October 23, 2010

(Trenton, NJ) Last month, the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against the State of California for asking parents to pay for their children’s supplies (crayons, notebooks, etc.), some textbooks and even classes they will take during this school year. The social stigma a student may suffer because their parents may not be able to pay such costs was one reason, in my opinion, the fees were such a big issue. The ACLU filed the suit on behalf of two families: one in which a student was singled out by a teacher for not having a book purchased by the required time. The other was a student whose family had to choose which items from the list to purchase since they could not afford them all. The ACLU argues that, while it is not a constitutional right, public school education should be available to all, at no cost to taxpayers, since it is funded by federal, state, AND taxpayer dollars. School districts there, and around the country, are simply on the short end of the stick these days when it comes to federal and state funding. The number of pupils per public school classroom across our country is growing, another issue many districts offer as rational for passing some expenditures off to parents.

Parents buying school supplies is nothing new, so is the fact that some parents will not, during an entire school year, purchase not one notebook, pack of pencils or markers. Because of the economy and, in some households, very little emphasis being placed on education and learning, there are more children coming to school without basic supplies. It often leaves the teacher with the added burden of using their own money to buy supplies, to supplement that stipend most receive from their school districts for such extras. Back in the day, it was easy for a teacher to buy a few packs of pencils, erasers and crayons, along with the bulletin board decorations and special projects, for the few in their class who may not have them. The items would easily last the entire school year. Now, a teacher’s paltry salary, coupled with the increasing number of students who come to school without the basic learning tools, makes it difficult to provide extras. Many of them bite the bullet and continue to buy supplies out of love for their vocation, and to eliminate at least one excuse for a student not completing an assignment.

There are some issues within this that has the education community and others taking a closer look at how much education is valued in some home environments. It has been discussed in the teacher’s lounge and among administrators for years. As the dollars and cents of education become more crucial and prevalent, the socioeconomic causes and effects of fees prompting the ACLU suit are making their way into the news and wallets of John and Jane Q. Public. Wondering why now? Ask yourself: How do you think a teacher feels spending their own money on supplies for some children who come to school without even a pencil, while sporting sneakers that cost in upwards of $100? Imagine the look on a teacher’s face as they watch students break crayons they’ve purchased in half and throw them across the room at one another. This, sadly, after the students did the same to the school-issued crayons. What about the students who actually deface and throw textbooks and assigned novels at one another? Have you ever seen and heard a mother who comes to her child’s classroom toting a Coach, or some other expensive bag, to ask the teacher why she must provide some materials for a class project? “That’s what y’all supposed to pay for, ain’t it?” is the question she poses, before excusing herself to take a call on her iPhone. How about the families under the care of a social service agency who abuse or don’t even take advantage of the free supplies to which a social worker has access? After a few generations, teachers and social scientists now see what is important to many families. For many, it is not seeing that their children have the necessary tools become educated. So the days of teachers, social service agencies and, yes, school districts providing all the learning tools a child needs is about to go the way of government cheese and peanut butter. Don’t worry, those who want education and knowledge will get it. That has already been proven. Maybe Social Studies teachers can include in their course outline a lesson on how education is a luxury for the privileged in many countries. Public education, with its free pencils, paper and books, tutoring, lunch, etc. is among the reasons many people leave their homelands to come to these United States. They take advantage of this offering to create a foundation on which they eventually support themselves and their families.

Throughout this school year and next, when they receive a list of supplies they must provide for school, I hope parents sit down with their children and review it, then show the child how much they are about to spend, and urge them to take care of these supplies for which they have spent hard-earned money. It may mean a lot to the child, coming from their first teacher. As for the ACLU suit and its purpose, a former teacher laughed when I discussed it with her. “Think about that child who grows up with almost nothing,” she said, “and lucky to have a teacher provide pencils and things the parents may not be able to afford. That person goes on to college, then to law school, and where does that kid end up working? In some cases, the ACLU.” How ironic.

Skip Harrison is an educator, freelance journalist, and parent, residing in Trenton, New Jersey.