How to push for math enrichment at school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We enrolled DS in AoPS and then RSM. He has loved the math competition class and continues in it as an 8th grader. Great program for him.

The school is not going to be able to do much. The kids who are ahead might get extra worksheets on computer assignments but it is not going to be anything meaningful. It gets better in MS but isn't challenging. I will say that Geometry in 8th grade is the first time DS has said math at school is engaging. He has studies a lot of geometry through the math competition class but they don't focus on formal proofs and the like, so that has been new to him. It hasn't been hard but the more formal learning has at least been newish. He covered pretty much all of Algebra in his math competition class, the school class formalized the learning and provided some structure but not much new material. It wasn't hard for him.

We did not do geometry in the summer, DS had camps he wanted to do and friends to hang out with. We didn't see the point of massively accelerating. He does math competitions for additional challenge and fun, the AMCs, IMC, Math Kangaroo, Purple Comet and the like. He participates in Mathcounts.

The school is able to do plenty. If it can choose to pay for an athletics coach to coach a select group of students, it can pay for a math teacher to coach a select group of students.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you all. To answer some questions, they are 8yo and in 3rd grade AAP. The school actually reached out to us yesterday and the plan is to do some assessment first. Depending on how it goes, they can start taking math with 4th or 5th grade AAP class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We enrolled DS in AoPS and then RSM. He has loved the math competition class and continues in it as an 8th grader. Great program for him.

The school is not going to be able to do much. The kids who are ahead might get extra worksheets on computer assignments but it is not going to be anything meaningful. It gets better in MS but isn't challenging. I will say that Geometry in 8th grade is the first time DS has said math at school is engaging. He has studies a lot of geometry through the math competition class but they don't focus on formal proofs and the like, so that has been new to him. It hasn't been hard but the more formal learning has at least been newish. He covered pretty much all of Algebra in his math competition class, the school class formalized the learning and provided some structure but not much new material. It wasn't hard for him.

We did not do geometry in the summer, DS had camps he wanted to do and friends to hang out with. We didn't see the point of massively accelerating. He does math competitions for additional challenge and fun, the AMCs, IMC, Math Kangaroo, Purple Comet and the like. He participates in Mathcounts.

The school is able to do plenty. If it can choose to pay for an athletics coach to coach a select group of students, it can pay for a math teacher to coach a select group of students.

The Math Coaches for clubs are parent volunteers, that is why some ES, MS, and HS have clubs and others don’t. It is based on parent willingness to Coach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We enrolled DS in AoPS and then RSM. He has loved the math competition class and continues in it as an 8th grader. Great program for him.

The school is not going to be able to do much. The kids who are ahead might get extra worksheets on computer assignments but it is not going to be anything meaningful. It gets better in MS but isn't challenging. I will say that Geometry in 8th grade is the first time DS has said math at school is engaging. He has studies a lot of geometry through the math competition class but they don't focus on formal proofs and the like, so that has been new to him. It hasn't been hard but the more formal learning has at least been newish. He covered pretty much all of Algebra in his math competition class, the school class formalized the learning and provided some structure but not much new material. It wasn't hard for him.

We did not do geometry in the summer, DS had camps he wanted to do and friends to hang out with. We didn't see the point of massively accelerating. He does math competitions for additional challenge and fun, the AMCs, IMC, Math Kangaroo, Purple Comet and the like. He participates in Mathcounts.

The school is able to do plenty. If it can choose to pay for an athletics coach to coach a select group of students, it can pay for a math teacher to coach a select group of students.

A soccer coach makes a couple thousand dollars in stipend. A “cheap” math teacher costs well over $100k in benefits and salary.

I am the first to say we have too many sports and not enough academics, but they aren’t the same.

The equivalent would be a math competition club after school, which does exist on many campuses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all. To answer some questions, they are 8yo and in 3rd grade AAP. The school actually reached out to us yesterday and the plan is to do some assessment first. Depending on how it goes, they can start taking math with 4th or 5th grade AAP class.

Sounds like they made the right call.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We enrolled DS in AoPS and then RSM. He has loved the math competition class and continues in it as an 8th grader. Great program for him.

