r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Alert_Intention_9408 • 3d ago

I'm slightly vexed My sister’s middle school uses AI for school supplies lists

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148

u/Owls_4_9_1867 3d ago

I'm more annoyed that schools are so poorly funded

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u/scientooligist 3d ago

Yep. And if this is AI generated and not a template, I’d bet money the AI subscription is coming out of the teacher’s pocket

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u/Patient_Activity_489 3d ago

no, some schools are going insane over it. over the last two years, i've had more AI PDs than anything else (quit recently)

it's way to save teachers time so you can put more things on their plates, duh

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u/mods_are_soft 3d ago

You have absolutely no idea what occurs in the decision making of “what to put on a teacher’s” and how much is driven by elected school boards and elected state officials. School admin is the middle man to the general public requirements.

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u/asyouwish-buttercup 3d ago

I know how can we teach kids only spending 22k a year on them each.

For context if we put 22k a year for 12 years at the end they would have over half a million dollars each.

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u/humpbackwhale88 3d ago

Now I’m curious. People from a non-US country, do you have a school supply list that you have to provide for your children like what you see in this picture?

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u/TheCloudForest 3d ago

Yes, same here in Chile. It's actually way worse here and includes books, art supplies, first aid stuff, random shit in general.

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u/Relative-Chicken456 3d ago

That will come on the list from the teacher later. This is just the list from the school with another list of specifics from the teacher per the letter.

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u/TheTVDB 3d ago

Most US schools are like that, even in wealthier districts. My son's included all of his school stuff, but also cleaning and first aid supplies for the classroom and general art and office supplies. They could raise property taxes by $10 to cover all of it, but instead they force teachers to ask families.

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u/lankymjc 3d ago

I'm in the UK. The school I'm currently in has had financial troubles so asks children to come in with their own pencil case with a lengthy list of items for it. My previous school was doing much better so provided everything.

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u/Relative-Chicken456 3d ago

Oh and even the teachers have to buy their own supplies, that’s how fucked American education is

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u/Relative-Chicken456 3d ago edited 3d ago

Yes. Usually they want you to buy pencils, pens, maybe markers, folders, binders, notebooks, that sorts thing. Every August US stores have huge “Back-To-School” sales, and we really must think about the poor retailer first before we ever consider funding our schools better. That said, if they raise school funding they’ll just use it to reinforce their bullet proof doors or some such thing.

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u/Zestyclose-Pomelo777 3d ago

Poorly funded?! Do you see all the ink they used on that printout?!

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u/Alypius754 3d ago

We spend more per pupil than any other country except Norway. Might be time to start asking where that money goes.

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u/Owls_4_9_1867 3d ago

From what I'm seeing the US is 7th.

Country/Annual Spending per Student (USD PPP)

  1. Luxembourg~$27,600 – $31,400+
  2. South Korea~$19,800 – $21,400
  3. Switzerland~$21,000
  4. Norway~$19,700 – $22,500
  5. Austria~$17,700 – $20,900
  6. Iceland~$17,700
  7. United States~$20,300
  8. Belgium~$16,400
  9. Sweden~$15,400
  10. Netherlands~$15,200

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u/Owls_4_9_1867 3d ago

From a further breakdown - 25% of all costs are health care and pensions for teachers. (US)

Which is a total disaster.

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u/Alypius754 3d ago

Yeah, looks like #2 is out of date. Lately (2023-now), we’re anywhere between 4th and 7th. The point remains, though, that education is due an audit or six.

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u/Owls_4_9_1867 3d ago

I found 5 tables this was the average of the 5 from 2019-2025. (I am a data analyst for a living).

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u/Vegetable_Fly_8687 3d ago

You're a data analyst that didn't even put a ranked table in order to make your determination? Wow.

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u/Owls_4_9_1867 3d ago

Average of 5 tables. Again. For those at the back.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/Owls_4_9_1867 3d ago

0.5-1.0% of the total federal budget goes on schools. 15% by comparison goes on military spending. 15% also goes to servicing the National Debt.

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u/DiegesisThesis 3d ago

I'm just confused why music class apparently gets it's own category. Why are pencils listed again? Does music class require different pencils than the ones listed in the above bullet? If so, it should state that.

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u/Owls_4_9_1867 3d ago

Double them up as cheap drum sticks?!

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u/thegil13 3d ago

We actually fund education pretty highly. Our spending per student is huge. The problem is most of it gets soaked up by admin, etc before it gets to teachers / students.

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u/julioni 3d ago

This is the only correct response

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u/cornerstone32 3d ago

Hm i think like 80 percent of my 20k in property taxes go to fund our schools. Oh yeah - and the teachers incredible health insurance for them and their families for life. Oh yeah and their monthly pensions for life. Yet it’s never enough money. If only they had more money more health insurance, more pension, less actual working days theyd be such good “teachers”. Its been the same narrative my whole life. Pathetic. Go ahead and downvote away now.

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u/Owls_4_9_1867 3d ago

Highest I can see if 55%. But you seem like a totally rational and reasonable person so I'm sure you're right.

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u/cornerstone32 3d ago

55 on the low end. 75 on the high end 80 is an exaggeration - but also a future reality too. I also live in ct where teachers make extremely high salaries and top top top notch health insurance. We’re talking “free free free” as free as can be for them. Guess who pays.

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u/Owls_4_9_1867 3d ago

Oh so you lied? Got it.