Atlantic Article on Rolling Terrace and Outsized Role of Affluent White Parents

[Anonymous]

There's a coat, shoe, backpack, supply drive every year from The United Way, local tv stations and *gasp* WALMART. I've stuffed buses for kids that didn't even attend my kid's school and they were never a recipient of any drives. Not to mention adopt a teacher. Don't ever sign up for that. That teacher will call you weekly demanding all kinds of things.

Anyone doing without needs to go find the things they need instead of waiting for it to land in their lap.

I for one am tired of my white privilege being used as a reason for others to get free stuff. Early on I saw those that claimed they couldn't afford trying to make those that could be responsible for not giving enough.

Just because I can afford my own kid's things doesn't mean I can afford to buy for the whole class.

The gift card giving is out of control. The PTA is nothing but a dues paying shakedown organization.

[Anonymous]

The chrome books mentioned in the Article were purchased countywide for PARCC and state/federal money paid for it not county money. It was required and all schools got them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a coat, shoe, backpack, supply drive every year from The United Way, local tv stations and *gasp* WALMART. I've stuffed buses for kids that didn't even attend my kid's school and they were never a recipient of any drives. Not to mention adopt a teacher. Don't ever sign up for that. That teacher will call you weekly demanding all kinds of things.

Anyone doing without needs to go find the things they need instead of waiting for it to land in their lap.

I for one am tired of my white privilege being used as a reason for others to get free stuff. Early on I saw those that claimed they couldn't afford trying to make those that could be responsible for not giving enough.

Just because I can afford my own kid's things doesn't mean I can afford to buy for the whole class.

The gift card giving is out of control. The PTA is nothing but a dues paying shakedown organization.

Uh, wrong thread. Bitch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a coat, shoe, backpack, supply drive every year from The United Way, local tv stations and *gasp* WALMART. I've stuffed buses for kids that didn't even attend my kid's school and they were never a recipient of any drives. Not to mention adopt a teacher. Don't ever sign up for that. That teacher will call you weekly demanding all kinds of things.

Anyone doing without needs to go find the things they need instead of waiting for it to land in their lap.

I for one am tired of my white privilege being used as a reason for others to get free stuff. Early on I saw those that claimed they couldn't afford trying to make those that could be responsible for not giving enough.

Just because I can afford my own kid's things doesn't mean I can afford to buy for the whole class.

The gift card giving is out of control. The PTA is nothing but a dues paying shakedown organization.

Uh, wrong thread. Bitch.

Oh, I'm sorry i posted the quote above -- I agree with your last sentence! It's not a shakedown, it's an "ask" -- or has the term fallen out of favor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a coat, shoe, backpack, supply drive every year from The United Way, local tv stations and *gasp* WALMART. I've stuffed buses for kids that didn't even attend my kid's school and they were never a recipient of any drives. Not to mention adopt a teacher. Don't ever sign up for that. That teacher will call you weekly demanding all kinds of things.

Anyone doing without needs to go find the things they need instead of waiting for it to land in their lap.

I for one am tired of my white privilege being used as a reason for others to get free stuff. Early on I saw those that claimed they couldn't afford trying to make those that could be responsible for not giving enough.

Just because I can afford my own kid's things doesn't mean I can afford to buy for the whole class.

The gift card giving is out of control. The PTA is nothing but a dues paying shakedown organization.

Not everyone has the ability to figure out where to get free stuff. Often it takes a referral from a social service agency. Many are not comfortable asking. You make it sound so simple.

Agree the gift card giving is out of control as is the PTA.

[Anonymous]

This is why I prefer a school where everyone is the same SES then everyone's interest are the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why I prefer a school where everyone is the same SES then everyone's interest are the same.

Not everyone will have the same SES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think most PTAs in diverse schools have a demographic problem - just because middle class white families tend to have more time and energy to attend meetings at night, where there may or may not be snacks, and where the discussion is in English.

HOWEVER - what's happening at RT seems to go beyond these challenges. It sounds like the immersion parents have basically taken over the PTA and use it to advocate for the needs of their own kids at the expense of the rest of the student population.

I've also heard that the administration at that school has been completely beaten down by the white parents in the immersion program.

I think in a school with sharp income inequality between classrooms, it's only fair that parents not be allowed to contribute money specifically to their child's class. It should all go into the same pot and be divided fairly.

[Anonymous]

My school in MCPS has a lot of FARMs children and I think the PTA is concerned about things that do affect all of the children regardless of income. For example nutrition in the cafeteria. It is the low income children who are more likely to be eating hot lunches and they are more in need of good nutritious food.

As for the chrome book issue at Rolling Terrace. I don't agree that Chrome books are especially good for children without computers at home. The concern of the PTA is too much screen time. I think lower income kids actually watch more television than the higher income children. The MCPS information sent home for new Kindergarten families actually recommends limiting screen time at home. And yet the kids watch movies, shows and animated lessons on the smart boards. In addition to that some of these kids have televisions in their bedrooms and stay up late watching things like (the walking dead and Law and Order SVU) both shows my DS came home from Kindergarten asking about. So I think there may be disagreement about screen time but I do not think it is fair to say that the fight about screen time is only important to high income children. There are studies showing time and time again that screen time isn't good for developing brains.

I just don't understand how the PTA is vilified for trying to help. Think about the state of the PTA without the immersion program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most PTAs in diverse schools have a demographic problem - just because middle class white families tend to have more time and energy to attend meetings at night, where there may or may not be snacks, and where the discussion is in English.

HOWEVER - what's happening at RT seems to go beyond these challenges. It sounds like the immersion parents have basically taken over the PTA and use it to advocate for the needs of their own kids at the expense of the rest of the student population.

