I do not have any children, however I teach and tutor them. I started up a program for families in need. I have about 50 kids that I enrolled in my program, and I tutor them in areas that they are having trouble with. I offer help in Math, English/Language Arts, Science, U.S. History, Social Studies, Geography, Spanish and Test Prep/Study Skills. All of my services are provided ABSOLUTELY free of charge.

I also donate and provide backpacks full of school supplies to children whose families cannot afford them, and I also pack a week's worth of bag lunches with the kids one night a week at my house so that they can take them to school and have something nutritious to eat for lunch and snacks. I also make sure that they have plenty to drink because so many children are not getting adequately hydrated in schools these days (I work in nursing and I see sick school-aged kids all of the time and too too many of them come in extremely dehydrated) and teachers aren't paying good enough attention to this issue. But that's a whole separate ballgame.

Anyway, I started this program BECAUSE I believe schools are outrageous with their demands for fees and supplies and "suggestions" for donations and such. The supply lists they send home to parents/guardians are outrageous, extensive and very costly. Also, some schools even have programs in classrooms where they want to either have breakfast, snack times or "milk breaks". This is a great idea and all, but it's not if families have to PAY for all of these things. It's not fair for the children whose families cannot afford it. Why should some children have to sit in class and watch other kids have snacks, breakfasts, juices and milks when they have none? Schools should not allow this to happen. They should either provide snacks and drinks for every child, or get rid of the "program" altogether. Some families cannot even afford to send their children to school with adequate lunches (by absolutely NO FAULT of their own), let alone with money for extra snacks, juice and milk! Give these people a break. It's simply not fair.

And don't even get me started on book fairs, plant sales, craft fairs, Christmas gift sales and things like that. (Most of these proceeds do not go 100% to the schools, and if they don't, in my opinion anyway, they shouldn't have them. And some families cannot afford to send their children with money for these things as I've said before, so why should some children feel left out? These are not NECESSARY things. The focus here should be on EDUCATION, not begonias!!!!)

THEREFORE, for these reasons, I started this program. Tutoring is incredibly expensive (especially if you turn to one of those Sylvan learning centers or something - sheesh!) the price of school lunches really adds up (not to mention, you really don't know if what your child is eating is nutritious at all), and school supply costs (plus those little "extra" fees they like to slide in there all of the time with those notes they send home asking for $5 here, $10 there what seems like every gosh darn week!) add up very, VERY fast.

I believe that every child is entitled to a more than decent education, no child should ever go hungry, and no child should suffer emotional distress because s/he is watching another child get something that they cannot have in school, where children are supposed to be focusing on education, not getting their feelings hurt because some of the other kids have a juicebox and s/he doesn't (schools should not even be supporting this). Schools go on and on and on about equality and fairness....but what I described above is not fair or equal at all.

And just for the record, I live on a very strict budget as so so many families do. I do my best to clip coupons and buy in bulk for the kids and I get all of my teaching supplies at the dollar store. Sometimes I get lucky and find extra supplies (like newspapers, magazines, paper, half-used notebooks, etc.) tossed out in recycling bins and things like that.

I just wanted to let all of the parents out there know that even though I don't have children of my own, I understand how much of a dent school costs can put into your wallet and I'm really trying to help make the load a little lighter for as many families as I can.

So, does ANYONE agree that schools are asking (and sometimes even demanding!) way too much? And that the costs are just outrageous? I'd love some feedback on this!!!!

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