Boosterthon Runs at MCPS schools?

[Anonymous]

DC is in 4th grade, and this is the first -and I sure hope the last! - time our school had the Boosterthon. The stated goal was to raise money 'for Chromebooks for kindergarten'. I don't know why kindergarteners need Chromebooks to begin with, my child sure didn't use it in K and did just fine, thank you very much, but the most annoying part of the event was my child coming home every day whining he wanted 'prizes' in return for 'pledges'.

And I didn't even know the company keeps such a huge chunk of the proceedings!

If our school does Boosterthon again next year, we're boycotting it. FWIW, I always buy books through Scholastic, go to book fairs and dinner fundraisers and write a yearly check to the PTA, but Boosterthon rubs me the wrong way, there's something unbelievably slimy about the whole thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boosterthon is a big scam. Our ES is hosting it again this year [W pyramid] and I hate it. Many parents complained about it last year, but they are still hosting it. I guess we will have to scream and complain louder this year.

Get on the PTA board at your school. That is how you stop it.

[Anonymous]

+ 1. Our PTA is vehemently opposed to such kinds of fundraisers. There are many other worthy fundraisers that your school can adopt. Anything from scholastic bookfair, appeal for direct donation, silent auctions, fun runs, used book sales, recycling fundraisers and even sale of student artwork.

[Anonymous]

Looks like they are planning one at Wilson Wims ES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks like they are planning one at Wilson Wims ES.

They're in the middle of it. As a parent I don't like it. My kid is in K and totally focused on the prizes. Plus it seems like a lot of work on the teachers part to track progress and hand out the corresponding prizes.

I also work in a high FARMS school and it kind of makes me mad that there is such a discrepancy regarding the haves and have nots. The school will make thousands from this which is great for my kid, but that creates a further divide between schools with PTAs who can raise tons of money and schools with PTAs who can't. Some of the things Wims says they'll do with the money are additional assemblies, author visits and teacher stipends for running clubs. My students won't get any of that and teachers at my school are pressured to run clubs with no stipend because the county doesn't provide them and our PTA surely can't.

[Anonymous]

You'll do great Wilson Wms! Lots of prizes and fun for everyone! DD's school had a blast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You'll do great Wilson Wms! Lots of prizes and fun for everyone! DD's school had a blast.

Thanks for chiming in, Super Sarah!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like they are planning one at Wilson Wims ES.

They're in the middle of it. As a parent I don't like it. My kid is in K and totally focused on the prizes. Plus it seems like a lot of work on the teachers part to track progress and hand out the corresponding prizes.

I also work in a high FARMS school and it kind of makes me mad that there is such a discrepancy regarding the haves and have nots. The school will make thousands from this which is great for my kid, but that creates a further divide between schools with PTAs who can raise tons of money and schools with PTAs who can't. Some of the things Wims says they'll do with the money are additional assemblies, author visits and teacher stipends for running clubs. My students won't get any of that and teachers at my school are pressured to run clubs with no stipend because the county doesn't provide them and our PTA surely can't.

county doesn't provide them? You mean your union doesn't provide them. Your union gets the perks they want. You elect your union reps. This is on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You'll do great Wilson Wms! Lots of prizes and fun for everyone! DD's school had a blast.

Why would anyone think giving 50% of the money donated to an outside company is "doing great?" Unless you are the boosterthon employee anon poster, of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like they are planning one at Wilson Wims ES.

They're in the middle of it. As a parent I don't like it. My kid is in K and totally focused on the prizes. Plus it seems like a lot of work on the teachers part to track progress and hand out the corresponding prizes.

I also work in a high FARMS school and it kind of makes me mad that there is such a discrepancy regarding the haves and have nots. The school will make thousands from this which is great for my kid, but that creates a further divide between schools with PTAs who can raise tons of money and schools with PTAs who can't. Some of the things Wims says they'll do with the money are additional assemblies, author visits and teacher stipends for running clubs. My students won't get any of that and teachers at my school are pressured to run clubs with no stipend because the county doesn't provide them and our PTA surely can't.

county doesn't provide them? You mean your union doesn't provide them. Your union gets the perks they want. You elect your union reps. This is on you.

Huh? The union doesn't create the budget or write the checks. We had stipends when I started 15 years ago and then they silently disappeared. We only found out after we had already been running after school clubs for weeks. The principal still expected/pressured teachers to sponsor clubs without them. Those of us who teach know that the union is useless in any event.

How is this on teachers again?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like they are planning one at Wilson Wims ES.

They're in the middle of it. As a parent I don't like it. My kid is in K and totally focused on the prizes. Plus it seems like a lot of work on the teachers part to track progress and hand out the corresponding prizes.

