Get Schooled

By MMM

October 12, 2006 12:50 PM | Link to this

OK—first you all need to know that my experience is at a title1 start-up charter school where half the families are refugees with no money, little english, and who have no cultural equavalent of the American PTA.

Never did wrapping paper, but we once had a PTA that did cookie dough. It was actual a very confusing distraction from the real need the school has to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to balance a budget and pay teachers salaries. The few parents of affluence and American expectations thought they were “done” when they had purchased or sold their 5 tubs of dough.

And then here comes the “school” that must be able to deminstrate to private foundations DIRECT donations to an annual fund by 100% of board members and a LARGE percentage of parents for the foundation to believe that the school worthy of them also giving support.

We now have no official PTA—but lots of parental energy goes toward the Annual Fund.

By Stacey

October 12, 2006 12:50 PM | Link to this

I took my son’s PTA fundraiser to my in law’s and they bought something out of “obligation”. His packet included a list of prizes you could win depending on the # of items sold. He’s in kindergarten & he thought that he would be able to sell enough items to get the X Box (200 items. He sold 10 & will “win” some little gumball-machine-type trinket.

I didn’t take his packet to work because 90% of my coworkers either have kids or grandkids in elementary that they are also trying to sell for. Ditto for the neighbors and people at church.

A lot of “pressure” is put on the kids to sell this stuff. They highlight the big prizes and offer incentives such as ice cream and pizza parties for the top selling class. The kids don’t understand that no one wants to pay $12 for a box of candy or wrapping paper that you can buy at the “Everything’s a $” store.

By dm

October 12, 2006 01:17 PM | Link to this

I did not participate in selling this year for school or scouts. I chose to make a cash donation. Goal accomplished and I don’t have any extra stuff or fattening food around the house!

By Ernest

October 12, 2006 01:19 PM | Link to this

I’ll admit, I’ve gotten ‘burned out’ by fundraisers. At the beginning of each school year while joining the PTA, I make a generous donation and request to ‘opt out’ of fundraisers. Several schools in my area have begun offering this option

I will admit, when Girl Scouts bring their cookies around, I can’t resist a few boxes of Trefoils…

By Stacey

October 12, 2006 01:44 PM | Link to this

Ernest…Our school doesn’t offer the “opt out” option although it sounds like an excellent idea. The only thing is, with my son being so young, he gets so excited about the class-to-class competion that they have. I won’t deny that even I got caught up in the excitement…Not enough to spend $2000 for him to win the X-Box, though! Everyone who sold at least 10 items was invited to attend a party at the school with Spongebob. When I saw that he had sold 9 items, a purchased one more thing just so he could go. I know, I’m shameless! :-)

By MMM

October 12, 2006 01:58 PM | Link to this

Stacey—no you aren’t shameless It is these companies that set up these schemes that work by preying on parental emotion by manipulating kid’s emotions that are shameless.

The PTA leaders are showing no leadership and misplaced priorities when they choose these prepackaged “programs” promising money with little effort on their part because they allow access so the children and their families can be emotionally manipulated.

By Ernest

October 12, 2006 02:05 PM | Link to this

Stacey, maybe as a way to kill two birds with one stone , you could request the ‘opt out’ option for your school and ask if your son can participate in these activities. After all, based on the size of your donation, it may easily exceed the profits generated from 10 ‘trinkets’. :)

Along the same lines, one school offered a bronze, silver, and gold level for donations. Taking in consideration my suggestion above, maybe participation could be based on the level of donation. Just trying to think out of the box. Bottom line, the school has the money right away so they can begin doing things for the school and kids.

By Joe T

October 12, 2006 02:07 PM | Link to this

Let some of the dead beats in the central office go and there would be no need for any type of fundraising. The education system has failed for years. Don’t believe me , try to teach an adult education class. Just last week young man at Home Depot could not figure out how many times 8 went into 24. A Clayton County grad.

By Bella

October 12, 2006 02:08 PM | Link to this

I say, “No,” to all school fundraisers. Instead, I ask if I can simply make a donation direction to the school. And that’s only if I’m really close to the child—a niece, a godchild, or a dear friend’s child. For others on the periphery of my life, I tell them I can’t afford it.