The school is not going to be able to do much. The kids who are ahead might get extra worksheets on computer assignments but it is not going to be anything meaningful. It gets better in MS but isn't challenging. I will say that Geometry in 8th grade is the first time DS has said math at school is engaging. He has studies a lot of geometry through the math competition class but they don't focus on formal proofs and the like, so that has been new to him. It hasn't been hard but the more formal learning has at least been newish. He covered pretty much all of Algebra in his math competition class, the school class formalized the learning and provided some structure but not much new material. It wasn't hard for him.

We did not do geometry in the summer, DS had camps he wanted to do and friends to hang out with. We didn't see the point of massively accelerating. He does math competitions for additional challenge and fun, the AMCs, IMC, Math Kangaroo, Purple Comet and the like. He participates in Mathcounts.

The school is able to do plenty. If it can choose to pay for an athletics coach to coach a select group of students, it can pay for a math teacher to coach a select group of students.

The Math Coaches for clubs are parent volunteers, that is why some ES, MS, and HS have clubs and others don’t. It is based on parent willingness to Coach.

Interesting. I've taught at 3 fcps middle schools. 2 had teacher run math competition clubs, the third didn't have a club at all. I've never taught anywhere with parent run clubs. At my current high school, it would be student led and they'd need a faculty advisor--no way a parent run club is getting approved.

It's always fascinating how drastically different the experiences at various FCPS schools can be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We enrolled DS in AoPS and then RSM. He has loved the math competition class and continues in it as an 8th grader. Great program for him.

The school is not going to be able to do much. The kids who are ahead might get extra worksheets on computer assignments but it is not going to be anything meaningful. It gets better in MS but isn't challenging. I will say that Geometry in 8th grade is the first time DS has said math at school is engaging. He has studies a lot of geometry through the math competition class but they don't focus on formal proofs and the like, so that has been new to him. It hasn't been hard but the more formal learning has at least been newish. He covered pretty much all of Algebra in his math competition class, the school class formalized the learning and provided some structure but not much new material. It wasn't hard for him.

We did not do geometry in the summer, DS had camps he wanted to do and friends to hang out with. We didn't see the point of massively accelerating. He does math competitions for additional challenge and fun, the AMCs, IMC, Math Kangaroo, Purple Comet and the like. He participates in Mathcounts.

The school is able to do plenty. If it can choose to pay for an athletics coach to coach a select group of students, it can pay for a math teacher to coach a select group of students.

The Math Coaches for clubs are parent volunteers, that is why some ES, MS, and HS have clubs and others don’t. It is based on parent willingness to Coach.

Interesting. I've taught at 3 fcps middle schools. 2 had teacher run math competition clubs, the third didn't have a club at all. I've never taught anywhere with parent run clubs. At my current high school, it would be student led and they'd need a faculty advisor--no way a parent run club is getting approved.

It's always fascinating how drastically different the experiences at various FCPS schools can be.

Carson is parent run. There is teacher advisor but the coaches are parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We enrolled DS in AoPS and then RSM. He has loved the math competition class and continues in it as an 8th grader. Great program for him.

The school is not going to be able to do much. The kids who are ahead might get extra worksheets on computer assignments but it is not going to be anything meaningful. It gets better in MS but isn't challenging. I will say that Geometry in 8th grade is the first time DS has said math at school is engaging. He has studies a lot of geometry through the math competition class but they don't focus on formal proofs and the like, so that has been new to him. It hasn't been hard but the more formal learning has at least been newish. He covered pretty much all of Algebra in his math competition class, the school class formalized the learning and provided some structure but not much new material. It wasn't hard for him.

We did not do geometry in the summer, DS had camps he wanted to do and friends to hang out with. We didn't see the point of massively accelerating. He does math competitions for additional challenge and fun, the AMCs, IMC, Math Kangaroo, Purple Comet and the like. He participates in Mathcounts.

The school is able to do plenty. If it can choose to pay for an athletics coach to coach a select group of students, it can pay for a math teacher to coach a select group of students.

The Math Coaches for clubs are parent volunteers, that is why some ES, MS, and HS have clubs and others don’t. It is based on parent willingness to Coach.