I also work in a high FARMS school and it kind of makes me mad that there is such a discrepancy regarding the haves and have nots. The school will make thousands from this which is great for my kid, but that creates a further divide between schools with PTAs who can raise tons of money and schools with PTAs who can't. Some of the things Wims says they'll do with the money are additional assemblies, author visits and teacher stipends for running clubs. My students won't get any of that and teachers at my school are pressured to run clubs with no stipend because the county doesn't provide them and our PTA surely can't.

county doesn't provide them? You mean your union doesn't provide them. Your union gets the perks they want. You elect your union reps. This is on you.

Huh? The union doesn't create the budget or write the checks. We had stipends when I started 15 years ago and then they silently disappeared. We only found out after we had already been running after school clubs for weeks. The principal still expected/pressured teachers to sponsor clubs without them. Those of us who teach know that the union is useless in any event.

How is this on teachers again?

Why are your teachers being asked to run after-school clubs at your school? Yes, the PTA should absolutely be on this! I am the PTA President at my child's school as well as (separately) and after-school activities vendor at other schools in the county. The way after-school activities works at many schools is the PTA selects outside vendors like - hip hop classes, yoga, art, science, etc. The PTA helps with advertising the classes, but the registration is run through the vendors, the vendors pay for after-school room rentals, have their own insurance, etc.

At our school, and a number of other schools, these outside activities vendors are required to provide 1 need-based scholarship to a student at the school per session. This helps increase access for more kids to participate.

There is no reason why Wilson Wims can't do this - if you provide your email address, I'm happy to either talk to one of your PTA board members on the phone about how to do this or send an email with info. It's really not difficult and doesn't cost the school or PTA anything, and definitely lets teachers off the hook for running clubs.

Back to Boosterthon - I'm the poster above who said to get on the PTA board if you want to get rid of Boosterthon - that's exactly what I did at my school. There are many other ways of raising money for the PTA without running a program that goes against MCPS and National PTA guidelines for fundraising activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like they are planning one at Wilson Wims ES.

They're in the middle of it. As a parent I don't like it. My kid is in K and totally focused on the prizes. Plus it seems like a lot of work on the teachers part to track progress and hand out the corresponding prizes.

I also work in a high FARMS school and it kind of makes me mad that there is such a discrepancy regarding the haves and have nots. The school will make thousands from this which is great for my kid, but that creates a further divide between schools with PTAs who can raise tons of money and schools with PTAs who can't. Some of the things Wims says they'll do with the money are additional assemblies, author visits and teacher stipends for running clubs. My students won't get any of that and teachers at my school are pressured to run clubs with no stipend because the county doesn't provide them and our PTA surely can't.

county doesn't provide them? You mean your union doesn't provide them. Your union gets the perks they want. You elect your union reps. This is on you.

Huh? The union doesn't create the budget or write the checks. We had stipends when I started 15 years ago and then they silently disappeared. We only found out after we had already been running after school clubs for weeks. The principal still expected/pressured teachers to sponsor clubs without them. Those of us who teach know that the union is useless in any event.

How is this on teachers again?

Why are your teachers being asked to run after-school clubs at your school? Yes, the PTA should absolutely be on this! I am the PTA President at my child's school as well as (separately) and after-school activities vendor at other schools in the county. The way after-school activities works at many schools is the PTA selects outside vendors like - hip hop classes, yoga, art, science, etc. The PTA helps with advertising the classes, but the registration is run through the vendors, the vendors pay for after-school room rentals, have their own insurance, etc.

At our school, and a number of other schools, these outside activities vendors are required to provide 1 need-based scholarship to a student at the school per session. This helps increase access for more kids to participate.

There is no reason why Wilson Wims can't do this - if you provide your email address, I'm happy to either talk to one of your PTA board members on the phone about how to do this or send an email with info. It's really not difficult and doesn't cost the school or PTA anything, and definitely lets teachers off the hook for running clubs.

Back to Boosterthon - I'm the poster above who said to get on the PTA board if you want to get rid of Boosterthon - that's exactly what I did at my school. There are many other ways of raising money for the PTA without running a program that goes against MCPS and National PTA guidelines for fundraising activities.

Sorry if I wasn't clear. My child attends Wims and it's like you described. There are a million club opportunities brought in by outside vendors and I guess Boosterthon money will help fund stipends for teachers who want to run additional clubs.

The school where I teach doesn't have a population that can afford clubs run by outside vendors so teachers are pressured to run after school clubs completely uncompensated. PTA doesn't have funds to give stipends to teachers who run clubs, but we are still expected to provide opportunities for students to have those experiences and there is no cost to the students. The PTA does pay for an activity bus that runs once a week but that's the extent.

That was my point about haves and have nots. Wims will raise thousands and thousands of dollars because the families will donate but schools with populations that are higher poverty do not receive the same opportunities because there isn't as much money to fund them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like they are planning one at Wilson Wims ES.

They're in the middle of it. As a parent I don't like it. My kid is in K and totally focused on the prizes. Plus it seems like a lot of work on the teachers part to track progress and hand out the corresponding prizes.