By jim d

October 12, 2006 02:12 PM | Link to this

Don’t send the kiddies to my door.

I contribute, but don’t buy. They don’t have to split a contribution, they keep it all.

Think about it folks, all these parties and crap worth the cost or could the PTA’s hold a party for all the kids rather than a few if they were able to keep ALL the money they raise?

By GAeducator

October 12, 2006 02:18 PM | Link to this

In most cases the schools receive 50% of the sales as their profit. Cash donations are so much better for everyone. The school receives 100% of the money and the contibutor gets a tax donation. When asked to make a purchase I make a $5 or $10 donation instead.

By parentof2

October 12, 2006 02:42 PM | Link to this

Its kind of mean to say that the PTOs are showing “no leadership” and trying to raise money “with little effort” on their part but by “manipulating emotions” instead, don’t you think? Fundraisers are hard work. At least the PTO parents are trying to raise money for the school.

At our school the money goes to buy necessities. The PTO buys things that parents think are covered by their taxes—well they aren’t. Our taxes don’t even cover a text book for every kid in every class. If the PTO didn’t raise the money, the students and teachers would be sad. We aren’t buying party bags and candy and having girl chat lunches. We are working hard to buy actual classroom supplies.

We tried the parent opt out option at our school and parents opted out alright. They opted right out of sending any kind of financial support at all. They didn’t do the fundraisers and they didn’t send the donation. Though they said they would when we surveyed them.

I don’t know what to do. I lie awake at night and think about it. Scheming, planning, and wishing. I wish a magic fundraising genie would appear and tell me how to raise money without using packaged fundraisers.

Honestly, however, they do work. Many parents will throw them out or just buy one or two items. But 4 or 5 kids will sell THOUSANDS of dollars worth and those are the 4 kids that make or break our budget.

I wish I could send out a form the first day of school, every parent would mail in a nice $20 check and I could spend the rest of the year planning fun things for the students and making copies for the teachers. But Fundraising is part of my job—sometimes I think its my ONLY job.

I’m not trying to prey on your kid or manipulate your emotions. I’m trying to do something good for the students and the teaching staff. I wish I had more support.

By Stacey

October 12, 2006 03:06 PM | Link to this

Ernest…Those are very good suggestions and I think I will do that.

Jim…I agree with your last statement. As sad as it sounds, I fell into the trap of not wanting my child to be left out of the party and bought something that I neither wanted nor needed. Yes, I understand that he “can’t win them all” but I am the first to admit that I’m a sap. My guess is the food for the party will be donated and Spongebob will be someone from the PTA in a rented costume. If they took the donations, they could keep all of the money to do twice as much.

When my son was in daycare, they had a “spare change” fundraiser. I took him with me one evening to pick my husband up from work and he told the receptionist that he was collecting change for school. She gave him a 44 oz plastic cup and dumped the change from her purse and desk drawer in it. She then escorted him around the office to collect donations. By the time my husband was ready to leave 15 minutes later, that cup was full and he was only 1/2 way through the office. Some people actually thanked him for taking all of those pennies off of there hands!

By Older Mom

October 12, 2006 03:08 PM | Link to this

People forget that PTA’s provide a lot to a school. It can be in forms of scholarships or additional computer equipment or programs. Our school no longer has a PTA due to lack of parental interest and it is now close to being on the failure to meet adequate progress of NCLB. I am seeing a total lack of interest in parents in paying for booster club dues for sports as well. Everyone seems to think the county or state provides the funds. The higher achieving schools have an active PTA and better sports teams due to parents being willing to support their children’s fundraisers. Call it what you may but as parents it is time for us to take responsibility for our children’s schools and not pass it off to the government.

By jim d

October 12, 2006 03:14 PM | Link to this

Ok, let’s see.

We can’t hold a kid back cause it harms ones self-esteem. But we can have a paty for the one class that sells the most and don’t need to worry about all those other kids self-esteem.

Anyone else see the irony of this?

Parentof2,

Don’t hand me that stuff about the schools budget. There was an interesting article today in that other newpaper in Gwinnett doing an interview with the former GCPS chief financial officer of the county school system talking about some of Gwinnetts financial practices.

