MY 2nd grader came home on the second day of school with the dreaded packet. He has 6 cousins in the same school as well. They all were urged to sell for the cheap prizes and for the morale of their class. Then they were told to save the coupons for EDUCATION off of certain box tops and Tyson products. There is also a raffle for a Wii and a Pizza Night once each month where the pizza place donates a certain amount of money for each pizza sold to one of the school's students, they want the kids to sell coke products for money, there is the slip to order t-shirts, sweat shirts and hoodies to wear on Friday's to show school spirit, not to mention two book fairs already and the request for more corporate sponsors. Now, I know that not all of this is selling junk, but it seems like the school's hands are always wanting more and making the children feel inadequate if they don't sell, buy a shirt, save the coupons, get the books or try to win the Wii. I say enough!

Perhaps if the schools were fully funded they wouldn't need to do all this extra crap!  If we can spend billions a month on a war, we can afford to fund our schools properly without pimping the kids out.

i refuse to let my children sell the poor quality garbage the schools push on them for its fund raisers. only a portion of the sales pice goes to the schools the rest to the professional fund raising organization.the only reason any one buys this stuff is because its usually the neighbors kid at your door.no one likes getting ripped off ,even by kids. schools should go back to bake sales and car washes. then people can give freely and get some value in return.

Would "A"  EVER concede that schools were "fully funded"?   I expect not, even though wherever I have lived, school taxes have always been the biggest and fastest growing part of my tax burden -- and the product is increasingly unemployable for lack of basic math and writing and reading skills.  The "more money for schools" crowd is parroting the line of the teachers' unions who see primary and secondary public education as their proprietary fiefdom.  Let's see kids coming out of high school prepared to do college work or prepared to offer something to an employer.  THEN we'll talk about more money.  And don't try to cloud the issue with the usual liberal "if we can spend billions on a war" claptrap.

In our town the pee wee football players are selling raffle tickets and the parents can keep the $5 per ticket. The ticket stub is then given over for a drawing for prizes donated by local businesses. If the parents paid $50 for their kid to play they have to "sell" 10 tickets. So really other people who buy the raffle tickets are paying for the sellers kid to play sports. Between this kind of stuff and all the fund raisers from preschoolers to high school, its really gotten out of hand. I dread seeing coworkers bringing in the envelopes to peddle thier kids stuff. Wish the management would call a halt to it.

I am a school teacher and mom, so I am hit up everyday. The junior high cheerleaders, band, football, honor society, and then my kids school. I am about to finish paying off credit cards and I decided that no works. I say no to all of them. Yes, it makes me look me and uncaring. I donate to the food pantry and give blood, you know stuff that matters more than freakin popcorn. Over priced candy, bake sales, glossy magazines, and cookies don't matter in ten years let alone 5 months!

I only have one child in school at present, but am affected the same.  If it were just the fundraisers it wouldnt be so bad, but to raise money for the same piano two years in a row is rediculous.  At my child's school the district has gone to soft cover textbooks which are sent home at the end of the year, half completed.  Then we read that the district has problems with the cost of these books.  What happened to the hardcover books I grew up with?  They might cost 2 to 3 times more but have an avereage lifetime of ten years.  You'd think simple economics would shine through.

My workplace has FINALLY put the skids on the "kid soliciting" and I am so grateful.  Almost every day brought a plea to buy worthless junk!  The worst was "my son's day care is having this fundraiser"  WHAT?  Her son is seven months old!  As a former PTA president, I can tell you that the fundraising companies are out in force right now and there is a big push to do the fundraiser in the first two months of the school year.  I am proud to tell you that we did not have a single fund raiser during my one year as PTA President.  We did, however, collect soup labels, box tops, and receipts from local stores for money.

My neighbor children go to a private Christian school and what they have decided to do this year is a fun run to raise money for new gym equipment.  Not only are the children getting exercise, but I am much happier knowing that the money my family has donated is going to a great cause, not cheap wrapping paper and old, overpriced chocolates!

I share the same aversion to the sales approach - high prices, unnecessary items, door-to-door visits to strangers, etc.  (although I have come to look forward to the discount cards from my relative-atheletes!)  What about sponsoring an event or social of interest to the entire family and general public?  For example, I have seen ads by magicians who will provide an evening (or weekend) of shows on a 50/50 basis with no upfront fees, most with their own sound and A/V equipment, flyers, and other promotional items - and a track record.  Add in local participation in the show (get those cheerleaders assisting in the illusions or "pay to vote" the students favorite teacher/coach/parent to be sawn in half, etc.)  Let your imagination run wild.  A fun evening, at little more expense than a trip to the local cinema-plex - why not?  And it could become an easy annual gala to repeat, and look forward to all year.  Pretty painless, and profitable.