Boosterthon - why is this company allowed in our schools???

[Anonymous]

Even my elementary school CHILD has said she thinks it's weird that this company sends people to spend all week in their school and they keep interrupting classes to come in and talk about signing up for the website. My kids have come home every day saying "you need to sign us up for this so we can win prizes". We are in a very diverse school - probably half of the kids in our school won't be able to participate, it's awful to put pressure on those kids. I feel so icky having donated now that I've done the research and discovered the company takes a 48% cut. PTAs need to stop supporting this BS. Every parent I've talked to about this has said they'd much rather cut a check and just buy the swag.

[Anonymous]

Because some PTA's don't enough volunteers and need money and people aren't cutting checks.

[Anonymous]

How common is this? I've never heard of it.

ES Teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How common is this? I've never heard of it.

ES Teacher

Like PP said, it’s a sign of a disorganized or underfunded PTA. No PTA that can rely on a once a year request for donations sent in a take home folder will go that route, but not ever school has parents who will happy write checks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How common is this? I've never heard of it.

ES Teacher

Like PP said, it’s a sign of a disorganized or underfunded PTA. No PTA that can rely on a once a year request for donations sent in a take home folder will go that route, but not ever school has parents who will happy write checks

OP here - our school raised a lot of money in the fall from a direct donation fundraiser.

[Anonymous]

I would absolutely complain about this! Name the school and PTA here and perhaps you can shame them into dropping this awful program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How common is this? I've never heard of it.

ES Teacher

Like PP said, it’s a sign of a disorganized or underfunded PTA. No PTA that can rely on a once a year request for donations sent in a take home folder will go that route, but not ever school has parents who will happy write checks

OP here - our school raised a lot of money in the fall from a direct donation fundraiser.

The why on earth are you inviting a company designed to juice donations (and take a usurious cut) to interrupt school?

[Anonymous]

Designer anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Designer anything.

Whoops, wrong thread. Was trying to respond to the thread about things people spend money on that you don’t, but I guess boosterthon is a good answer for that as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How common is this? I've never heard of it.

ES Teacher

Like PP said, it’s a sign of a disorganized or underfunded PTA. No PTA that can rely on a once a year request for donations sent in a take home folder will go that route, but not ever school has parents who will happy write checks

OP here - our school raised a lot of money in the fall from a direct donation fundraiser.

The why on earth are you inviting a company designed to juice donations (and take a usurious cut) to interrupt school?

I don't know, I don't organize these things!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Designer anything.

Whoops, wrong thread. Was trying to respond to the thread about things people spend money on that you don’t, but I guess boosterthon is a good answer for that as well.

LOL!

[Anonymous]

Schools/PTAs have to pay a $2,000 fee just to participate in Booster. $2,000 upfront. What a waste of everyone’s $$$! Schools should not be allowed to spend this money. Huge equity issues for families to participate.

[Anonymous]

A few years ago, this was floated at our school. Our principal came right out and said she would not sign off on it. Said it wasted too much instructional time and did not want to see a fundraiser where half of the funds our families raised go to Boosterthon. I agreed 100%.

Parents who are opposed need to band together and shut it down.

[Anonymous]

This has been a controversy for at least a decade. At one point I thought it had been banned from FCPS but it seems only some regions and/or pyramids or individual schools banned it.

[Anonymous]

I’m not FCPS but I saw the headline and here I am…

You’ve hit the nail on the head about what I dislike about Boosterthon: the focus on prizes-prizes-prizes (when giving and generosity should be their own reward), and the equity issues. I strongly dislike the ties between being generous and helpful and having good character, and drumming up donations. It’s so unrealistic for families in need.

What I do like about Boosterthon is not evident until the day of the fun run itself (if that’s what your school is doing). That day is a well-oiled machine. They have a nice running course set up, and the music and the people calling out and making announcements are DJ-level professionals who make the day itself really fun.

Luckily, our school had Boosterthon in the fall of 2019, so every kid had a new Chromebook for the 2020/2021 mess. This past year, we raised enough for a new digital sign outside of the school, and some more computers for the library.

I’d speak up at your next PTA meeting to see if your PTA can’t talk to the Boosterthon people about making it more equitable and less prize-driven. I really don’t get the during-class visits, either.