Take a look at how your money is being spent.

http://gwinnettdailypost.com/index.php?s=&urlchannelid=1&urlsubchannelid=&urlarticleid=20187&changewellid=2

By lovelyliz

October 12, 2006 03:42 PM | Link to this

The running joke with my sister is what did her daughter bring home from her private school to sell this week?

Seriously, every week she comes home with some request to buy or sell something: wrapping paper, oranges, candy, cookie dough, pizza kits, t-shirts, pictures, coupon books, religious books, etc. etc.

And since no one allows their children to go door to door anymore, the family gets hit up to buy everything.

By PTAPrez

October 12, 2006 03:48 PM | Link to this

Hey! I can tell you as the PTA President of my school, that it’s VERY difficult to get parents to participate in ANYTHING! We are a “Title 1” school, which is where most of our kids get free or reduced lunch - meaning we don’t have a lot of money in our community to begin with. Our PTA puts on shows, carnivals, and such where people feel like they’re getting something for their admission price or donation. Our money is used for field trips, books for our library, we solely fund our school nurse, etc… as I tell the parents who don’t think their $5 PTA dues are worth it, “Next time little Shaniqua or Ray-Ray, Jr. gets a scratch or a tummy ache, come to the school with your own Band-Aids & Pepto because you don’t think it’s worth it.” $5 dues becomes a lot of money when mom can’t get her nails “did” or her hair “did” or can’t get her Navie (Navigator) waxed up. PTA dues?? No thanks, they’d rather buy Quantavious new Jordans.

By lovelyliz

October 12, 2006 03:50 PM | Link to this

I like the opt-out idea. My sister would gladly write a check if the school would stop sending those things home. Unfortunately, a $150 tax deductible donation probably wouldn’t be enough and there is a lot of pressure from the teachers and the school to sell, sell, sell. There is also a lot of competition between the students for all those prizes, crappy though they usually are. Could you imagine your child being picked on because she didn’t participate?

By lovelyliz

October 12, 2006 03:54 PM | Link to this

PTAPrez It’s not just Shaniqua or Ray-Ray, Jr’s parents who don’t particpate. At the 98% Madison, Ashley, Colton, Jacob schools my niece and her friends attend, it’s always the same small set of parents who participate over and over again.

By Ernest

October 12, 2006 03:54 PM | Link to this

Stacey, I believe deep down, there is a ‘sappy’ part in each of us, especially when our children were young. He will have life long memories of that day and you can smile everytime he recalls them with you.

JimD, thanks for posting the link. DeKalb’s loss was Gwinnett’s gain with Rick Cost. He’s a good guy. It did open the door in our county for a young up and comer though, Marcus Turk.

I’m now turning to my compassionate, socially concious persona. If you have an opportunity to make a donation to a school other than those in your neighborhood and you have the financial means to do so, please consider it. I can definitely say I’ve been blessed (along with working hard) and seek out 2-3 schools per year that I make a $20-25 donation. For some, that may not seem like much but for those schools without an active PTA and/or a community support network, it is appreciated.

By Stacey

October 12, 2006 04:05 PM | Link to this

Parentof2…I do understand why there is a need for fundraisers and I also understand why the pressure of competition is put on the kids. I don’t necessarily like it, but I understand. I know that some parents can’t/won’t/don’t do anything that is not mandatory and in some schools, that’s an overwhelming majority. I can usually “find” money in my budget that I blow (lunches out, pedicures, etc) that I choose to reallocate. Some people don’t have that luxury.

jim d…I agree with you regarding the party. How (in this PC society) can they get away with that?!

By PTAPrez

October 12, 2006 04:08 PM | Link to this

I know, lovely. But I make a point only to speak on what I know for sure! ;-)

By b. white

October 12, 2006 04:11 PM | Link to this

I just had to tell you this one - The PTA at my school was planning a fall carnival and discussing booths. One mother from Australia suggested a “thong toss” booth. (crickets chirping sound effect)All kind of images were floating in our heads. She saw the puzzlement and quickly added, “You know - flip flops, toss them to pop a balloon.” (Sighs of relief) Laughter quickly filled the room. By the way it was a successful booth!