Why aren't sports coaches parent volunteers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We enrolled DS in AoPS and then RSM. He has loved the math competition class and continues in it as an 8th grader. Great program for him.

The school is not going to be able to do much. The kids who are ahead might get extra worksheets on computer assignments but it is not going to be anything meaningful. It gets better in MS but isn't challenging. I will say that Geometry in 8th grade is the first time DS has said math at school is engaging. He has studies a lot of geometry through the math competition class but they don't focus on formal proofs and the like, so that has been new to him. It hasn't been hard but the more formal learning has at least been newish. He covered pretty much all of Algebra in his math competition class, the school class formalized the learning and provided some structure but not much new material. It wasn't hard for him.

We did not do geometry in the summer, DS had camps he wanted to do and friends to hang out with. We didn't see the point of massively accelerating. He does math competitions for additional challenge and fun, the AMCs, IMC, Math Kangaroo, Purple Comet and the like. He participates in Mathcounts.

The school is able to do plenty. If it can choose to pay for an athletics coach to coach a select group of students, it can pay for a math teacher to coach a select group of students.

The Math Coaches for clubs are parent volunteers, that is why some ES, MS, and HS have clubs and others don’t. It is based on parent willingness to Coach.

Why aren't sports coaches parent volunteers?

I would guess that there are physical liability issues that schools have to be aware of with a sport that are less likely to exist with a math club. Mathcounts can be intense but you are not likely to have a kid get heat stroke while working sprint round problems. In a sport you have to make sure that the coaches understand how to recognize injuries and how to deal with extreme temperatures and physical overexertion that can led to significant damage and death, not quite the same coaching MS/HS math competition teams.

Most of the Coaches for HS teams are not making a lot of extra money to coach, the stipends are small. Many football programs hire additional coaches with money raised by the sports booster club. Heck, my marching band in HS hired a color guard specialist, a routine coreographer, and a drum line coach using booster money in the 1980’s. Those positions were not paid for by the school but the parents with kids in the program and selling, for us fruit, some product to fundraise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We enrolled DS in AoPS and then RSM. He has loved the math competition class and continues in it as an 8th grader. Great program for him.

The school is not going to be able to do much. The kids who are ahead might get extra worksheets on computer assignments but it is not going to be anything meaningful. It gets better in MS but isn't challenging. I will say that Geometry in 8th grade is the first time DS has said math at school is engaging. He has studies a lot of geometry through the math competition class but they don't focus on formal proofs and the like, so that has been new to him. It hasn't been hard but the more formal learning has at least been newish. He covered pretty much all of Algebra in his math competition class, the school class formalized the learning and provided some structure but not much new material. It wasn't hard for him.

We did not do geometry in the summer, DS had camps he wanted to do and friends to hang out with. We didn't see the point of massively accelerating. He does math competitions for additional challenge and fun, the AMCs, IMC, Math Kangaroo, Purple Comet and the like. He participates in Mathcounts.

The school is able to do plenty. If it can choose to pay for an athletics coach to coach a select group of students, it can pay for a math teacher to coach a select group of students.

The Math Coaches for clubs are parent volunteers, that is why some ES, MS, and HS have clubs and others don’t. It is based on parent willingness to Coach.

Why aren't sports coaches parent volunteers?

I would guess that there are physical liability issues that schools have to be aware of with a sport that are less likely to exist with a math club. Mathcounts can be intense but you are not likely to have a kid get heat stroke while working sprint round problems. In a sport you have to make sure that the coaches understand how to recognize injuries and how to deal with extreme temperatures and physical overexertion that can led to significant damage and death, not quite the same coaching MS/HS math competition teams.

Most of the Coaches for HS teams are not making a lot of extra money to coach, the stipends are small. Many football programs hire additional coaches with money raised by the sports booster club. Heck, my marching band in HS hired a color guard specialist, a routine coreographer, and a drum line coach using booster money in the 1980’s. Those positions were not paid for by the school but the parents with kids in the program and selling, for us fruit, some product to fundraise.

Yet even if parents offer to volunteer or crowdfund, the optics of a selective academic development program are so much worse than those of a selective athletic development program that the former isn't allowed by schools while the latter is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We enrolled DS in AoPS and then RSM. He has loved the math competition class and continues in it as an 8th grader. Great program for him.

