Today I over heard a phone conversation my eight year old daughter was having with her best friend. I heard her tell her friend that her last year’s teacher told the class they needed to bring in more markers or they would not be able to use the white boards.

If you are a parent then you are probably buying schools supplies for the new school year and you know these supplies can be expensive especially if you have more than one child in school. I have two kids in elementary school in Lee County School District and a full page list of needed supplies for both.

Do you remember when public school was free? I do! I remember when we as parents only had to pay for lunches and the school supplied every thing else needed. Okay, we had to buy trapper keepers and book covers but not glue, red pencils for the teachers, white board markers, colored pencils and so on and so on.

Last year our kid’s school had an art fair where they had done art work and the school wanted us to buy the art work for $30 bucks. Well, I could not afford the $60 bucks to pay for both of my kids art work and I was embarrassed that they expected me to do so. Not only that but they want you to send in snacks and they send notes home asking for more and more supplies throughout the rest of the school year.

What do we pay taxes for? Aren’t our tax dollars supposed to pay for public schools? Why do we have to pay for all of these things? I just don’t get it!!! Public school is for average folks who want a decent education for our children because we can’t afford private schools.  Our tax dollars can pay for three free square meals a day for prisoners but will not pay enough to give the teachers the supplies they need in the public schools.

I would like to know what you think. Please leave your comments – Am I making more out of this than I should be or do I make a decent point? Thanks for reading,