Glue Sticks and Markers: True Objects of Desire in Back-to-School Season

While parents navigate the supply madness, here's how we can all stick together and support the teachers who make it work.

Ah, back to school shopping—the annual event that strikes dread into the hearts of parents and teachers alike. It’s like preparing for a marathon, but with more glue sticks and less glory.

I distinctly remember the lists for my 2nd- and 4th-grade sons. It was both endless - and shockingly precise.

• specific-colored folders for each of the subjects

• specific-sized Post-It notes in various colors

• 1/2 inch graph paper

• glue sticks, glue sticks, and more glue sticks

• Specific colored pens

• 16-pack crayons

• scissors - pointed for the fourth grader and rounded for the second grader

• Tissues, wipes

I have no doubt the wisdom behind each item - with the overall purpose being to keep children organized and help with executive functioning. Teachers could say - pull out your blue math folder. And graph paper is ideal for helping younger kids keep integers lined up in their proper columns!

But as a mom - oh my. And as a mom who worked and who wasn’t lined up at Target at 10am when it opened, well let’s just say I was on a multi-state scavenger hunt. We were in the dark ages of pre-Amazon Prime, back when finding a specific brand of 1/2-inch graph paper felt like searching for the Holy Grail. After exhausting virtually every store within a 20-mile radius, I had to recruit my mother-in-law in New Jersey to join the quest.

I can laugh now, but I remember two distinct feelings - the shame of having procrastinated, and the fury at the amount of money necessary for school supplies. We could absorb the cost - but there were many who couldn’t. If we had even gotten the list earlier — we could have shopped for sales.

I was PTO president that year, and made it my mission to find a solution. I raised it with the Principal and superintendent - who were a bit stunned at the specificity of the list not to mention the cost. They wanted to help out. One parent found a supplier who would pull the assorted items together - at a highly discounted price. Administrators were terrific in getting teachers to pull their lists together in the spring and synchronize them by grade. Parents could order the appropriate boxes in June - and pick them up in the summer. Chaos avoided and money saved.

While my scavenger hunts might make for funny stories now, the reality is that for many families, back-to-school shopping is no laughing matter. It’s a tremendous financial strain. A new survey by Qualtrics and Intuit Credit Karma, says that half (50%) of parents say they will cut back on groceries and bills, to ensure their kids have what they need. And the number jumps for younger parents, 60% for Gen Z, 56% for millennial parents. 

• Nearly one-third (31%) of parents say they are unable to afford back-to-school shopping for their kids

• 59% of parents say they will spend more money on back to school shopping this year compared to previous years

• More than a one-third (34%) of parents plan to take on debt for back to school shopping, with one-in-six (16%) planning to take on up to $1,000 in debt. 

Remember it’s not just the supplies (and the graphing calculator when they get into high school!) It’s the gym shoes, backpacks, lunchboxes, water bottles, locker locks — not to mention clothes.

In high school, my boys had to have mechanical pencils because regular pencils were so last year. They were great students, and I caved (I can see you rolling your eyes, did you ever hear the phrase “pick your battles?”) And besides, I got mine for caving. At exam time they needed to bring 2 number two pencils - which they remembered as they were leaving the house. Fortunately my neighbor Anne, who had a daughter, had plenty. She kindly gave me a lifetime supply of number 2 pencils for my birthday.

Jokes aside, if parents can’t supply supplies - well teachers have to dig deep into their pockets. You can have a box of surplus for borrowing - but you need an equal number of wipes to remove the encrusted germs. Teacher friends of mine spend hundreds of dollars a year on supplies that are not reimbursed by the school district. For my friend Jenna, who teaches in an inner-suburb school district (versus a city school, or an outer suburban), it’s not unusual for her to spend a couple thousand dollars a year for not only supplies - but essentials like warm coats and sneakers.

Whether you’re a parent who’s finally graduated from the supply lists, or someone who has managed to avoid the chaos all together, there are ways you can help—and no, it doesn’t involve fighting someone over the last pack of glue sticks.

Charles Best was a teacher in the Bronx when he started Donors Choose, a crowdfunding platform for teachers. The website says they have funded projects at 89% of public schools. Projects run the gamut from rugs to KitchenAid Mixers, from butterfly kits to musical mouthpieces. Basically, it’s anything teachers dream up to foster learning. The organization often has philanthropies like the Gates Foundation that offer matching grants on specific match days.

My niece shared her Donors Choose link this morning She is hopeful to secure more than $600 in funding for a reading rug, carpet cleaner, headsets, and organizational materials for her class of first graders in Camden, NJ. But she and her co-teacher still need to pony up a couple hundred dollars a piece throughout the year. “It would be a lot more if friends and family members didn’t help out,” she told me.

The Donors Choose platform is simple to use - either find a project (a pet passion perhaps!) or a location you want to support. I’ve done it both ways: Schools near me - or because I like supporting teachers who use cooking for overcoming learning disabilities. Not to mention supporting family members.

Amazon too has a wishlist for teachers.

If you don’t like the idea of using a web-based platform, consider reaching out to the teachers you know and ask if they need any supplies.

There is a great sale on glue sticks this week at Lidl.