The school is not going to be able to do much. The kids who are ahead might get extra worksheets on computer assignments but it is not going to be anything meaningful. It gets better in MS but isn't challenging. I will say that Geometry in 8th grade is the first time DS has said math at school is engaging. He has studies a lot of geometry through the math competition class but they don't focus on formal proofs and the like, so that has been new to him. It hasn't been hard but the more formal learning has at least been newish. He covered pretty much all of Algebra in his math competition class, the school class formalized the learning and provided some structure but not much new material. It wasn't hard for him.

We did not do geometry in the summer, DS had camps he wanted to do and friends to hang out with. We didn't see the point of massively accelerating. He does math competitions for additional challenge and fun, the AMCs, IMC, Math Kangaroo, Purple Comet and the like. He participates in Mathcounts.

The school is able to do plenty. If it can choose to pay for an athletics coach to coach a select group of students, it can pay for a math teacher to coach a select group of students.

The Math Coaches for clubs are parent volunteers, that is why some ES, MS, and HS have clubs and others don’t. It is based on parent willingness to Coach.

Why aren't sports coaches parent volunteers?

I would guess that there are physical liability issues that schools have to be aware of with a sport that are less likely to exist with a math club. Mathcounts can be intense but you are not likely to have a kid get heat stroke while working sprint round problems. In a sport you have to make sure that the coaches understand how to recognize injuries and how to deal with extreme temperatures and physical overexertion that can led to significant damage and death, not quite the same coaching MS/HS math competition teams.

Most of the Coaches for HS teams are not making a lot of extra money to coach, the stipends are small. Many football programs hire additional coaches with money raised by the sports booster club. Heck, my marching band in HS hired a color guard specialist, a routine coreographer, and a drum line coach using booster money in the 1980’s. Those positions were not paid for by the school but the parents with kids in the program and selling, for us fruit, some product to fundraise.

Yet even if parents offer to volunteer or crowdfund, the optics of a selective academic development program are so much worse than those of a selective athletic development program that the former isn't allowed by schools while the latter is.

Do you have examples of parents offering to volunteer to run an academic club and being told no? Curious. I have seen academic clubs stop because of no parent volunteers but I have not heard of schools saying no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We enrolled DS in AoPS and then RSM. He has loved the math competition class and continues in it as an 8th grader. Great program for him.

The school is not going to be able to do much. The kids who are ahead might get extra worksheets on computer assignments but it is not going to be anything meaningful. It gets better in MS but isn't challenging. I will say that Geometry in 8th grade is the first time DS has said math at school is engaging. He has studies a lot of geometry through the math competition class but they don't focus on formal proofs and the like, so that has been new to him. It hasn't been hard but the more formal learning has at least been newish. He covered pretty much all of Algebra in his math competition class, the school class formalized the learning and provided some structure but not much new material. It wasn't hard for him.

We did not do geometry in the summer, DS had camps he wanted to do and friends to hang out with. We didn't see the point of massively accelerating. He does math competitions for additional challenge and fun, the AMCs, IMC, Math Kangaroo, Purple Comet and the like. He participates in Mathcounts.

The school is able to do plenty. If it can choose to pay for an athletics coach to coach a select group of students, it can pay for a math teacher to coach a select group of students.

The Math Coaches for clubs are parent volunteers, that is why some ES, MS, and HS have clubs and others don’t. It is based on parent willingness to Coach.

Why aren't sports coaches parent volunteers?

I would guess that there are physical liability issues that schools have to be aware of with a sport that are less likely to exist with a math club. Mathcounts can be intense but you are not likely to have a kid get heat stroke while working sprint round problems. In a sport you have to make sure that the coaches understand how to recognize injuries and how to deal with extreme temperatures and physical overexertion that can led to significant damage and death, not quite the same coaching MS/HS math competition teams.

Most of the Coaches for HS teams are not making a lot of extra money to coach, the stipends are small. Many football programs hire additional coaches with money raised by the sports booster club. Heck, my marching band in HS hired a color guard specialist, a routine coreographer, and a drum line coach using booster money in the 1980’s. Those positions were not paid for by the school but the parents with kids in the program and selling, for us fruit, some product to fundraise.

