‘No photos for [you]’: Penny-pinching school admin tries to take credit for a field trip they refused to fund, teacher that paid €360 claps back

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Feb 25, 2024 1:00 PM EST

Teachers are expected to cover all kinds of expenses for their classrooms. Whether they're buying glitter glue, construction paper, and pipe cleaners, or if they simply want a new basketball to teach the kiddos a new sport in P.E., it can get pricey for teachers to try and pay for their curricular activities out of pocket. However, when your principal is the first person to deny funding for any extra projects but also the first in line to reap the benefits, teachers can get a little fiery in the teacher's lounge. 

In our next story, an unfunded teacher found that the best kind of revenge against a penny-pinching admin was to give them a taste of their own medicine. After paying €360 out of pocket to pay for the kiddo's end-of-the-year school field trip to the zoo, this teacher was absolutely flummoxed when the admin had the audacity to ask for photos of the event for promotional purposes after the fact. 

Scroll for all the details of how a classroom funds refusal turned quickly into malicious compliance after a passive-aggressive email. 

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  • 02
    Posted by u/Unfunded_Teacher 4 hours ago Want me to pay out-of-pocket to take students to the zoo? OK, but you'll miss out on a killer photo shoot. S OC
    via Unfunded_Teacher
  • 03
    I'm a teacher. I taught a class of 18 kids back in 2017. The curriculum changed near the end of the school year and it was expected for the kids to visit the zoo. Admin told me that since their budget was created at the start of the year, they wouldn't pay for the entrance fees and that I would have to pay out-of- pocket for all 18 kids.
    via Unfunded_Teacher
  • 04
    They also requested that I take pictures for their school Facebook page. I love my students, but I love my savings too, not as much as my students but still. I couldn't justify spending over €360 on a single, non- tangible thing. So, I took the kids down to local farmer Pete's farm.
    via Unfunded_Teacher
  • 05
    All Pete asked for was a 5 euro donation per person, and that too was voluntary. I put down a €50 note for old Pete and showed the kids exotic animals like cattle, sheep, goats and chickens. A few weeks later, I was approached by admin, they asked me for the photos.
    via Unfunded_Teacher
  • 06
    I gladly emailed it to them, with a subject title of 'Petting Zoo Pictures' and no pictures attached. I got an email back simply saying that my conduct was not exemplary. No reprimand, no written up warning, but no photos for admin too. The kids enjoyed it though.
    via Unfunded_Teacher
  • 07
    superflex 4 hr. ago I mean, good job, well done, but I find it crazy that wherever it is you live and work: (a) students/their families aren't expected to pay out of pocket for class trips (b) teachers are? Your employer can tell you that you must spend your own money on work related expenses? What happens if you don't? I'm in Canada and none of this makes sense to me.
    via superflex
  • 08
    LanMarkx 4 hr. ago (a) students/their families aren't expected to pay out of pocket for class trips If the school is planning a trip, the school should cover the costs IMO. It is unfair to single out students due to home financial hardship reasons. Yes, I currently pay for my kids in school to go on field trips and I can afford them. But I don't think that's fair at all when you have kids in the same class whose parents are working 3 jobs just to break even should have yet another 'random' expen
    via LanMarkx
  • 09
    SavvySillybug 4 hr. ago If the school is planning a trip, the school should cover the costs IMO. It is unfair to single out students due to home financial hardship reasons. There's a solution inbetween, I'd think. Let the parents pay for their children's trips, and make exceptions for those who can't or won't. Even if just a single parent pays, it's still better than making the teacher pay it all. And if the majority pay, it's a big load off the teacher. And everybody gets to go.
    via SavvySillybug
  • 10
    Responsible-End7361 4 hr. ago At my school you can make a donation for other students when you pay for your kid. If all the parents chip in a buck extra it covers the kid who can't pay. Reply Share Vote SavvySillybug 4 hr. ago That's a good system! :) What do they do with the extra cash if there is any? Future class projects?
    via Responsible-End7361
  • 11
    Odd-Consideration 754 4 hr. ago I'm in the US and in my opinion we are pretty awful to our teachers and they are expected to cover way more than they should. However even our schools wouldn't pull this kind of nonsense on their teachers.
    via Odd-Consideration
  • 12
    superflex 4 hr. ago Yeah, I mean, we have very strong teacher's unions here in Canada, and I know many teachers that spend out of pocket on materials/supplies/reward goodies for the classroom, but that is all on a 100% voluntary basis.
    via superflex
  • 13
    cocoabeach 4 hr. ago In what country do they demand you spend €360 of your own money and get away with it. I am sure there are a lot of places that expect that you might, but I am surprised one of them would demand it, and want pictures as proof of their overreach. Reply Share Vote ... SWZerbe1003 hr. ago Now if the OP had said $360 we would all just go, yep checks out. Haha
    via cocoabeach
  • 14
    arwinda 4 hr. ago I gladly emailed it to them "You did not approve any budget for a trip. I'm sorry, there are no pictures available which can be used for public relations." Reply Share Vote grand305 1 hr. ago
    via arwinda
  • 15
    TVLL. 4 hr. ago "What a coincidence! My budget was also created at the beginning of the year and I didn't budget that either!" The nerve of these schools asking teachers to pay for things like this.
    via TVLL
  • 16
    imverysneakysir . 4 hr. ago Well now you have in writing what language to use next time you needed to respond to admin asking something stupid. Vote Reply Share Mabama1450 4 hr. ago Can't believe you didn't tell admin to foxtrot oscar.
    via imverysneakysir
  • 17
    AmbitiousPirate5159.4 hr. ago Creative and smart, Weird how you had to pay for the whole trip ✩ Vote Reply Share MassIsAVerb 4 hr. ago Nah, it's classic school admin to farm costs out to teachers
    via AmbitiousPirate5159.4
  • 18
    Zoreb14 hr. ago An example for why unions are needed. Vote Reply Share Street Legend Tits_. 3 hr. ago I thought teachers had a union? Or is it only some of them?
    via Zoreb14
  • 19
    river_song25 4 hr. ago I would have told the school flat out no. The zoo trip is the schools idea not mine, and I won't be spending MY money for myself and 18 kids (and probably some adults since no way am I dealing with 18 kids by myself at the zoo) to go to it, when the school can pay for it themselves. Either the school pays or the kids can simply NOT go to the zoo at all, because no way am I spending my money for my own needs to pay $360+ in admission tickets fees to the zoo for other people
    via river_song25
  • 20
    saraphilipp 3 hr. ago I'd have told them for $400 you can have the photos. You see, my budget was created at the beginning of the year and you'll have to pay out of pocket for the photographer fees.
    via saraphilipp
  • 21
    tristanjones 2 hr. ago I would have charged the school 360 for the photos Vote Reply Share GozerDestructor. 57 min. ago You should make the photos look as bleak and Soviet as possible. A cold, grey field, with one sad child holding the tether of a single goat.
    via tristanjones
  • 22
    Techn0ght 3 hr. ago I would have told admin that lack of planning on their part didn't make it your financial responsibility, they should pay for it out of pocket.
    via Techn0ght

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admin taking credit penny pinching credit school funding schools malicious compliance principal field trip revenge out of pocket teachers teacher funded story payback penny-pinching
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