Does Janney fund classroom aides?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a Janney parent, I don't think there's a ton of transparency on what is PTA-paid for vs. DCPS-paid for. I say this as someone who doesn't go to PTA meetings (admittedly) so perhaps if I went, I would learn this. But it's not like there's a line item breakdown of where the money goes. I have a general belief that the PTA pays for the extra custodial staff, and the extra staff around during recess (my child reports that the afterschool staff is usually there during recess, and I assume this isn't on DCPS dime). But no clue about who pays for partner/co teachers after K.

I doubt the PTA employs people in positions covered by DCPS collective bargaining agreements. That would be ... interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a Janney parent, I don't think there's a ton of transparency on what is PTA-paid for vs. DCPS-paid for. I say this as someone who doesn't go to PTA meetings (admittedly) so perhaps if I went, I would learn this. But it's not like there's a line item breakdown of where the money goes. I have a general belief that the PTA pays for the extra custodial staff, and the extra staff around during recess (my child reports that the afterschool staff is usually there during recess, and I assume this isn't on DCPS dime). But no clue about who pays for partner/co teachers after K.

I doubt the PTA employs people in positions covered by DCPS collective bargaining agreements. That would be ... interesting.

Why? If the custodial staff were offered a second job by the PTA to work after school hours, what would be inappropriate about that? It's not like a person isn't allowed to have a multiple jobs. However, I assume that the in the afterschool hours, they would not be employed by DCPS.

By way of analogy, police officers frequently serve as school resource officers as a second job (employed by school district, not the city or county that is their regular employer).

[Anonymous]

This discussion is interesting to me. I moved recently to Montgomery County from DC and the thought of a PTA paying for classroom staff is a non-starter. People cite equity considerations and the exacerbation of racial and socioeconomic divides.

Here's a thread from not to long ago. http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/270/469124.page

[Anonymous]

"As a Janney parent, I don't think there's a ton of transparency on what is PTA-paid for vs. DCPS-paid for. I say this as someone who doesn't go to PTA meetings (admittedly) so perhaps if I went, I would learn this. But it's not like there's a line item breakdown of where the money goes. I have a general belief that the PTA pays for the extra custodial staff, and the extra staff around during recess (my child reports that the afterschool staff is usually there during recess, and I assume this isn't on DCPS dime). But no clue about who pays for partner/co teachers after"

There actually is a good amount of transparency if you go to the meeting and see the budget, although I haven't paid attention in a few years so I can't answer OP's question. But I can say that except for a few aides in pre-K/K years, I don't know any staff member with "teacher" in his/her title who does not have a B.A. at the very minimum. In fact, how about this. I'll post the bios that are available on the Janney website, which shows that the vast majority of the teachers - whether "co-teacher," "partner teacher" or "teacher - either have or are working on their masters.

http://www.janneyschool.org/about/teacher-bios/#rushing

[Anonymous]

Murch also pays for a lot of them. I know this because PTA advertises it throughout the year to get the support they need. They pay for aids in lower grades, extra supplies for the teachers, extra resource teachers. It makes a huge difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a Janney parent, I don't think there's a ton of transparency on what is PTA-paid for vs. DCPS-paid for. I say this as someone who doesn't go to PTA meetings (admittedly) so perhaps if I went, I would learn this. But it's not like there's a line item breakdown of where the money goes. I have a general belief that the PTA pays for the extra custodial staff, and the extra staff around during recess (my child reports that the afterschool staff is usually there during recess, and I assume this isn't on DCPS dime). But no clue about who pays for partner/co teachers after K.

I doubt the PTA employs people in positions covered by DCPS collective bargaining agreements. That would be ... interesting.

This is the problem with the PTA funding teachers too.

The partner teachers or assistant teachers are not getting nearly the same total compensation packages as the full-time, DCPS teachers. It is a very bad management practice. I wish DCPS would shut it down.

[Anonymous]

These teachers have a choice. They can select to be employed by DCPS or not.

It is not as if the Janney PTA is limiting their ability for employment. Janney PTA offered a position, they accepted. They know what DCPS offers - it is not a secret.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These teachers have a choice. They can select to be employed by DCPS or not.

It is not as if the Janney PTA is limiting their ability for employment. Janney PTA offered a position, they accepted. They know what DCPS offers - it is not a secret.

What? So confused. The teachers work for DCPS. Always have and always will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These teachers have a choice. They can select to be employed by DCPS or not.

It is not as if the Janney PTA is limiting their ability for employment. Janney PTA offered a position, they accepted. They know what DCPS offers - it is not a secret.

