Can we get MCPS to allow fundraising for staff positions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Sure, they have choices. Everyone has choices. We can all choose to homeschool. But now let's get back to reality and admit that the choices presented SUCK. And you're refusing to allow an alternative that would not suck.

Why would sending your child to a Title 1 or focus school SUCK?

Would anybody like to answer this question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it depressing that people would rather have things be "equal" and poor quality than allow some schools to improve their quality of education.

I find it depressing that the affluent of our generation think it is a-ok to buy their way out of societal problems.

I"m pretty sure this is what heli-pads are all about. And private aviation. Living on the 55th floor with a doorman. Having a driver -- for your kids. etc etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+1. Let's do what we can to attract high-income people to MCPS. It's a win-win for all. Let's allow parents to donate to aides in the classroom.

Attracting high-income people to MCPS is a win-win for all. In contrast, letting high-income people buy themselves better public schools is a win for high-income people. It's not a win for everybody else, though.

Actually, in my matching funds idea, it was a "win" for everyone, but you still rejected it, because it was MORE of a win for the people doing the donating.
I guess you think it's a win for everyone when the reputation of MCPS schools continues to decline and more high-SES families move either into DC and go private (or JKLMM for early years) or move elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Should we prohibit the Bethesda school from having a reading group in K for kids who are reading at fourth grade level? Because there might not be a group like that at every school, so it's unfair? So those kids should just not be allowed to be in a group like that?

How is this analogous to rich parents buying themselves an extra teacher in their public school?

The schools have to be equal, right? I mean, you shouldn't get a more advanced reading group just because you go to school in Bethesda! No fair!

Kids need the reading groups that are appropriate for the particular kids. Is there some reason why kids in wealthy schools would need smaller class sizes than kids in less wealthy schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Sure, they have choices. Everyone has choices. We can all choose to homeschool. But now let's get back to reality and admit that the choices presented SUCK. And you're refusing to allow an alternative that would not suck.

Why would sending your child to a Title 1 or focus school SUCK?

Would anybody like to answer this question?

Already did. Try reading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+1. Let's do what we can to attract high-income people to MCPS. It's a win-win for all. Let's allow parents to donate to aides in the classroom.

Attracting high-income people to MCPS is a win-win for all. In contrast, letting high-income people buy themselves better public schools is a win for high-income people. It's not a win for everybody else, though.

Actually, in my matching funds idea, it was a "win" for everyone, but you still rejected it, because it was MORE of a win for the people doing the donating.
I guess you think it's a win for everyone when the reputation of MCPS schools continues to decline and more high-SES families move either into DC and go private (or JKLMM for early years) or move elsewhere.

I will worry about this when I see data that show that it's actually occurring in meaningful numbers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Sure, they have choices. Everyone has choices. We can all choose to homeschool. But now let's get back to reality and admit that the choices presented SUCK. And you're refusing to allow an alternative that would not suck.

Why would sending your child to a Title 1 or focus school SUCK?

Would anybody like to answer this question?

Already did. Try reading.

Where? What was the answer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it depressing that people would rather have things be "equal" and poor quality than allow some schools to improve their quality of education.

I find it depressing that the affluent of our generation think it is a-ok to buy their way out of societal problems.

The affluent of every generation think it is a-ok to buy their way out of societal problems. Otherwise what's the use of being affluent?

Public school is a social good, intended to benefit us all. The point of a county-based system is to distribute the resources county-wide, regardless of the means of the individual family that lives in the county.

Buying extra teachers for school populated by affluent families ("only $2,000 per family!") is contradictory to this stated purpose of our public school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You can find it funny if you want, but at least in the DCPS classrooms in the JKLMM's, they don't have 27 kindergarteners and one teacher in a classroom. You're kidding yourself if you think we have it better. Now, is there a vast imbalance in the schools from NW to NE in DC? Yes. Of course there is. But there's a vast imbalance in the schools in Potomac versus Eastern Moco too. This rule isn't preventing that. All it's doing is making sure the classrooms in the "popular" schools are overcrowded. Way to go.

"Popular" schools? Most students in MCPS do not go to schools in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, or Potomac. They are not the popular schools; they are the schools in places where you can't live unless you're affluent.

Use whatever term you want. You know what I mean -- the schools where they fill the classes right up to the cap limit. Some schools that doesn't happen because they don't have the same population.

This does not happen only in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac.

NO ONE SAID IT DOES. No one's arguing that only B, CC ,and Potomac should be allowed to do this.

People are, however, saying that kindergarten class sizes in the schools in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac -- or, if you want, the affluent areas in general -- are uniquely large. They're not. There are schools in much less affluent areas that have the same kindergarten class sizes.