Yet even if parents offer to volunteer or crowdfund, the optics of a selective academic development program are so much worse than those of a selective athletic development program that the former isn't allowed by schools while the latter is.

Do you have examples of parents offering to volunteer to run an academic club and being told no? Curious. I have seen academic clubs stop because of no parent volunteers but I have not heard of schools saying no.

Don't think so, schools cannot say no if there is enough parent support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We enrolled DS in AoPS and then RSM. He has loved the math competition class and continues in it as an 8th grader. Great program for him.

The school is not going to be able to do much. The kids who are ahead might get extra worksheets on computer assignments but it is not going to be anything meaningful. It gets better in MS but isn't challenging. I will say that Geometry in 8th grade is the first time DS has said math at school is engaging. He has studies a lot of geometry through the math competition class but they don't focus on formal proofs and the like, so that has been new to him. It hasn't been hard but the more formal learning has at least been newish. He covered pretty much all of Algebra in his math competition class, the school class formalized the learning and provided some structure but not much new material. It wasn't hard for him.

We did not do geometry in the summer, DS had camps he wanted to do and friends to hang out with. We didn't see the point of massively accelerating. He does math competitions for additional challenge and fun, the AMCs, IMC, Math Kangaroo, Purple Comet and the like. He participates in Mathcounts.

The school is able to do plenty. If it can choose to pay for an athletics coach to coach a select group of students, it can pay for a math teacher to coach a select group of students.

The Math Coaches for clubs are parent volunteers, that is why some ES, MS, and HS have clubs and others don’t. It is based on parent willingness to Coach.

Why aren't sports coaches parent volunteers?

I would guess that there are physical liability issues that schools have to be aware of with a sport that are less likely to exist with a math club. Mathcounts can be intense but you are not likely to have a kid get heat stroke while working sprint round problems. In a sport you have to make sure that the coaches understand how to recognize injuries and how to deal with extreme temperatures and physical overexertion that can led to significant damage and death, not quite the same coaching MS/HS math competition teams.

Most of the Coaches for HS teams are not making a lot of extra money to coach, the stipends are small. Many football programs hire additional coaches with money raised by the sports booster club. Heck, my marching band in HS hired a color guard specialist, a routine coreographer, and a drum line coach using booster money in the 1980’s. Those positions were not paid for by the school but the parents with kids in the program and selling, for us fruit, some product to fundraise.

Yet even if parents offer to volunteer or crowdfund, the optics of a selective academic development program are so much worse than those of a selective athletic development program that the former isn't allowed by schools while the latter is.

Do you have examples of parents offering to volunteer to run an academic club and being told no? Curious. I have seen academic clubs stop because of no parent volunteers but I have not heard of schools saying no.

Don't think so, schools cannot say no if there is enough parent support.

Who says schools can't say no? There could be any number of reasons to shoot down such an idea, equity being the obvious first choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We enrolled DS in AoPS and then RSM. He has loved the math competition class and continues in it as an 8th grader. Great program for him.

The school is not going to be able to do much. The kids who are ahead might get extra worksheets on computer assignments but it is not going to be anything meaningful. It gets better in MS but isn't challenging. I will say that Geometry in 8th grade is the first time DS has said math at school is engaging. He has studies a lot of geometry through the math competition class but they don't focus on formal proofs and the like, so that has been new to him. It hasn't been hard but the more formal learning has at least been newish. He covered pretty much all of Algebra in his math competition class, the school class formalized the learning and provided some structure but not much new material. It wasn't hard for him.

We did not do geometry in the summer, DS had camps he wanted to do and friends to hang out with. We didn't see the point of massively accelerating. He does math competitions for additional challenge and fun, the AMCs, IMC, Math Kangaroo, Purple Comet and the like. He participates in Mathcounts.

The school is able to do plenty. If it can choose to pay for an athletics coach to coach a select group of students, it can pay for a math teacher to coach a select group of students.

The Math Coaches for clubs are parent volunteers, that is why some ES, MS, and HS have clubs and others don’t. It is based on parent willingness to Coach.

Why aren't sports coaches parent volunteers?

