Choir Teacher at a W school takes advantage

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this Whitman? At the All-County Chorus, they always look sharp. The boys wear tails! If you want a less expensive choral outfit, come join us at Einstein! My impression is that each MCPS school sets choral attire expectations in line with the local community. None of the MCPS schools wear robes, by the way. Most of the young women wear black dresses. I do seem to remember the Whitman girls wearing (fake) pearls. If you want to see the various MCPS choral outfits, you really need to visit the All-County Chorus. At least no one needs to buy a new outfit for that.

PS - I think the Einstein black dress was about $70 a few years ago, if I am remembering correctly. The hemline was basic, not expensive for tailoring.

[Anonymous]

Wow - this would not be allowed in FCPS. What about the kids who can't afford that? Or do you not have poor kids in Bethesda?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow - this would not be allowed in FCPS. What about the kids who can't afford that? Or do you not have poor kids in Bethesda?

This is the richest school in the area. I'd hope the PTA helps with those who cannot afford it.

[Anonymous]

At Blair, I think you only paid for dry cleaning, unless you damaged it or failed to return it. However, I might be thinking of dance outfits and not choir.

[Anonymous]

What’s wrong with having robes?? This seems absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow - this would not be allowed in FCPS. What about the kids who can't afford that? Or do you not have poor kids in Bethesda?

This is the richest school in the area. I'd hope the PTA helps with those who cannot afford it.

A lot of families fall in between. If your family is living off of say $90k a year in Bethesda, you don’t qualify for anything but also have no spare money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re right but holy cow how are you paying 100 dollars to hem?

The dress is a formal dress with multiple layers on the bottom. Hence, the high price to hem?

Still more than customary.

[Anonymous]

My school's band leader is making a fuss about concert outfits too -- not as bad as this, but requiring video inspections of kids'd outfits ahead of the concern. I am not happy --- this is for beginning band where the kids don't even know how to play instruments yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow - this would not be allowed in FCPS. What about the kids who can't afford that? Or do you not have poor kids in Bethesda?

This is the richest school in the area. I'd hope the PTA helps with those who cannot afford it.

2nd richest school in the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My school's band leader is making a fuss about concert outfits too -- not as bad as this, but requiring video inspections of kids'd outfits ahead of the concern. I am not happy --- this is for beginning band where the kids don't even know how to play instruments yet.

We've seen kids in all kids of wild outfits. But, the band directors should also ask parents for donations of outgrown clothing. We'd be happy to donate. Not everyone can afford it but common is a white top/black bottom or all black outfit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow - this would not be allowed in FCPS. What about the kids who can't afford that? Or do you not have poor kids in Bethesda?

This is the richest school in the area. I'd hope the PTA helps with those who cannot afford it.

A lot of families fall in between. If your family is living off of say $90k a year in Bethesda, you don’t qualify for anything but also have no spare money.

Very few families making $90K or less except those in subsidized housing. PTA should be purchasing it for those families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My school's band leader is making a fuss about concert outfits too -- not as bad as this, but requiring video inspections of kids'd outfits ahead of the concern. I am not happy --- this is for beginning band where the kids don't even know how to play instruments yet.

Wow. My kid is a serious musician and plays in a very good audition-based area orchestra, and I've never heard of anything like this. The orchestra has a dress code for what the musicians should wear, and everyone is expected to comply, but there are no specific uniforms or storefronts you must order from. In fact I recently bought my daughter a long black dress from Amazon of all places that fits her perfectly, and it worked really well for a recent concert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow - this would not be allowed in FCPS. What about the kids who can't afford that? Or do you not have poor kids in Bethesda?

This is the richest school in the area. I'd hope the PTA helps with those who cannot afford it.

A lot of families fall in between. If your family is living off of say $90k a year in Bethesda, you don’t qualify for anything but also have no spare money.

Very few families making $90K or less except those in subsidized housing. PTA should be purchasing it for those families.

If the school is Whitman, they even have a scholarship fund for kids who can't afford private voice lessons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow - this would not be allowed in FCPS. What about the kids who can't afford that? Or do you not have poor kids in Bethesda?

This is the richest school in the area. I'd hope the PTA helps with those who cannot afford it.

A lot of families fall in between. If your family is living off of say $90k a year in Bethesda, you don’t qualify for anything but also have no spare money.

Very few families making $90K or less except those in subsidized housing. PTA should be purchasing it for those families.

Are you kidding me? We make 80K a year and live in a small house we bought in Bethesda. There is absolutely no way the PTA, of which I am part of, is paying for my kids' dress clothes. I would not want them to. I *can* pay, but for my budget, all this outlay is a little unbalanced compared to my other expenses, and it's not sensitive of the choir teacher of a public school to do this to families. She should be aware that true middle class families like mine just want the most basic costume.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow - this would not be allowed in FCPS. What about the kids who can't afford that? Or do you not have poor kids in Bethesda?

This is the richest school in the area. I'd hope the PTA helps with those who cannot afford it.

A lot of families fall in between. If your family is living off of say $90k a year in Bethesda, you don’t qualify for anything but also have no spare money.

Very few families making $90K or less except those in subsidized housing. PTA should be purchasing it for those families.

Please bow your head in shame and retreat into the corner.