Can we get MCPS to allow fundraising for staff positions?

[Anonymous]

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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?

Weller Road is Title 1. It already has extra teachers.

Do you sincerely believe that all of the families in the county can fundraise to buy additional teachers to the same extent that those in the most affluent schools can?

No. Of course not. It will be to a different extent in different schools. Which is why I would give my left hand to decrease class sizes across the board for all schools (you have no idea how hard I've worked to try to make that happen). But it's better than *no aides at all* which is what we have now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Weller Road is Title 1. It already has extra teachers.

No fair that those poor kids get smaller class sizes! Poor kids get all the good stuff!

Nobody said that. Literally NOT ONE PERSON ON THIS THREAD. I'm arguing we should be able to use *our own money* *in addition to our taxes* to get aides in the classroom. With a smile on my face, I will happily subsidize extra teachers at Title 1 / Focus schools. I would chip in for more for those schools if I was allowed to hire an aide for my kid's class. But instead, since I can't, I'm going to scrimp and save and send her to some private school as soon as I have enough $ to do it.
I am NOT alone.

I believe that comment was in response to the PP who said that parents at other schools are "welcome to fundraise." As if everyone across MoCo could fundraise as those in the W district can.

Beyond that, feel free to send your child to private school - that is your choice.

[Anonymous]

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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.

Who is starving?

I can't help you if you're that dense.

You are comparing a kindergarten class size of 26 to starvation.

Yes, it's what's called a metaphor. And when I referenced "crabs in a bucket", I was comparing humans to crabs. Are you okay?

It's a metaphor that I would not want to use. People die when they don't have food. People do not die when they are in kindergarten classes of 26 students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Weller Road is Title 1. It already has extra teachers.

Do you sincerely believe that all of the families in the county can fundraise to buy additional teachers to the same extent that those in the most affluent schools can?

No. Of course not. It will be to a different extent in different schools. Which is why I would give my left hand to decrease class sizes across the board for all schools (you have no idea how hard I've worked to try to make that happen). But it's better than *no aides at all* which is what we have now.

Reasonable people can and do disagree with you on whether buying teachers for your child in public school is better than not buying such teachers.

And FYI, in some schools, the extent to which parents can fundraise is zero.

[Anonymous]

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If it's obvious, there should be data. Do you have any data on this?

Oh, right! Because anything that's true has data collected about it! Especially across two different school systems (actually more -- migration to other areas like Arlington and Fairfax as well would be relevant).

OK, do you have any evidence of this happening? I'm sincerely curious. As far as I can tell, people are still paying plenty to live in the wealthy/white clusters, and at least on DCUM, it's still accepted wisdom that the schools in the wealthy/white clusters are the best in MCPS.

That used to be accepted wisdom. If you talk to the parents at those schools, it no longer is. And look at those threads. Things are changing.

The plural of anecdote is not data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Weller Road is Title 1. It already has extra teachers.

No fair that those poor kids get smaller class sizes! Poor kids get all the good stuff!

Nobody said that. Literally NOT ONE PERSON ON THIS THREAD. I'm arguing we should be able to use *our own money* *in addition to our taxes* to get aides in the classroom. With a smile on my face, I will happily subsidize extra teachers at Title 1 / Focus schools. I would chip in for more for those schools if I was allowed to hire an aide for my kid's class. But instead, since I can't, I'm going to scrimp and save and send her to some private school as soon as I have enough $ to do it.
I am NOT alone.

Yes, you are arguing that you should be able to use your own money to buy your child a better education. If you want to do that, then you should do it, if you can -- in a private school. That is exactly what private schools exist for.

Well, since your view is the one that prevails in MCPS, that's what will happen. No flexibility whatsoever and a piss-poor public option. Yes, more people will go private. And in order to do that, we will have to move, because we cannot afford to live in this area and also pay for private. Since that financial status applies to most people in our area, expect to see that happen a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No. Of course not. It will be to a different extent in different schools. Which is why I would give my left hand to decrease class sizes across the board for all schools (you have no idea how hard I've worked to try to make that happen). But it's better than *no aides at all* which is what we have now.

It's certainly better for your child. But it's worse for the public school system as a whole, and for society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If it's obvious, there should be data. Do you have any data on this?

Oh, right! Because anything that's true has data collected about it! Especially across two different school systems (actually more -- migration to other areas like Arlington and Fairfax as well would be relevant).

OK, do you have any evidence of this happening? I'm sincerely curious. As far as I can tell, people are still paying plenty to live in the wealthy/white clusters, and at least on DCUM, it's still accepted wisdom that the schools in the wealthy/white clusters are the best in MCPS.

That used to be accepted wisdom. If you talk to the parents at those schools, it no longer is. And look at those threads. Things are changing.

The plural of anecdote is not data.

Yes. I know that. I already said there's no data. Do you have any data? You simply referred to internet posters. Do you realize that that's anecdotal as well? So we agree -- we're both speculating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Weller Road is Title 1. It already has extra teachers.

No fair that those poor kids get smaller class sizes! Poor kids get all the good stuff!