I would guess that there are physical liability issues that schools have to be aware of with a sport that are less likely to exist with a math club. Mathcounts can be intense but you are not likely to have a kid get heat stroke while working sprint round problems. In a sport you have to make sure that the coaches understand how to recognize injuries and how to deal with extreme temperatures and physical overexertion that can led to significant damage and death, not quite the same coaching MS/HS math competition teams.

Most of the Coaches for HS teams are not making a lot of extra money to coach, the stipends are small. Many football programs hire additional coaches with money raised by the sports booster club. Heck, my marching band in HS hired a color guard specialist, a routine coreographer, and a drum line coach using booster money in the 1980’s. Those positions were not paid for by the school but the parents with kids in the program and selling, for us fruit, some product to fundraise.

Yet even if parents offer to volunteer or crowdfund, the optics of a selective academic development program are so much worse than those of a selective athletic development program that the former isn't allowed by schools while the latter is.

Do you have examples of parents offering to volunteer to run an academic club and being told no? Curious. I have seen academic clubs stop because of no parent volunteers but I have not heard of schools saying no.

Here's an example: https://www.reddit.com/r/school/comments/1mvoyij/math_club_in_elementary_school/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We enrolled DS in AoPS and then RSM. He has loved the math competition class and continues in it as an 8th grader. Great program for him.

The school is not going to be able to do much. The kids who are ahead might get extra worksheets on computer assignments but it is not going to be anything meaningful. It gets better in MS but isn't challenging. I will say that Geometry in 8th grade is the first time DS has said math at school is engaging. He has studies a lot of geometry through the math competition class but they don't focus on formal proofs and the like, so that has been new to him. It hasn't been hard but the more formal learning has at least been newish. He covered pretty much all of Algebra in his math competition class, the school class formalized the learning and provided some structure but not much new material. It wasn't hard for him.

We did not do geometry in the summer, DS had camps he wanted to do and friends to hang out with. We didn't see the point of massively accelerating. He does math competitions for additional challenge and fun, the AMCs, IMC, Math Kangaroo, Purple Comet and the like. He participates in Mathcounts.

The school is able to do plenty. If it can choose to pay for an athletics coach to coach a select group of students, it can pay for a math teacher to coach a select group of students.

The Math Coaches for clubs are parent volunteers, that is why some ES, MS, and HS have clubs and others don’t. It is based on parent willingness to Coach.

Why aren't sports coaches parent volunteers?

I would guess that there are physical liability issues that schools have to be aware of with a sport that are less likely to exist with a math club. Mathcounts can be intense but you are not likely to have a kid get heat stroke while working sprint round problems. In a sport you have to make sure that the coaches understand how to recognize injuries and how to deal with extreme temperatures and physical overexertion that can led to significant damage and death, not quite the same coaching MS/HS math competition teams.

Most of the Coaches for HS teams are not making a lot of extra money to coach, the stipends are small. Many football programs hire additional coaches with money raised by the sports booster club. Heck, my marching band in HS hired a color guard specialist, a routine coreographer, and a drum line coach using booster money in the 1980’s. Those positions were not paid for by the school but the parents with kids in the program and selling, for us fruit, some product to fundraise.

Yet even if parents offer to volunteer or crowdfund, the optics of a selective academic development program are so much worse than those of a selective athletic development program that the former isn't allowed by schools while the latter is.

Do you have examples of parents offering to volunteer to run an academic club and being told no? Curious. I have seen academic clubs stop because of no parent volunteers but I have not heard of schools saying no.

Here's an example: https://www.reddit.com/r/school/comments/1mvoyij/math_club_in_elementary_school/

So not FCPS or in Northern Virginia? And how frequently does that actually happen? It sounds like there isn't space at the school, not that they didn't want to run the program. I doubt that the MS and HS in FCPS who don't have active math or science clubs or competition math and science clubs have said no to a parent lead club. And since this is board is focused on this area, I would like an example from our area.

My DH ran a math club at the ES, I have run a STEM based club in the evenings using the ES space. DS MS has math and science based clubs run by parents. I think the schools in our area that don't have math and science based clubs are ones were the parents are not willing or capable of leading them.