I'm angry | Imamother

amother

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 7:43 pm

Do teachers live in a parallel reality? I send my kids to school to learn / get education. I'm paying for the schooling. Why every week there is another activity I need to pay for on top of the tuition while the kids are not learning?
Last week they went swimming, now they are going snow tubing, they are having mother / daughter lunch in another week, Purim chagiga ( yes, there is a G.O. fee), + yearbook fee, graduation trip fee, class melave malka prep and who knows what else.
Let the kids learn already! And stop charging me for wasting the kids time. My 14 year old goes to sleep between 9-10pm. She needs the sleep. She will have years, iyh when she won't be able to sleep, so why not let her sleep in elementary school?
Signed, a very angry mother. Banging head

teachkids

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 7:48 pm

Generally it’s not the teachers decision to do these things- there’s some admin/programmer who comes up with this stuff.

amother

Offwhite

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 7:48 pm

My kids' school wouldn't try this. We pay extra for lag b'omer outings, lice checks and an occasional field trip in the upper grades and that's it.

amother

Silver

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 7:49 pm

Teachers have nothing or at least very little to do with extracurricular activities. You need to ask the administrators about this. (Believe it or not, most teachers are not fans of field trips etc Cool

)

amother

Cherry

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 7:51 pm

They need to motivate the kids to learn. You can force a kid to sit in a desk but you can’t force them to learn. I work in the school system, believe me this is from the better options

amother

Lemon

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 7:53 pm

I am so so happy that my kids school has amazing extra curriculum. They learn over enough as is. Those extra's give them a good boost.

amother

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 7:53 pm

Ok, ok, not the teachers. Whoever comes up with these ideas and makes camp during school is not appreciated.
( I do think in the schools my kids go to, teachers take on extra roles)

Highstrung

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 7:54 pm

Extra curricular programs are a beautiful thing. I only wish they include the fees when charging tuition at the beginning of the year so you don’t have constant surprises and you know how to budget in advance

amother

Pearl

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 7:54 pm

amother Cherry wrote:

They need to motivate the kids to learn. You can force a kid to sit in a desk but you can’t force them to learn. I work in the school system, believe me this is from the better options

If all the activities are part of the curriculum, then we shouldn't need to pay for it. If it's extra, then the parents get to have a say if they want it or not. You cant just force a mountain of extra fees for all this outside of tuition.

Despite what the school thinks, we dont have money trees growing in our backyards.

amother

Lemon

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 7:55 pm

amother OP wrote:

Ok, ok, not the teachers. Whoever comes up with these ideas and makes camp during school is not appreciated.
( I do think in the schools my kids go to, teachers take on extra roles)

The kids & most parents generally do appreciate it. It's not a waste of time. Especially during a long winter like this year.

amother

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 7:56 pm

amother Cherry wrote:

They need to motivate the kids to learn. You can force a kid to sit in a desk but you can’t force them to learn. I work in the school system, believe me this is from the better options

So the mechanchim have to "pay" kids to behave in school - is this the best out system got?

amother

Pearl

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 7:56 pm

Highstrung wrote:

They're beautiful - in moderation. Schools have gone over the top with one thing following the other.

On one hand, we are told that so many parents can't pay the full tuition amounts. And then they turn around and tack on huge extra fees for all these extras. How does it make sense?

amother

Stoneblue

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 7:59 pm

I always say this. Charge an extra hundred or even 2 hundred a year for tuition and stop asking for money every week. I have small kids. Still there's a Bake sale every month, grade trip, specialized class trip, chanukah chagiga, purim chagiga, book fair....
And with a few kids in school, I'm always scrounging for cash

amother

Pearl

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 8:00 pm

amother Lemon wrote:

The kids & most parents generally do appreciate it. It's not a waste of time. Especially during a long winter like this year.

Not true. Tons of parents complain about this. Maybe the schools tell themselves this to justify it in their minds.

You can test this theory to prove it for yourself. Why dont you send home a list of all extra curriculars with their associated fees for every grade to the parents and and ask them to select the ones they want. You will then have the answers

amother

Pearl

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 8:00 pm

amother Stoneblue wrote:

Oh, and don't forget the requests for tips!

amother

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 8:01 pm

amother Lemon wrote:

I am so so happy that my kids school has amazing extra curriculum. They learn over enough as is. Those extra's give them a good boost.

What don't you want them to learn? How do the kids learn over enough? My kid is failing in a few classes because teachers hardly have time to teach between the extra activities. She's not dumb. Never failed before this year. And I don't have the extra $ for the fees graciously reduced by the school. I get having a Chanukah and Purim. Hagigas. I don't get making kids take charge of multiple programs and activities so that they don't have time to breath.

amother

Pearl

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 8:07 pm

amother Stoneblue wrote:

Because if you add up all those smaller fees it amounts to more than $100-200. This way they sneak in the higher cost by asking for it in smaller numbers.

amother

Honeysuckle

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 8:11 pm

my husband was just saying how he doesn't understand why the school needs to have all this extra curricular stuff. he wasn't even talking about the cost, we aren't charged extra very often, it's more like why are you have color war, a carnival, a play..... instead of teaching!
I guess it's not just him Wink

amother

Lemon

Mon, Feb 26 2024, 8:12 pm

amother Pearl wrote:

In my kids schools, all extra curricular is included in the $100 G.O. fee, besides for 1 trip a year. The $100 per kid, most likely doesn't cover all extra curricular they have.