Janney PTA Guerrilla Tactics!!!

[Anonymous]

One way to ensure that more parents contribute is to provide them with better seats at school performances, preferred time slots for conferences, etc. Like any organization, you need to take care of your donors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just looked it up.

DCPS gives Janney, everything included, $10k per kid.

It gives CW Harris $19k per kid. And $15-18k per kid to a ton other of the "lowest-performing" schools.

Crazy world.

That seems right to me.

Actually, it's not. "Pay" or spend in this case needs to be linked to performance. Rather than year after year giving more money to the lowest performing schools, how about figuring out why they are low performing. Maybe the principal is a DCPS lifer who rides a desk and just punches a clock. Maybe it's the school culture. Maybe more school security officers are needed.

For the love, please think carefully before you advocate for MORE policing of poor black and brown kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just looked it up.

DCPS gives Janney, everything included, $10k per kid.

It gives CW Harris $19k per kid. And $15-18k per kid to a ton other of the "lowest-performing" schools.

Crazy world.

That seems right to me.

Actually, it's not. "Pay" or spend in this case needs to be linked to performance. Rather than year after year giving more money to the lowest performing schools, how about figuring out why they are low performing. Maybe the principal is a DCPS lifer who rides a desk and just punches a clock. Maybe it's the school culture. Maybe more school security officers are needed.

Exactly!!!!

Schools that do a good job educating should get more resources.

Schools that don't should be turned around and, if not fixed, closed. Rewarding failure is idiotic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just looked it up.

DCPS gives Janney, everything included, $10k per kid.

It gives CW Harris $19k per kid. And $15-18k per kid to a ton other of the "lowest-performing" schools.

Crazy world.

That seems right to me.

Actually, it's not. "Pay" or spend in this case needs to be linked to performance. Rather than year after year giving more money to the lowest performing schools, how about figuring out why they are low performing. Maybe the principal is a DCPS lifer who rides a desk and just punches a clock. Maybe it's the school culture. Maybe more school security officers are needed.

Exactly!!!!

Schools that do a good job educating should get more resources.

Schools that don't should be turned around and, if not fixed, closed. Rewarding failure is idiotic.

As noted before you guys that funding is actually tied to kids and not schools. So you don’t get more money for failing, but you do get more money if you have homeless or tanf kids or sped kids, but you’re required to use that money for supplemental services for them. Ditto SPED money which of course has to be spent to meet IEPs. Theoretically that should work hand in hand with school choice so money leaves with kids if they choose to go elsewhere.

What you’re describing in terms of closing schools for low performance is the charter school system, although in practice closing schools is really messy and I’m not sure they do it as much as intended in the original theory. It doesn’t always work in lockstep with parental choice pressures for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On principle, I refuse to donate to my child’s school. Although I can afford it.

Do you allow your child/children to participate in PTA-supported events at the school? If so, you are a free-loader.

Agree. People who pick a well-supported school and then refuse to help support the school are the lowest of the low.

No, they are DC residents who have a right to send their kids to public school.

As others have mentioned, it’s an arms race, and nothing will ever be enough for some parents. We are at another JKLM, and it’s the same way there (although with less obnoxious tactics); the things wealthy parents believe their kids are entitled to—and that they should be able to buy via PTA fundraising—is mind-blowing.

FWIW, we always contribute the full requested amount at our school. But I don’t question for a moment the parents who choose not to or simply can’t. Their children have a right to be at the school and to take advantage of whatever programs and resources the school has decided to offer. It’s pernicious to impose additional commitments of time or money because a subset of wealthy parents demand it.

Totally agree!

[Anonymous]

I work at a school where the PTA pays for partner teachers, staff perks, specials teachers & I hate it. It makes parents feel like the own the school- because they do.
FWIW I return every gift card they hand out. As a gov employee I cannot accept gifts valued over $20. You can’t buy me for a damned gift card.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On principle, I refuse to donate to my child’s school. Although I can afford it.

Do you allow your child/children to participate in PTA-supported events at the school? If so, you are a free-loader.

Agree. People who pick a well-supported school and then refuse to help support the school are the lowest of the low.

You must live a charmed life if that’s your definition of the lowest of the low. I mean, I’m watching the news and can think of 5 things lower immediately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just looked it up.

DCPS gives Janney, everything included, $10k per kid.

It gives CW Harris $19k per kid. And $15-18k per kid to a ton other of the "lowest-performing" schools.

Crazy world.

That seems right to me.

Actually, it's not. "Pay" or spend in this case needs to be linked to performance. Rather than year after year giving more money to the lowest performing schools, how about figuring out why they are low performing. Maybe the principal is a DCPS lifer who rides a desk and just punches a clock. Maybe it's the school culture. Maybe more school security officers are needed.

Exactly!!!!

Schools that do a good job educating should get more resources.

