This is an invasion of privacy. I think your daughter should call the principal of your granddaughter's school and express her concerns. I would also make the suggestion that if this assignment stands, that the assignment should be about a hypothetical family, and should not be expected to reveal personal information.

I also told her to just make up a bunch of numbers if the teacher persisted.

one big circle labelled: none of you beeswax

Has anyone spoken to the teacher or principal about this assignment?

It would not be difficult to come up with an alternate (grade-level appropriate) assignment.

and then go from there.

I would point out how this information is none of the teacher's business, and I would instruct the teacher (doubting this would work) not to fail my daughter.

Income from Prostitution: 500 dollars a week.

Rent: None. Couch surfing.
Food: Pizza and Ramen, 20 dollars a week.
Herbal Recreation: 40 to 60 dollars a week depending on which contact has scored some weed.


And so on....

No way, no hell would any parent want their finances discussed in an open classroom. I don't even discuss them with my kids. The bills are paid, there's a roof, there's food on the table - that's all they need to worry about.

Where the teacher doesn't really expect it, but wants to show how many folks are given to doing things because an authority figure told them to do it.

I'd send a note back telling them I'll gladly hand over the info as soon as Romney releases his tax returns

That assignment is totally inappropriate and is bound to separate the Haves from the Have Nots in the class.

I cannot believe a teacher would assign that. I am not a helicopter parent, but I would be on the phone with the principal in a heartbeat.

at least a truthful one, I would do a big fake financial report, aka I get 75k a year for working with the CIA, and all I do is train mice to become Ninja's, and that the only monthly bill I have is a 1k a month beer tab.

Screw the idea that I'm gonna send any financial info to school with my kid! I can see how they want to make a point to the kids about how much it costs to live, I can even see how it'd be instructive to have different income levels to discuss in class. Rather than put the kids or the families' info out there, I'd randomly assign a "budget" to each kid and let them sort out how they spend the money and where it all goes.

Maybe for the subject of food costs have them keep a food log for one day of everything they eat and how much it costs. Then take those numbers and use them as a starting point for a weekly food budget.

Maybe for housing costs have them look in the papers for housing and then tour some of the apartments or houses that are out there for rent.

Take them all to the mall with an imaginary budget of $10 for an outfit. When that doesn't work out take them to a re-sale shop.

Make sure you build into your project a "surprise" event like a Dr's visit, a dental emergency, transportation failures, or a fridge that dies right after you buy the week's groceries...


Has potential to be a great learning event for kids.




Laura

when I was a freshmen, our teacher did exactly as you stated

"I'd randomly assign a "budget" to each kid and let them sort out how they spend the money and where it all goes. "

Our teacher gave us 1k a month and let us use newspapers and other mediums to find the best prices on food, car, shelter, and what not.

She's a good kid, and she pays attention to everything. Having said that, it is evident to me that she's not got a real good handle on money and how it spends. Yes, she's able to read a price tag on clothing and realize that she can buy two shirts in a different store for what she's looking at paying for one in a trendy store, and yes, she's able to realize that ground beef is usually gonna be a cheaper meal than steak. Much beyond that, however, and she's got a lot to learn. We are working on it. Lately its been trips to the grocery store and learning how to cook from scratch. Discussions about menus and how to calculate servings and food cost have also been part of it. "How much is that box of macaroni and how many uses does it have -v- how much is that box of mac and powdered cheese that you'll get four servings out of?" "How many meals can you get out of that whole chicken -v- how many meals will you get out of that pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts?"

It takes time, but it is a survival skill.

Projects like what you and I are discussing have a way of bringing a lot of the realities home pretty quickly. I wish more parents and schools would do this kind of thing more often.



Laura

sales tax. I try to explain to him what sales tax is, but he doesn't grasp that concept yet so I boil it down to "you just have to pay it, so deal with it." For the most part though, I think he understands the concept of money, he just doesn't like the fact you gotta work for it...but, hell most people hate that part anyways so he isn't that much different than most adults.

I'd probably go with the faking it. & this then precipitates the 'why we don't discuss our finances publicly' talk, which is good at least.

It also brings up a level of mistrust of the teacher, which is not so good. The principal needs to think this over.

(Ie., you stuff them into a box, and everybody uses the same forms, inks, etc. ) If the teacher wants a sociology study, there's no need to name names.

In fact, it may well be an eye-opening assignment. Keeping the students' identity private should not be difficult.

That's the point. It's NO ONE'S business, and that includes the teacher. Further, the teacher isn't even asking for the students' private financial information but that of the students' parents - the private financial information from a third party having no connection to the class, the teacher or the school. I don't even think this is legal... even companies that need certain financial information from customers like for a bank loan or mortgage, etc. have to get a signed consent form from the customer.

This is batshit crazy, and any parent willing to go along with this is nuts. This teacher is too stupid to teach for coming up with this outrageous idea, and if this were me I'd be marching into the principle's office raising hell.

Unless there is a reason to think the teacher would violate it in some way, that's an insufficent reason to attack the assignment.

What is it with this fetish about finances anyway?

It's a school where eeryone knows everyone else. Any discussions aqt all about these papers is likely to pinpoint the kids.
My daughter went to the teacher and I think was going to the Principle. I'm not sure how this will be resolved. Thanks for the import everyone.

If it's public, I'd say this is illegal.

If it's private, I'd say they are trying to "weed out" those least likely to continue to afford the tuition.

Either way, this is a nosy teacher.

A family's finances are no one's business but that family and to some extent the IRS. Does the department head or principal know about this?

and in parallel, you or her parents should contact the school about the appropriateness of the assignment.

Meanwhile, it reminds me of this:

use them but make very clear that you object to the violation of your family's privacy and that you expect that your g'daughter WILL NOT be penalized for not submitting information that this teacher has no right to ask for.

Is this a repuke teacher trying to shame some of the kids, or try to make Obama look bad for allowing people to eat?

I think the kind of assignment davsand and Broken_Hero discuss in #21,23,28 would be much more instructive.

Maybe it's time to teach the teacher. Copy & paste #21,23,28 to an email to your granddaughter. She can take it to the teacher, who has already heard complaints, and will now have a better assignment to offer. It was a lesson to learn that family finances are a private matter, and when anyone who has no real reason to need the information asks about them you are not obligated to reveal anything.

And dare said teacher to score a bad mark for the assignment.

is this high school?