Back to School Supplies

Awhile back I shared a post on facebook from a teacher about shopping in Walmart. The teacher had heard a parent complaining about school supplies while shopping with her child. The teacher was kind of floored. In the end another parent, shopping with their child gave that teacher a Walmart gift card to help with the supplies the teacher was buying. Naturally I can't find that post again. The comparison was made about what each incident says to the student about the value the parents place on education.
I have two gift cards set aside to give to the littles's teachers on welcome back night. Education is important to me. I have bought everything on the little woman's list. This year I only send money for the little man and they buy the supplies in bulk.
If the supplies that I buy end up in the "community" group, that is okay with me. Because education is important for all the kids in the classroom, not just mine. Our school is one of the poorer in our district which means kids from some lower income households. Just like ours. But I'm a good money manager and so I can afford to do my part and help the classroom. And I always put my money where my mouth is.
A couple little side notes. When the supply list asks for Crayola, they ask for Crayola because Crayola holds up better than other cheaper brands. And they do. I buy them on sale. When they ask for specific sized containers, it is because those are the sizes that work best in cubbies, desks, etc. The teachers are not trying to make life hard on the parents. Plain notebooks and folders just make things easier for the teacher who has enough to deal with without teaching kids how unfair life it.