OMG. No. That is not what people are saying. People are saying "I live in Bethesda, and my K classes are too large, why am I not allowed to do anything about that when I am willing to do something about that?" I am sure there are schools in less affluent areas that also have large K classes (though not in the TItle 1 and Focus schools). I am ALL FOR letting anyone in any area fundraise for aides/teachers. Not as the ideal or best solution. The ideal or best solution is lowering class sizes for everyone, across the board, without having it be done by parent donations. But that ain't happening.

Oh yes, that solves it. Because the families of children at Weller Road Elementary and Broad Acres Elementary will easily fork over $2,000 each to buy additional teachers. Right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OMG. No. That is not what people are saying. People are saying "I live in Bethesda, and my K classes are too large, why am I not allowed to do anything about that when I am willing to do something about that?" I am sure there are schools in less affluent areas that also have large K classes (though not in the TItle 1 and Focus schools). I am ALL FOR letting anyone in any area fundraise for aides/teachers. Not as the ideal or best solution. The ideal or best solution is lowering class sizes for everyone, across the board, without having it be done by parent donations. But that ain't happening.

La majestueuse égalité des lois, qui interdit au riche comme au pauvre de coucher sous les ponts, de mendier dans les rues et de voler du pain.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Should we prohibit the Bethesda school from having a reading group in K for kids who are reading at fourth grade level? Because there might not be a group like that at every school, so it's unfair? So those kids should just not be allowed to be in a group like that?

How is this analogous to rich parents buying themselves an extra teacher in their public school?

The schools have to be equal, right? I mean, you shouldn't get a more advanced reading group just because you go to school in Bethesda! No fair!

Kids need the reading groups that are appropriate for the particular kids. Is there some reason why kids in wealthy schools would need smaller class sizes than kids in less wealthy schools?

No one's asking the school system to pay for smaller class sizes. ALL KIDS NEED SMALLER CLASS SIZES. Jesus. You really would not let one kid eat because another is starving when there's only enough to feed one. Better they both starve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OMG. No. That is not what people are saying. People are saying "I live in Bethesda, and my K classes are too large, why am I not allowed to do anything about that when I am willing to do something about that?" I am sure there are schools in less affluent areas that also have large K classes (though not in the TItle 1 and Focus schools). I am ALL FOR letting anyone in any area fundraise for aides/teachers. Not as the ideal or best solution. The ideal or best solution is lowering class sizes for everyone, across the board, without having it be done by parent donations. But that ain't happening.

La majestueuse égalité des lois, qui interdit au riche comme au pauvre de coucher sous les ponts, de mendier dans les rues et de voler du pain.

+1

Aw, you guys are cute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's just split the county. The eastern schools can have their tax base and staff, fund, and educate their students as they see fit. The western schools can do the same. As an added benefit during the winter eastern schools would not be impacted by western school road and the need to close for no snow.

I can understand why some people who live in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac might prefer to live in their own separate county rather than in Montgomery County. But politically the chance of this happening is 0.000%.

Why?! It's not good to have a school district run on a county-wide level. I grew up in the Midwest where our town ran the schools and it was easy to have input on the schools.

Let's do this -- either lobby to split up MCPS between East and West, or lobby to allow parents to be able to contribute to the funding of aides in the classroom. Why do we just accept the status quo? Let's do this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+1. Let's do what we can to attract high-income people to MCPS. It's a win-win for all. Let's allow parents to donate to aides in the classroom.

Attracting high-income people to MCPS is a win-win for all. In contrast, letting high-income people buy themselves better public schools is a win for high-income people. It's not a win for everybody else, though.

Actually, in my matching funds idea, it was a "win" for everyone, but you still rejected it, because it was MORE of a win for the people doing the donating.
I guess you think it's a win for everyone when the reputation of MCPS schools continues to decline and more high-SES families move either into DC and go private (or JKLMM for early years) or move elsewhere.

I will worry about this when I see data that show that it's actually occurring in meaningful numbers.

That sounds about right. Ignore the obvious, wait for it to happen, and then deal with it. I see how we got where we are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's just split the county. The eastern schools can have their tax base and staff, fund, and educate their students as they see fit. The western schools can do the same. As an added benefit during the winter eastern schools would not be impacted by western school road and the need to close for no snow.

I can understand why some people who live in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac might prefer to live in their own separate county rather than in Montgomery County. But politically the chance of this happening is 0.000%.

Why?! It's not good to have a school district run on a county-wide level. I grew up in the Midwest where our town ran the schools and it was easy to have input on the schools.

Let's do this -- either lobby to split up MCPS between East and West, or lobby to allow parents to be able to contribute to the funding of aides in the classroom. Why do we just accept the status quo? Let's do this!

It will never happen, because people like their entrenched politics. But I'd totally work on it with you.