public education: the impulse shopaholic of government programs

There's a lot to be said about how well the public education system handles its money. Our school buses are cheap, but effective, our chairs are economical but sturdy, and our classrooms are full of nice gadgets that don't break the bank. However, I'm not here to talk about any of that. I'm here to talk about useless flat-screens and unused smart boards, and the bizarre assortment of technology that could totally go to a better cause. I personally will have pay thousands of dollars next year if I want to continue calculus. My APUSH class didn't even have textbooks for half of the year (we almost had to buy them ourselves), and only now, after 6 years, am I able to get a reasonably up to date French textbook. Of course, the school should be paying for all of this, but the excuse I and at least eighty of my peers hear is "we don't have the funds."

My call on this response -- BS

Instead of giving money to the kids who are doing well and allowing them to advance at their own pace, they bought 30 ipads for algebra I, 4 flat screen televisions that are NEVER used, smart boards for teachers that don't even use them (or know how to), and loads of other useless junk. Granted, the ipads were partially paid for by a grant, but that's my entire point. Where's my grant? What about my needs? Why should I be forced to pay exorbitantly because I'm doing well in school when so much money is wasted?