I've also heard that the administration at that school has been completely beaten down by the white parents in the immersion program.

I think in a school with sharp income inequality between classrooms, it's only fair that parents not be allowed to contribute money specifically to their child's class. It should all go into the same pot and be divided fairly.

It isn't even just the money, it's the use of PTA time, energy, and political capital to advance the interests of a tiny slice of kids at the school. My kids aren't at RT, but are at another school with a big range of SES, and the principal is basically having none of that white nonsense. This can be frustrating for middle class white parents at the school, who complain about it pretty much incessantly, but the end result is that ALL the kids in the school get to share resources and the voices of non-white, non-affluent, parents get heard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PTAs in this area are filled with the worst kinds of human beings. The PTA, national and state, should look into how groups using their name do business. They are all about "MINE MINE MINE MINE." One of the principles of the PTA is INCLUSION, and the PTA is all about EXCLUSION in this white exclusive area. THEY SUCK.

Its not just white exclusive. They don't want the SN and and white families who are not in their click.

I totally agree. I meant, it is the white well off PTA parents who are doing the excluding. Awful people who give PTA a bad name.

You sound a bit racist. Its not just white who exclude and self-seggregate but please keep telling yourself that non-sense.

Neither group should self-segregate, but people of color typically do so to avoid having to cope with prejudice and racist policies, while whites tend to do it to preserve prejudice and racist policies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My school in MCPS has a lot of FARMs children and I think the PTA is concerned about things that do affect all of the children regardless of income. For example nutrition in the cafeteria. It is the low income children who are more likely to be eating hot lunches and they are more in need of good nutritious food.

As for the chrome book issue at Rolling Terrace. I don't agree that Chrome books are especially good for children without computers at home. The concern of the PTA is too much screen time. I think lower income kids actually watch more television than the higher income children. The MCPS information sent home for new Kindergarten families actually recommends limiting screen time at home. And yet the kids watch movies, shows and animated lessons on the smart boards. In addition to that some of these kids have televisions in their bedrooms and stay up late watching things like (the walking dead and Law and Order SVU) both shows my DS came home from Kindergarten asking about. So I think there may be disagreement about screen time but I do not think it is fair to say that the fight about screen time is only important to high income children. There are studies showing time and time again that screen time isn't good for developing brains.

I just don't understand how the PTA is vilified for trying to help. Think about the state of the PTA without the immersion program.

I think you missed the issue surrounding the chrome books. Yes, low income kids can watch a lot of tv. But, they don't have access to computers, and now a days, kids need to know how to use computers. Having a chrome book in the school gives these low income kids exposure to computers that they otherwise don't get at home. That's why the low income parents were happy to have the chrome books in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My school in MCPS has a lot of FARMs children and I think the PTA is concerned about things that do affect all of the children regardless of income. For example nutrition in the cafeteria. It is the low income children who are more likely to be eating hot lunches and they are more in need of good nutritious food.

As for the chrome book issue at Rolling Terrace. I don't agree that Chrome books are especially good for children without computers at home. The concern of the PTA is too much screen time. I think lower income kids actually watch more television than the higher income children. The MCPS information sent home for new Kindergarten families actually recommends limiting screen time at home. And yet the kids watch movies, shows and animated lessons on the smart boards. In addition to that some of these kids have televisions in their bedrooms and stay up late watching things like (the walking dead and Law and Order SVU) both shows my DS came home from Kindergarten asking about. So I think there may be disagreement about screen time but I do not think it is fair to say that the fight about screen time is only important to high income children. There are studies showing time and time again that screen time isn't good for developing brains.

I just don't understand how the PTA is vilified for trying to help. Think about the state of the PTA without the immersion program.

It's not about "screen time" - it's about the digital divide. Can you really not see the difference between a child with no computer at home getting a chromebook, and making sure Larlo only spends 30 minutes a day on minecraft?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My school in MCPS has a lot of FARMs children and I think the PTA is concerned about things that do affect all of the children regardless of income. For example nutrition in the cafeteria. It is the low income children who are more likely to be eating hot lunches and they are more in need of good nutritious food.

As for the chrome book issue at Rolling Terrace. I don't agree that Chrome books are especially good for children without computers at home. The concern of the PTA is too much screen time. I think lower income kids actually watch more television than the higher income children. The MCPS information sent home for new Kindergarten families actually recommends limiting screen time at home. And yet the kids watch movies, shows and animated lessons on the smart boards. In addition to that some of these kids have televisions in their bedrooms and stay up late watching things like (the walking dead and Law and Order SVU) both shows my DS came home from Kindergarten asking about. So I think there may be disagreement about screen time but I do not think it is fair to say that the fight about screen time is only important to high income children. There are studies showing time and time again that screen time isn't good for developing brains.

I just don't understand how the PTA is vilified for trying to help. Think about the state of the PTA without the immersion program.

But don't eliminate good screen time because the child has too much bad screen time. That's like restricting the healthy foods FARMS kids can access because they eat too much junk at home!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a coat, shoe, backpack, supply drive every year from The United Way, local tv stations and *gasp* WALMART. I've stuffed buses for kids that didn't even attend my kid's school and they were never a recipient of any drives. Not to mention adopt a teacher. Don't ever sign up for that. That teacher will call you weekly demanding all kinds of things.

Anyone doing without needs to go find the things they need instead of waiting for it to land in their lap.

I for one am tired of my white privilege being used as a reason for others to get free stuff. Early on I saw those that claimed they couldn't afford trying to make those that could be responsible for not giving enough.

Just because I can afford my own kid's things doesn't mean I can afford to buy for the whole class.

The gift card giving is out of control. The PTA is nothing but a dues paying shakedown organization.

Way to support the perpetuation of the American underclass.