By KA

October 12, 2006 04:12 PM | Link to this

My kids are all in college now, but I was very active in PTA and sports booster clubs all through their K-12 years. With money raised from fundraisers we funded many school programs, bought books for the library, funded field trips, bought equipment for the school, gave each teacher money for supplies, bought copy paper, laminating rolls, and many other teacher workroom supplies, etc. Sally Foster gift wrap is a great product, and once you get a group of people hooked, it’s a guaranteed seller year after year. I never sold at work, though. Another good source of funds was getting local business sponsorships for specific projects or events. Asking for straight donations doesn’t raise as much money. School systems can not provide all the extra things that teachers need to do a better job. Supporting fundraisers builds community ties, and means that you make your school better for all of the students. If you get burned out selling the stuff, then volunteer to organize and run the sale, but do something.

By parentof2

October 12, 2006 04:16 PM | Link to this

Thanks for the link, but I don’t live in Gwinnett county. My district is much, much poorer—as is true for most districts in GA. Gwinnett probably has more money to waste than we have to spend.

Its nice to read the comments from parents who do see the value of parent paricipation and financial support. I feel encourged!

By KA

October 12, 2006 04:31 PM | Link to this

Even the poorest communities can raise some funds for the school. You can hold fall or spring fun fairs, have spaghetti dinners, and talent shows. Get items donated by parents or businesses, get stuff built by parents, and invite the whole community out to a community supper that is cooked in the school cafeteria by volunteers with donated food, drinks and paper products. Ask for homemade cakes and cookies for dessert, and your $3 charge for dinner will be all profit. If you have 100 people come you have made $300 dollars, enough to buy some books for the library or pay the bus expense and cover charge to take some classes on a field trip. Be creative, start small, keep it simple and fun and before you know it your community is closer together and the kids feel valued and proude that so many adults are working together for their school.

By BusyMom

October 12, 2006 04:37 PM | Link to this

The Sally Foster fundraisers really bother me. My kids come home from school all pumped up to sell “only 200 items to win the xbox”. It’s really heartbreaking to watch them realize how it really works.

Like the others, I don’t take the forms to work because everyone else is selling. Plus the scout fundraisers and band fundraisers come home at the same time.

The fundraisers are introduced to the the students during classroom time assemblies. It’s exasperating to learn how much instructional time has been utilized coaching the kids to sell trinkets, and yet, it works. Our PTA gets a lot of money from the gift wrap sale that goes to vital programs at our school. So I participate every year, trying to convince myself that the “gift wrap is nice and heavy” and that Aunt Donna really wants chocolate turtles for Christmas.

We tried the “opt in” program, but it’s not very successful. Like at other schools, the parents opt for nothing.

Kudos to the person who donates to underserved schools. You are an angel and don’t dismiss your gifts as small. If more people contributed money and time to these districts, we might see an improvement across the board in Georgia’s schools- more than any gift wrap sale could ever do.

Some of the affluent public schools in my area have endowment funds. When another PTA board member suggested we try one, I suggested that we fund one for one of the disadvantaged schools in our area, not our affluent school. She didn’t pursue it further- it wasn’t her problem, she thought.

Struggling schools affect us all!

By Janine

October 12, 2006 04:43 PM | Link to this

Fund RaisersRemember when at least one metro school system was being accused of providing more funding [resources, computers, etc.] for schools in the north of that county???? Well, there wasn’t really any extra funding …except through active parents doing fund raisers…not only the PTA, but the Booster clubs. They often provided new band uniforms, football, basketball,baseball uniforms, computers, library books, all kinds of things that the school system didn’t/couldn’t provide. Some coaches at these schools received a cruise or several thousand dollars as an end of season gift. Some teachers received $500 at the beginning of the year to spend on their classrooms…Probably still do. But the schools that were not so fortunate , well, you know the story.

By frank123

October 12, 2006 04:47 PM | Link to this

My kids bring it home, but we never buy. Over priced and we never use the stuff.

By MMM

October 12, 2006 04:53 PM | Link to this

Parentof2

My comments may have been overly harsh earlier—I know many people try very hard, but quite frankly, if you’ve ever read anything about marketing and expecially marketing through and to children you realize that some of these programs like Cambell’s soup lables, boxtops for education etc are highly useful in “Branding” children (which is every marketer’s holy Grail). Last week I asked my kids what cereal they wanted and they insisted that they wanted the brand with the boxtops for education rather than the identical store brand even though I pointed out it was $1.20 more. It seem that the class is going to get a party… Our compramise was to buy the store brand, but I specifically choose a bread that had the boxtop because I needed bread and it’s price wasn’t as exhorbantly out of line with the others. My children then commensed fighting on the way home over which child was going to get the boxtop.