What? So confused. The teachers work for DCPS. Always have and always will.

No. The lead teachers work for DCPS. The ELL and special education/reading specialists work for DCPS. The other extra teachers for 1st-5th are hired by the Janney PTA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"As a Janney parent, I don't think there's a ton of transparency on what is PTA-paid for vs. DCPS-paid for. I say this as someone who doesn't go to PTA meetings (admittedly) so perhaps if I went, I would learn this. But it's not like there's a line item breakdown of where the money goes. I have a general belief that the PTA pays for the extra custodial staff, and the extra staff around during recess (my child reports that the afterschool staff is usually there during recess, and I assume this isn't on DCPS dime). But no clue about who pays for partner/co teachers after"

There actually is a good amount of transparency if you go to the meeting and see the budget, although I haven't paid attention in a few years so I can't answer OP's question. But I can say that except for a few aides in pre-K/K years, I don't know any staff member with "teacher" in his/her title who does not have a B.A. at the very minimum. In fact, how about this. I'll post the bios that are available on the Janney website, which shows that the vast majority of the teachers - whether "co-teacher," "partner teacher" or "teacher - either have or are working on their masters.

http://www.janneyschool.org/about/teacher-bios/#rushing

PP here, yes I admit I haven't gone to the meetings. Although prompted by this thread, I did look at the PTA's website and it a general budget is posted as well as the DCPS budget for the school , so theoretically, you can deduce what staff is paid for by the PTA vs. DCPS. E.g, there are 5 FTEs for teachers in 1st grade. There aren't other teaching staff (except for specials) allocated to first grade. (Compare 5 FTEs for K teachers and 5 FTEs for K aids). So that leads me to believe that any extra co/partner teachers are paid for by the PTA. There are 5 FTEs allocated for custodians but the PTA budget also says it pays for "custodial staff"..so not exactly clear how to determine what the PTA is paying for that's additional.

[Anonymous]

A bunch of the WOTP schools raise money through the PTAs for classroom aides or whatever the title - particularly in the young grades. Yes, at Mann they have them for every grade. At most of the others, it's just for preK-1st. Not sure about janney.

[Anonymous]

The issue is that if the job description is one covered by the CBU, and they are working at the school, then they are covered by the CBU no matter who is paying them. So if the PTA is not complying with the union contract, the employer (which will be deemed DCPS and the PTA jointly) are in violation of the CBA. The contracts with any personnel must be carefully drafted to ensure that they are not in the CBU. This is relatively easy to ensure (e.g. classroom aid works less then 70 hours in a two-week cycle), and most PTAs have lawyers triple check this to make sure they are complying with all laws.

But if the PTA were to say, hire a classroom teacher to teach math to half of the class full time ... that person is entitled to everything in the CBA. I highly doubt any principal would allow this to happen. Which is why the Janney poster who says her kid has 2 or 3 "teachers" is wrong -- or is exposing a problem at Janney; most likely just wrong.

Student teachers brought in through agreements with Universities for class credit are a different category. Mann and Murch have a lot of those working with classroom teachers. Janney probably does too.

[Anonymous]

Lots of nwdc schools do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A bunch of the WOTP schools raise money through the PTAs for classroom aides or whatever the title - particularly in the young grades. Yes, at Mann they have them for every grade. At most of the others, it's just for preK-1st. Not sure about janney.

PK and K aides are paid for by DCPS in every school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The issue is that if the job description is one covered by the CBU, and they are working at the school, then they are covered by the CBU no matter who is paying them. So if the PTA is not complying with the union contract, the employer (which will be deemed DCPS and the PTA jointly) are in violation of the CBA. The contracts with any personnel must be carefully drafted to ensure that they are not in the CBU. This is relatively easy to ensure (e.g. classroom aid works less then 70 hours in a two-week cycle), and most PTAs have lawyers triple check this to make sure they are complying with all laws.

But if the PTA were to say, hire a classroom teacher to teach math to half of the class full time ... that person is entitled to everything in the CBA. I highly doubt any principal would allow this to happen. Which is why the Janney poster who says her kid has 2 or 3 "teachers" is wrong -- or is exposing a problem at Janney; most likely just wrong.

Student teachers brought in through agreements with Universities for class credit are a different category. Mann and Murch have a lot of those working with classroom teachers. Janney probably does too.

It's been a while but when my kids were first and second graders at Janney, the school would hire newly-minted education graduates as aides. These teachers were willing to work as aides in order to be well position for a teaching slot when it opened up. I think that's why parents say they have two teachers in the room. Technically they are wrong but from a qualification standpoint, they are right. Really, making a mountain out of a mole hill here.