I also work in a high FARMS school and it kind of makes me mad that there is such a discrepancy regarding the haves and have nots. The school will make thousands from this which is great for my kid, but that creates a further divide between schools with PTAs who can raise tons of money and schools with PTAs who can't. Some of the things Wims says they'll do with the money are additional assemblies, author visits and teacher stipends for running clubs. My students won't get any of that and teachers at my school are pressured to run clubs with no stipend because the county doesn't provide them and our PTA surely can't.

county doesn't provide them? You mean your union doesn't provide them. Your union gets the perks they want. You elect your union reps. This is on you.

Huh? The union doesn't create the budget or write the checks. We had stipends when I started 15 years ago and then they silently disappeared. We only found out after we had already been running after school clubs for weeks. The principal still expected/pressured teachers to sponsor clubs without them. Those of us who teach know that the union is useless in any event.

How is this on teachers again?

The union absolutely does. Where have you been?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like they are planning one at Wilson Wims ES.

They're in the middle of it. As a parent I don't like it. My kid is in K and totally focused on the prizes. Plus it seems like a lot of work on the teachers part to track progress and hand out the corresponding prizes.

I also work in a high FARMS school and it kind of makes me mad that there is such a discrepancy regarding the haves and have nots. The school will make thousands from this which is great for my kid, but that creates a further divide between schools with PTAs who can raise tons of money and schools with PTAs who can't. Some of the things Wims says they'll do with the money are additional assemblies, author visits and teacher stipends for running clubs. My students won't get any of that and teachers at my school are pressured to run clubs with no stipend because the county doesn't provide them and our PTA surely can't.

county doesn't provide them? You mean your union doesn't provide them. Your union gets the perks they want. You elect your union reps. This is on you.

Huh? The union doesn't create the budget or write the checks. We had stipends when I started 15 years ago and then they silently disappeared. We only found out after we had already been running after school clubs for weeks. The principal still expected/pressured teachers to sponsor clubs without them. Those of us who teach know that the union is useless in any event.

How is this on teachers again?

Why are your teachers being asked to run after-school clubs at your school? Yes, the PTA should absolutely be on this! I am the PTA President at my child's school as well as (separately) and after-school activities vendor at other schools in the county. The way after-school activities works at many schools is the PTA selects outside vendors like - hip hop classes, yoga, art, science, etc. The PTA helps with advertising the classes, but the registration is run through the vendors, the vendors pay for after-school room rentals, have their own insurance, etc.

At our school, and a number of other schools, these outside activities vendors are required to provide 1 need-based scholarship to a student at the school per session. This helps increase access for more kids to participate.

There is no reason why Wilson Wims can't do this - if you provide your email address, I'm happy to either talk to one of your PTA board members on the phone about how to do this or send an email with info. It's really not difficult and doesn't cost the school or PTA anything, and definitely lets teachers off the hook for running clubs.

Back to Boosterthon - I'm the poster above who said to get on the PTA board if you want to get rid of Boosterthon - that's exactly what I did at my school. There are many other ways of raising money for the PTA without running a program that goes against MCPS and National PTA guidelines for fundraising activities.

Sorry if I wasn't clear. My child attends Wims and it's like you described. There are a million club opportunities brought in by outside vendors and I guess Boosterthon money will help fund stipends for teachers who want to run additional clubs.

The school where I teach doesn't have a population that can afford clubs run by outside vendors so teachers are pressured to run after school clubs completely uncompensated. PTA doesn't have funds to give stipends to teachers who run clubs, but we are still expected to provide opportunities for students to have those experiences and there is no cost to the students. The PTA does pay for an activity bus that runs once a week but that's the extent.

That was my point about haves and have nots. Wims will raise thousands and thousands of dollars because the families will donate but schools with populations that are higher poverty do not receive the same opportunities because there isn't as much money to fund them.

Have you been in touch with Big Learning regarding their after-school programs? They are a non-profit and have adjusted tuition for schools with FARMS rates over 50%. YoKid is a yoga program which offers free or low cost yoga classes in low-income schools. I believe there are other non-profits who offer similar programs. City pf Rockville offers unlimited need-based scholarships for after school programs both in-schools and otherwise, and I would imagine that City of Gaithersburg and MC Dept of recommendation are probably similar. I know of 2 high FARMS schools in Rockville that offer after school programs through City of rockville and other vendors (Twinbrook and Meadow Hall). It CAN be done. It just takes a little effort by the PTA to reach out and make it happen.

Again, even for profit activities vendors can be required by the PTA to offer 1 complete scholarship per session so lower income kids can participate in the activities.

There are definitely inequities, but there are also programs available to help reduce the inequity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boosterthon is a big scam. Our ES is hosting it again this year [W pyramid] and I hate it. Many parents complained about it last year, but they are still hosting it. I guess we will have to scream and complain louder this year.

Get on the PTA board at your school. That is how you stop it.

Surely the board, on its own, can comply with National PTA? "Children should not be the primary means of soliciting within fundraising activities." If the board doesn't care what NPTA says, then why are we paying PTA dues?