All this for something with a face value of 10 cents! Excuse me, but these refugee families don’t eat these highly processed products. I know and sympathise with the parent that has organized this, but PLEASE!!!!

We would be better off spending our time down at the state legislature demanding that the funds for an “adequate education” actually are provided by our politicians.

My real problem is that all these activities distract from education and advocacy for responsible funding and responsible use of funds.

By Ernest

October 12, 2006 04:55 PM | Link to this

Janine, I know the county you are referring to. There is a concerted effort to ‘educate’ parents about the facts you are referencing however long standing perceptions are hard do overcome. What each person/family does with their own disposable income is their business. Unfortunately, some believe that should be legislated also, similar to love….

By MA

October 12, 2006 04:57 PM | Link to this

I work in an elementary school. Each year I tell the faculty members “I will buy something of whatever your child is selling if you will buy from me.” So I get boxes of Girl Scout cookies, band donuts, school wrapping paper, church cookie dough, etc. Then I send around a sighup sheet for whatever my son’s Daycare Center is selling. It all evens out in the end.

By KA

October 12, 2006 04:59 PM | Link to this

Janine, I cringe when I hear the term “less fortunate,” because most people think of fortune in economic terms only. IMHO being fortunate really is more a matter of a positive spirit and attitude, and hard word work by volunteers who come together as a community and make something good happen. Your fortunate school would give a better gift to the struggling school if you offered to help them organize their own PTA and get their own fundraising going. A hand up instead of a hand out.

By parentof2

October 12, 2006 05:25 PM | Link to this

mmm: I share your concern. I really do. I tried to get parents onto the opt out, send a donation thing and as I said, it didn’t work.

I tried spaghetti suppers—the cafeteria lady was reluctant and kind of mad about it and the parents didn’t come. I have found that after elementary school, parents are too busy to come to things after school if its not mandatory or involves a sport.

I have stood out in front of the school with signs, I have gone from car to car in the car rider line, I have sold tshirts, sweatshirts, and magnets, I send letters, witty emails, I speak at every parent gathering that comes along practically begging for money and tell them where every penny goes (or would go) and they smile and nod their heads and shake my hand and I never see them or hear from them again.

But I know what you are saying and I appreciate your concern. I just don’t know any other way.

I have met the concerns about donations by offering prizes to those kids as well. But that makes me queasy too since for some parents $10 is a huge donation and for some $500 is nothing. So who should get the prize?

And for the parents with concerns about fund raising assemblies, our county and many others have made that against the rules—no instructional time is given to that at all. Which of course, hurts sales. But makes sense.

I have actually thought many times this year that I would have been more successful and likely have worked fewer hours if I had gotten 40 hour a week job and just donated my salary. Then I could at least write it off my taxes!

By lovelyliz

October 12, 2006 05:30 PM | Link to this

Then there is my sister’s best friend whose daughter used to go to a particular private Christian school. This friend was not allowed to organize any events which she was extemely good at or to become a room mother because she wasn’t a stay at home Mom. The fact that she had a flexible work schedule didn’t matter.

Her daughter now goes to a secular private school she is very involved in the PTA.

She’s also on the fundraising committee, but hasn’t hit any of us up yet.

By susan

October 12, 2006 05:33 PM | Link to this

I wish that I taught in one of these schools that had parental support through the PTA. Our school has to use the teachers to bring the baked goods for the fall festival. We try every year to sell wrapping paper and cookie dough so that we can have some of the things for our students that the high income students have for our school and children. Out of 350 students, only 85 children sold the wrapping paper. Yet, those 85 children sold $7,000 worth of paper. Our school receives half of that. We use that money to take our children on field trips. Even then, we teachers scrounge up the money for the kids because the parents either won’t send any extra money to supplement the trip or they just don’t have it. Do we teachers have to do this? No, we don’t. But teaching in a low socioeconomic school can be dull enough sometimes without something exciting to look forward to for the children. So—any of you folks out there who would like to donate without having to buy anything, I’ll take your handouts. Believe it or not, the proud Governor of Education, Mr. Perdue, doesn’t give us much in the way of freebies.

