The Back to School Scam

This year my 8th grade son's school materials list cost almost as much as my college daughter's school books. How is that possible? It looked more like a Walmart order form then back to school supplies. And this is public school we're talking about here. Aside from dozens of notebooks and pencils there were a large demand for wet wipes, anti-bacterial cleaners and containers. Then the list told parents not to put their names on any of the stuff they send their kids to school with. Why? So that the teachers can claim and distribute the items among eachother. I know some teachers actually divide items with the children who don't have their supplies; that's fine but simply tell us that instead of playing on our intelligence. There are countless organizations that donate supplies to schools in every city. What do they do with those?


Back to school ads already put enough pressure on parents to spend hundreds of dollars on the latest over priced jeans, shirts and sneakers to make the children feel important or not to get laughed at for not wearing the latest fads. This year I guarantee there's also going to be an increase in field trips and fund raisers for parents to come out of their pockets on. Still, the drop out rates keep rising, SOL's are lagging, the cafeteria food still sucks and  our children are getting dumber; but teacher's salories keep rising. Go figure. Now do you understand why teachers and educators don't like being evaluated? look up the L.A. Times 'value analysis' report and you'll see i'm right. Principals & teachers we're onto your scam. No matter how much they harrass me, call or send letters home, this year I'm going to buy what my son needs instead of what they want him to have.

 E-mail xavierjames2010@yahoo.com