There Needs to Be Enforced Equity Among PTA's

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents have no idea what the PTA can do or not do. PTA is not there to run the school and buy supplies for the teachers. However, through the PTA, creative workarounds can result in enrichment for the students and infrastructure for programing that MCPS and schools are not providing.

However, this requires a certain degree of education and sophistication from the PTA volunteers (usually moms) to navigate how they bring these programs in to the school while being in compliance with the MCPS and PTA rules.

Most of the W-Schools parent volunteers have access to lawyers (or they are lawyers themselves) and they have hit upon the solution of having an educational foundation that can bypass MCPS and PTA rules of gifts to teachers and actually fund not only classroom supplies but also bring many amazing opportunities to their students.

As a non-W school parent, I am thankful to these PTAs and educational foundation for having shown me the workaround to do something similar for my kid's school. These PTAs and Foundations are amazing resources for other parents in the county who want to bring opportunities for their children. Who is stopping us from copying them? Only our own laziness.

Yeah, no, don't try to put this on us. We are not lazy. We know how to set it up. The issue is no parent involvement and parents contribute little. That is the core problem.

[Anonymous]

I think it's interesting that the OP is lobbying to control a lot of PTA money across schools, but we all know how that will go down.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/former-pta-treasurer-charged-with-embezzlement-in-maryland/2017/10/29/29469ae0-ba6c-11e7-a908-a3470754bbb9_story.html

That PTA Treasurer was charged with embezzlement for just $45K. Ironic when you consider MCPS spent millions of federal covid grant money on bocce ball and Kid Museum.

Something's really wrong with Maryland.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, the PTA has been corrupt and I refuse to give them any more money. I give to our media specialist or to the teachers directly.

[Anonymous]

It is really sad that some teachers have spend so much of their own money on the classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is exactly why we need the kind of re-districting and bussing that the BOE was analyzing before they scrapped the plan. PTAs at rich schools are always going to do their thing. Rich parents will always find a way to pour whatever money they can into their DC's school. We can only make it more equitable by reallocating these rich families across the county schools so that they begin to enrich the poorer schools too.

There isn't enough rich people to sprinkle around MCPS like some rich aunty blessing for all the families who want an affluent upbringing without doing the effort. A Potomac mom isn't going to send her kid to some NEC school in the first place let alone pick that school up by it's boot straps when she gets there. And even if she did the poor people would compline about that rich white women coming in demanding stuff which is the only real way to change culture. If you did get one of the borderline affluent parents (a big if) who couldn't afford private (dual feds looking at you) they would just enrich their own kids with camps, tutors and classes while avoiding the meh school they were stuck in as much as possible until they came up with a plan B.

Jealousy is a horrible perspective to write policy because all you can do is strip out other peoples choices because you don't have one. In reality choices were made long before that got you to the PTA you're aligned with, what did you think the differences would be like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is really sad that some teachers have spend so much of their own money on the classrooms.

Well they shouldn't. MCPS reimburses them for all materials that support the curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents have no idea what the PTA can do or not do. PTA is not there to run the school and buy supplies for the teachers. However, through the PTA, creative workarounds can result in enrichment for the students and infrastructure for programing that MCPS and schools are not providing.

However, this requires a certain degree of education and sophistication from the PTA volunteers (usually moms) to navigate how they bring these programs in to the school while being in compliance with the MCPS and PTA rules.

Most of the W-Schools parent volunteers have access to lawyers (or they are lawyers themselves) and they have hit upon the solution of having an educational foundation that can bypass MCPS and PTA rules of gifts to teachers and actually fund not only classroom supplies but also bring many amazing opportunities to their students.

As a non-W school parent, I am thankful to these PTAs and educational foundation for having shown me the workaround to do something similar for my kid's school. These PTAs and Foundations are amazing resources for other parents in the county who want to bring opportunities for their children. Who is stopping us from copying them? Only our own laziness.

Yeah, no, don't try to put this on us. We are not lazy. We know how to set it up. The issue is no parent involvement and parents contribute little. That is the core problem.

And why is that? I tried to get involved and was refused by the president who wanted a one person show with a few minions. Sad part was they did very little.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents have no idea what the PTA can do or not do. PTA is not there to run the school and buy supplies for the teachers. However, through the PTA, creative workarounds can result in enrichment for the students and infrastructure for programing that MCPS and schools are not providing.