By MMM

October 12, 2006 06:23 PM | Link to this

Parentor2

Thanks, our annual fund focuses on “participation”. I.E what percentage of the families give something, without reguard for how much.

The class that gets 100% participation first will get to do their own tie-dye t-shirts (I am contributing the skill, dye and shirts, and it will probably take some art class time) I’ll get a tax write-off for this since the school has non-profit status.

Last year there were several extremely poor families that gave what they could when asked—because they all love the school. In one particular case, a little boy came in proudly with his donation in a envelope, insisted on delivering it to the principal himself. It was 17 cents—-which was recieved by all in the serious spirit in which it was given. The principal still chokes up when he tells this story to others—-and you better believe that the support from grantmakers and private external donators is aided by this.

I suspect that certain kids are giving money to their friends to help the “class” win. I don’t really care.

I also suspect that in addition to misplaced priorities, some parents won’t give because they bear some grudge against the school or some individual that works there. That is why foundations consider “participation” a more telling sign of parental support for the school that any absolute number of $$ raised.

By parentof2

October 12, 2006 06:40 PM | Link to this

mmm: you’ve given me something to think about there. Tonight when I’m lying awake trying to think of how to do a better job at this, I’m going to think of it in that way for a little bit and see what I can come up with.

From my personal perspective, lots of participation would mean more than lots of money. Though the money is important. Its just that personally my greatest disappointment at a PTO President is my failure to rally my parents. I feel that my leadership is falling short. Successful fundraising is a sure sign of a successful PTO and so far, well, you know.

But my ultimate goal is to unify my school, get parents involved, show the kids we love them and care about their education, and all that warm fuzzy stuff we read all the time—and which I actually really, truly believe.

I think I was alarmed earlier today, reading the posts, by the idea that my parents do not just ignore me, they might actually dislike me and wish I would just go away!

But I feel a little better now—and ready to get up tomorrow and try again! Thanks for the input!

By MMM

October 12, 2006 06:59 PM | Link to this

Thanks and good luck—-we are far from perfect. Our PTA collasped and we are still trying to reinvent an INTERNATIONAL Parent Organization.

The refugees are very good at food and dancing—but parlimentary proceedure and budgets leave them feeling confused and unwanted. It is better to dispense with the “legal” requirements of a formal group and just promote giving directly to the school. However, in our case the Principal and Board (who have legal responsibility for hiring the principal and setting the budget) want all the things that any good PTA would want to fund—-so in a sense our Board actually is a full empowered parent and community organization with power and responsibilty that the most power hungry evil PTA pres could only dream of.

Good Luck!

By MMM

October 12, 2006 07:09 PM | Link to this

Also, we have a newsletter, cute picture of what is going on that goes to the families and friends with an envelope.

Another thing that several of our families did is tell their extended family that instead of Christmas gifts, they would like donations given to the school on their, or their child’s behalf. Even had a couple of kids decide to do that at birthday parties —but this was primarily the anti materalism political segment—-but I bet folks that hate wrapping paper might go for this (especially to tell the relative with the awful taste in presents!) To some extent the school’s non-profit status helps with this—I’m not sure your PTA can confer tax write-offs.

By Lee

October 13, 2006 08:23 AM | Link to this

Thankfully, my kids are almost grown (last one in high school) and the neices, nephews, and neighbor’s kids are grown as well. But, back in the day, it was almost comical as we were swapping money back and forth for what - a pile of overpriced junk. I guess my biggest pet peeve with these types of fundraisers is that the school only gets a fraction of the money raised. The rest goes to the company selling the stuff. That is the main reason I finally quit buying and began giving a cash donation.

There are many other ways to raise money without selling stuff. My wife’s elementary school has a “Fall Festival” which is run by parent/teacher volunteers and is similar to a carnival. They do very well with it. I also like to see the students working to earn the money such as with a car wash.

Of course, if anyone is selling Girl Scout cookies or Krispy Kreme donuts, sign me up for a couple of boxes….

By jim d

October 13, 2006 08:41 AM | Link to this

Lee,

Care to place your order for some Boy Scout Popcorn ?

