will have a pencil box full of nubs by the end of the first month--because they just LOVE sharpening pencils--whether they need it or not. If the teacher collects them and doles them out, the child will be fully supplied for the year. I have taught in many schools, and the kids all do the same thing--the only way to keep up with the supplies is to collect them up, and then dole them out. You will find that this is really only done in the early primary grades.

 

I must admitt that the sharing of supplies bothered me as well. I understand what Sharon is saying and in K that is more how the teacher did it. They had their little pencil/supply box that stayed in their cubbies and when they needed something they would get them. In 1st grade though everything went into "community" bins and they all shared everything. I didn't realize this going in so I had bought my DD things that she would like (bright pink flexible ruler which was more expensive). If I would have known ahead of time, I wouldn't have spent the extra money. I would have just gotten the bare bones supplies that met the criteria. To top that off all of the reems of printer paper (yeah we have to supply that too), hand sanitizer and all those items they ask to keep the classroom healthy actually go into a big closest that all the teachers take from. I kid you not 2 mos into school there were pleas going out to the parents because these supplies were running out. It just seemed crazy to me. Oh well my lil sis called and let me know the 2nd grade master list is out now (she works at Walmart), so I think I am going to get the basics, pencils, paper, ruler, glue and then wait for the teachers official list.

 

I think something should be said from the teachers POV at this point....

We give our input at the end of the year for what we feel is useful and not useful as far as supplies go. This is given to administration and they use the summer to decide the supply list which is then posted at local stores for the public to buy.

We give input about where we think kids should be, which teachers are best with which kids, which kids should/should not be together etc at the end of the year. Class lists are decided last minute as registration is more "complete" so that all the classes are balanced. Can you imagine how upset you would be if you were given a teacher in June and it changed the day before due to last minute juggling?

Many teachers have to collect supplies especially in lower primary grades. There are many kids who can not afford supplies and we as teachers do not make enough money to buy supplies for every kid that does not come in with a complete list. I for one collect pencils, crayons, glue, and construction paper to become "community supplies". As a PP said, many times these are the first to be broken and disappear anyway. When I dole them out to the kiddos, they are usually kept in the middle of the table and are replaced once a month so there are always fresh pencils and paper for everyone. Special individualized things like folders and journals are kept with the children.

I understand that many of these things are personal and important to parents, but I hope to enlighten you from the other side of the issue. It isnt always easy to keep 23 parents happy at a time either!

 

I really don't have a problem with not knowing who my DD has for a teacher. As she is the first in school for me, I don't have experience with other teachers in those grades. I honestly couldn't tell you the name to any of the other K or 1st grade teachers, as I never had a reason to interact with them (there are about 18 or 19 teachers for each grade k-3). I just wish that when they have this supply list meeting that the teachers would have to be held to what the decisions were made. I just get really annoyed about buying stuff they don't end up wanting, and having to replace it with other items that they actually want. I also don't have a problem with the community supply now that I know about it, I just didn't like getting that surprise last year. I just won't get my DD expensive personalized items this year and will buy larger supplies of stuff while they are on sale before school starts. I am glad to know that my school isn't the only one that thinks last minute notification is okay.

 

When in the younger grades (K-2), some supplies were doled out to the class by the teacher as described (in K all of them). I think starting in 1st grade, each child was allowed to keep their own pencil box in their desk with their own supply of pencils and crayons. I had absolutely no problem with that. It's the same with tissues, hand sanitizer, band aids, ziploc baggies, paper towels, etc. Each teacher, even at the middle and high school levels, will request these supplies for their classroom to be used communally. I personally think it's a great idea. At our elementary school, I never minded the sharing of supplies since our school has a broad range of socio-economic backgrounds. Some kids are from fairly affluent families, a lot middle class, and quite a few on the free/reduced lunch program. It never bothered me that glue went into a communal pool, or crayons, or markers, or whatever. In the beginning I did not know this, though, and I did label all their items! So, guess what? In the communal pool, there were always glue bottles with my boys' names on them. :lol:

 

I don't have a problem with the socialist theory in theory, but it absolutely needs to be made clear up front that it is going to be the socialist theory in practice, and my child is being asked to bring things "for community use in the classroom" as opposed to "each child needs these supplies." In the former scenario, I'll purchase a larger amount of more inexpensive items knowing they're going into the pool. In the latter, I will let my child choose what he wants, and I expect that something that we choose and provide FOR HIM is going to be used BY HIM. If he sharpens up all of his Ticonderoga pencils in two weeks, he and I are going to have a stern talk and hopefully that will stop. If it doesn't, then his issue with pencils is MY problem and not everyone else's.

In DH and my discussion previously mentioned, we recalled fondly how we would have our brand new crayons and erasers, and how both of us arranged and rearranged our pencil boxes countless times with these fresh shiny supplies. We were proud of our supplies and took ownership and responsibility for them, even from a young age. I feel that when people have that kind of ownership they generally take care of things better. That's the whole reason why public bathrooms are often nasty. The whole, it's not mine personally why do I care attitude. Not entirely the same with kiddos and pencils, of course, but if they don't have any personal responsibility for anything, it jump starts that kind of blase attitude that is rampant anymore.

Of course, were I a teacher, I might have a different opinion, but there it is.

 

Rosie, I do agree with you about the whole "ownership" thing. But I also feel for the teachers. Some kids never have the required supplies. I was on the PTA throughout all three boys' entire elementary time, and several of the teachers would tell how they were constantly buying supplies like paper and pencils for the kids whose parents never sent any in throughout the year. One boy in particular in Craig's 4th grade class stood out. He never had the required materials ever for class, and Mrs. "G" was forever doling out supplies to him from her own pocket. Weren't we all amazed at the end of the year when the kids attended a Tennessee Smokies baseball game for D.A.R.E. kickoff and this same kid spent at least $40 in the gift shop? Maddening for the teacher, that's for sure. Like I said, though, at our school, pencils, crayons, scissors, and markers are communal only in kindergarten. Other items like glue, tissues, Ziploc bags, etc. are put into a community pool in the classroom in all grades.