Schools that don't should be turned around and, if not fixed, closed. Rewarding failure is idiotic.

A school that is all high poverty is never going to do well. Unless you plan to fix al the crappybparents, violent and transient homes and hinfwr, those kids are doomed to fail. School cannot fix problems that big. Those kids would be better off in boarding schools to give them some stability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On principle, I refuse to donate to my child’s school. Although I can afford it.

For a little perspective, I have kids at Wilson (formerly Deal and Janney) and after the last P/T conference round, my children's teachers talked about the lack of financial support offered by DCPS and the PTSO for supplies, equipment, desks, toilet paper, etc. Many of these teachers bring in their own supplies paid for out of pocket. They do not even bother to ask for reimbursement because they know they will not get it. Others have lowered their standards for how interesting they can make their classes because they feel like on principle, they shouldn't be donating to a school when parents won't. (Don't get me wrong - these teachers work hard and my kids are college bound and college ready - but supplies and experiences make education better).

Wilson's PTSO just sent a note saying that they have 10% participation from families. They have no funds to give because they are not getting donations. DCPS doesn't sufficiently fund essentials in any school. With these attitudes, no wonder our schools aren't living up to expectations. I wish someone would continue the strong-armed messages to parents at the older years that they are getting in the elementary schools. Education costs money. Period.

As a Wilson parent, agree it’s a big problem. But I also think that people don’t give because they have no reason to believe that the money will actually get spent where it needs to. Take the crew at Lafayette. Our HSA was so shady on accountability that we ended up having a treasurer steal a ton of money from us. Makes us not want to give anything.

[Anonymous]

People that blame emails for not giving, or blame prior mismanagement, or blame anyone else but their own inner miser are looking for a reason to not give.


PTO’s that have non-profit status ( and others that don’t, but partner with the schools status) many times apply for matching grants that award organizations for participation percentage.

When my kid’s pto’s ask, I always give something. Even if the amount is small. It’s not a big deal since my kids benefit from the hard work other parents put in.

After working at a Title I school a few years ago, the realities faced by these organizations are incredibly diverse. They cannot be surmised with alist of acronyms or even characterized accurately with generalizations about poor families (most of whom are working families). These Families are toting your groceries and driving your Uber’s and charging your scooters and sweeping your sidewalks and cleaning your houses emptying your public bins filled with half bagged dog poop and mowing your lawns and wiping your aging parents asses... most are not on drugs but struggle financially to make ends meet nevertheless.

If you don’t want to even spare ten dollars at your decent WTOP elementary school solely to avoid receiving emails or being badgered, then continue the masochistic act of complaining about being asked to help your local public school that your child also attends.... for free

... quick before I depart how much was your tuition bill last month... oh yeah, zero.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People that blame emails for not giving, or blame prior mismanagement, or blame anyone else but their own inner miser are looking for a reason to not give.


PTO’s that have non-profit status ( and others that don’t, but partner with the schools status) many times apply for matching grants that award organizations for participation percentage.

When my kid’s pto’s ask, I always give something. Even if the amount is small. It’s not a big deal since my kids benefit from the hard work other parents put in.

After working at a Title I school a few years ago, the realities faced by these organizations are incredibly diverse. They cannot be surmised with alist of acronyms or even characterized accurately with generalizations about poor families (most of whom are working families). These Families are toting your groceries and driving your Uber’s and charging your scooters and sweeping your sidewalks and cleaning your houses emptying your public bins filled with half bagged dog poop and mowing your lawns and wiping your aging parents asses... most are not on drugs but struggle financially to make ends meet nevertheless.

If you don’t want to even spare ten dollars at your decent WTOP elementary school solely to avoid receiving emails or being badgered, then continue the masochistic act of complaining about being asked to help your local public school that your child also attends.... for free

... quick before I depart how much was your tuition bill last month... oh yeah, zero.

You realize that the money funding schools comes from our taxes, right? So it’s not free, and my tuition bill is whatever portion of my taxes goes to funding schools. To me my taxes are enough, I’m not giving more money.

[Anonymous]

Your taxes pay for about 100,000 different line items across hundreds of initiatives and agencies, Miser Scrooge.

Your .02 cents that winds up at Janney is not enough.

[Anonymous]

Just call it what it is OP. You’re an attention seeker. People like you do things like this. Complain on listervs, claim that you’ve been victimized or shamed. Yep. It’s not about the email, truly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your taxes pay for about 100,000 different line items across hundreds of initiatives and agencies, Miser Scrooge.

Your .02 cents that winds up at Janney is not enough.

My taxes are plenty. If you want to pay more and it benefits my child, great, thank you. But that’s your choice. You can’t force me to make the same choice.

[Anonymous]

No one is forcing you, we are just calling you out on your miserly ways.

Free county to be a miser darling. Just surprising that you want be be a miser without being called one. Don’t grab all your pearls at once Honey, you might choke on your own hot air.