By Lizzie

October 13, 2006 10:25 AM | Link to this

Almost 20 years ago a very forward thinking Georgia PTA President tried to get local PTAs to spend more time and effort lobbying the General Assembly to adequately fund education rather than sell gift wrap, t-shirts, hold bake sales (remember, I’m talking 20 years ago), etc. PTAs didn’t buy into this arguement then and from what everyone has said, they don’t now.

Unfortunately, I believe the decision makers now depend on local PTAs to make up the funding difference. I’ve been told PTAs have to provide (pay for) tutoring and extra services for children who need them for the school to make AYP if the school is not a Title I school. This seems like a “Catch-22” to me for those parents who don’t want their school to be in “Needs Improvement”.

By Hiding

October 13, 2006 11:46 AM | Link to this

The Georgia PTA has a “day at the legislature” each year. I’ve been to it. 2-300 folks dressed in red, lunch with legislatures and a Picture with the Governor. The ongoing presence, however, is very small. As far as how effective they are—well, you need to understand that their “Policies” are formed at the national level by trying to create a consensus between the desires of teachers, adminstration and the desires of parents, and the desire to maintain the institution of “Public Education”.

This results in positions that can be summed up as “maintain the current power structure” but give it more money. Many years of sucking up to the Democrats (because they were the power structure) has meant that the Republicans view them a shrills for the Democratic Party positions, so now their lobbyests get lots of nice photo ops (Every Politician is for improving Public Education)—but the Republicans don’t really listen since they are not percieved as being in their “base”. The growing strength of PTO’s rather than PTA’s is a part of this phenonena. Many of the “red” exurbs look at the national positions and are actively opposed to allowing that organization to claim to speak for them.

By sue

October 13, 2006 12:17 PM | Link to this

Hey Jim D,

I ran into some boy scouts selling overpriced popcorn outside of Kroger. I told them that I would buy their popcorn if they could pass a test. I made them recite the boy scout Oath, Slogan, and Law. Then I made them tell me all the ranks between tenderfoot and eagle and name 5 eagle required merit badges.

They did pretty good, so I bought $2 worth of popcorn for $10.

By jim d

October 13, 2006 12:22 PM | Link to this

Sorry Sue,

But odds are you bought from Scouts from the Atlanta Area Council.

By Lizzie

October 13, 2006 12:38 PM | Link to this

Hiding,

What would happen if all the parents who are fed up with selling giftwrap, cookie dough and whatever else contacted their individual legislators and demanded adequate funding for education? I don’t need to know what the National PTA’s position is on education funding for me to express my opinion to those I elect to represent me.

By Ernest

October 13, 2006 12:39 PM | Link to this

Lee, is there another Krispy Kreme store in the metro area other than the one on Ponce? I still get mesmerized by the ‘Hot Doughnuts’ neon sign flashing in the window. There is NOTHING like a hot glazed doughnut, fresh from the back. Sign me up for a box also.

By Lizzie

October 13, 2006 12:42 PM | Link to this

Ernest, There used to be a Krispy Kreme on US 78 near Snellville - don’t know if it is there any more

By Hiding

October 13, 2006 12:53 PM | Link to this

Lizzie—you hit the nail on the head!

Now would be an excellent time to do that—-since the Govenor’s office is currently trying to settle a lawsuit on whether what the legislator is doing is “adequate” as required by the state constitution.

Better yet—-write a letter to the judge hearing the lawsuit stating specifically what your teachers lack that makes the experience inadequate for your child and “copy” your elected legislator.

Patti—-I believe there was an article in the AJC in the last few days about settlement discussions. Could we have a Blog and link to that?

By jim d

October 13, 2006 01:23 PM | Link to this

“what your teachers lack that makes the experience inadequate for your child”

LOL, we really don’t want to go there again do we?

By Hiding

October 13, 2006 01:55 PM | Link to this

jim d

You are right, that phrase opens it up much wider and will lead us down some “been there, discussed that” rabbit holes of teacher quality etc.

I should have restated—-what kinds of material supplies and services are necessary for an “adequate” education that are not available at your school unless privately funded by either parents or teachers buying themselves? What subjects and assistance (nurses, arts programs) are needed to be adequate?