Nobody said that. Literally NOT ONE PERSON ON THIS THREAD. I'm arguing we should be able to use *our own money* *in addition to our taxes* to get aides in the classroom. With a smile on my face, I will happily subsidize extra teachers at Title 1 / Focus schools. I would chip in for more for those schools if I was allowed to hire an aide for my kid's class. But instead, since I can't, I'm going to scrimp and save and send her to some private school as soon as I have enough $ to do it.
I am NOT alone.

Yes, you are arguing that you should be able to use your own money to buy your child a better education. If you want to do that, then you should do it, if you can -- in a private school. That is exactly what private schools exist for.

Well, since your view is the one that prevails in MCPS, that's what will happen. No flexibility whatsoever and a piss-poor public option. Yes, more people will go private. And in order to do that, we will have to move, because we cannot afford to live in this area and also pay for private. Since that financial status applies to most people in our area, expect to see that happen a lot.

Show me the data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If it's obvious, there should be data. Do you have any data on this?

Oh, right! Because anything that's true has data collected about it! Especially across two different school systems (actually more -- migration to other areas like Arlington and Fairfax as well would be relevant).

OK, do you have any evidence of this happening? I'm sincerely curious. As far as I can tell, people are still paying plenty to live in the wealthy/white clusters, and at least on DCUM, it's still accepted wisdom that the schools in the wealthy/white clusters are the best in MCPS.

That used to be accepted wisdom. If you talk to the parents at those schools, it no longer is. And look at those threads. Things are changing.

The plural of anecdote is not data.

Yes. I know that. I already said there's no data. Do you have any data? You simply referred to internet posters. Do you realize that that's anecdotal as well? So we agree -- we're both speculating.

I am not speculating about anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No. Of course not. It will be to a different extent in different schools. Which is why I would give my left hand to decrease class sizes across the board for all schools (you have no idea how hard I've worked to try to make that happen). But it's better than *no aides at all* which is what we have now.

It's certainly better for your child. But it's worse for the public school system as a whole, and for society.

Why is it worse for the public system as a whole, or for society? Is it better for my kid to go to private school? Or for my kid to get a crappy educational foundation and then need more resources later on, that then come out of the public school system?
So short-sighted.
What I wish is that we could all band together and get smaller class sizes for all schools. But I have been so disappointed at the total lack of energy toward making that happen.

[Anonymous]

I just saw this post from DCUM about the suggested contribution at Horace Mann Elementary (in NW DC) in DCPS.

"The Mann money goes to the second teacher in every classroom (PK - 5th), the extra science teacher, the extra PE teacher, the extra performing arts teacher, outdoor facilities. Other things here and there. We got the letter today asking for $1500 per child."

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/327926.page

I would like to see MCPS allow parents to do something similar.

Because the county is so diverse socio-economically, it's a way to keep high-earners in MCPS. Otherwise they may get frustrated with this massive country-run operation. And it frees up money in the budget for the schools that need it.

Any chance this could actually happen? Or would people think it's not PC to support it? How did DCPS get this done?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If it's obvious, there should be data. Do you have any data on this?

Oh, right! Because anything that's true has data collected about it! Especially across two different school systems (actually more -- migration to other areas like Arlington and Fairfax as well would be relevant).

OK, do you have any evidence of this happening? I'm sincerely curious. As far as I can tell, people are still paying plenty to live in the wealthy/white clusters, and at least on DCUM, it's still accepted wisdom that the schools in the wealthy/white clusters are the best in MCPS.

That used to be accepted wisdom. If you talk to the parents at those schools, it no longer is. And look at those threads. Things are changing.

The plural of anecdote is not data.

Yes. I know that. I already said there's no data. Do you have any data? You simply referred to internet posters. Do you realize that that's anecdotal as well? So we agree -- we're both speculating.

I am not speculating about anything.

So you're not the PP that said it's "still accepted wisdom that the schools in the wealthy/white clusters are the best in MCPS"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just saw this post from DCUM about the suggested contribution at Horace Mann Elementary (in NW DC) in DCPS.

"The Mann money goes to the second teacher in every classroom (PK - 5th), the extra science teacher, the extra PE teacher, the extra performing arts teacher, outdoor facilities. Other things here and there. We got the letter today asking for $1500 per child."

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/327926.page

I would like to see MCPS allow parents to do something similar.

Because the county is so diverse socio-economically, it's a way to keep high-earners in MCPS. Otherwise they may get frustrated with this massive country-run operation. And it frees up money in the budget for the schools that need it.

Any chance this could actually happen? Or would people think it's not PC to support it? How did DCPS get this done?

Read this thread. I'm with you entirely, but several PPs think it means you're evil. But I agree. Let's work on it. Nothing else is working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just saw this post from DCUM about the suggested contribution at Horace Mann Elementary (in NW DC) in DCPS.

"The Mann money goes to the second teacher in every classroom (PK - 5th), the extra science teacher, the extra PE teacher, the extra performing arts teacher, outdoor facilities. Other things here and there. We got the letter today asking for $1500 per child."

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/327926.page

I would like to see MCPS allow parents to do something similar.

Because the county is so diverse socio-economically, it's a way to keep high-earners in MCPS. Otherwise they may get frustrated with this massive country-run operation. And it frees up money in the budget for the schools that need it.

Any chance this could actually happen? Or would people think it's not PC to support it? How did DCPS get this done?

How does it free up money in the MCPS budget when rich parents to buy EXTRA teachers?