However, this requires a certain degree of education and sophistication from the PTA volunteers (usually moms) to navigate how they bring these programs in to the school while being in compliance with the MCPS and PTA rules.

Most of the W-Schools parent volunteers have access to lawyers (or they are lawyers themselves) and they have hit upon the solution of having an educational foundation that can bypass MCPS and PTA rules of gifts to teachers and actually fund not only classroom supplies but also bring many amazing opportunities to their students.

As a non-W school parent, I am thankful to these PTAs and educational foundation for having shown me the workaround to do something similar for my kid's school. These PTAs and Foundations are amazing resources for other parents in the county who want to bring opportunities for their children. Who is stopping us from copying them? Only our own laziness.

Yeah, no, don't try to put this on us. We are not lazy. We know how to set it up. The issue is no parent involvement and parents contribute little. That is the core problem.

Then they deserve NOTHING. Why bellyache about other parents in other schools that do contribute and their fully funded PTAs? You cannot help those who do not want to be helped.

Your problem is not other rich PTAs. Your problem is the undeserving, dysfunctional and checked out parents you want to help. So why you want to penalize the PTAs that do work well? This kind of jealousy and desire to dismantle what works for others is such an ugly and hideous look.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents have no idea what the PTA can do or not do. PTA is not there to run the school and buy supplies for the teachers. However, through the PTA, creative workarounds can result in enrichment for the students and infrastructure for programing that MCPS and schools are not providing.

However, this requires a certain degree of education and sophistication from the PTA volunteers (usually moms) to navigate how they bring these programs in to the school while being in compliance with the MCPS and PTA rules.

Most of the W-Schools parent volunteers have access to lawyers (or they are lawyers themselves) and they have hit upon the solution of having an educational foundation that can bypass MCPS and PTA rules of gifts to teachers and actually fund not only classroom supplies but also bring many amazing opportunities to their students.

As a non-W school parent, I am thankful to these PTAs and educational foundation for having shown me the workaround to do something similar for my kid's school. These PTAs and Foundations are amazing resources for other parents in the county who want to bring opportunities for their children. Who is stopping us from copying them? Only our own laziness.

Yeah, no, don't try to put this on us. We are not lazy. We know how to set it up. The issue is no parent involvement and parents contribute little. That is the core problem.

Then they deserve NOTHING. Why bellyache about other parents in other schools that do contribute and their fully funded PTAs? You cannot help those who do not want to be helped.

Your problem is not other rich PTAs. Your problem is the undeserving, dysfunctional and checked out parents you want to help. So why you want to penalize the PTAs that do work well? This kind of jealousy and desire to dismantle what works for others is such an ugly and hideous look.

Who wants to dismantle anything? Keep up lady. We are simply stating that the MCCPTA can reorganize so that they can efficiently help schools that need help the most. And get out of your bubble- schools that need help aren't full of underserving, dysfunctional and checked out parents. Have you thought that maybe there are parents at these schools who do want to help but don't have the big pockets to spend on membership fees and donations?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is really sad that some teachers have spend so much of their own money on the classrooms.

Well they shouldn't. MCPS reimburses them for all materials that support the curriculum.

This may be true but 1. it doesn't reimburse them for buying all of the materials needed in the classroom because kids don't have supplies that they should and 2. it's a total PITA to get the materials from MCPS and they are limited to what MCPS will provide (which is not always the better quality version). So they ask the PTA because at wealthier schools, $50 here and there is a drop in the bucket and no PTA president is going to go fight MCPS for a small amount of money that they have sitting in their bank accounts. Teachers are happy and they stay at those schools because these are the little things that add up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is really sad that some teachers have spend so much of their own money on the classrooms.

Well they shouldn't. MCPS reimburses them for all materials that support the curriculum.

This may be true but 1. it doesn't reimburse them for buying all of the materials needed in the classroom because kids don't have supplies that they should and 2. it's a total PITA to get the materials from MCPS and they are limited to what MCPS will provide (which is not always the better quality version). So they ask the PTA because at wealthier schools, $50 here and there is a drop in the bucket and no PTA president is going to go fight MCPS for a small amount of money that they have sitting in their bank accounts. Teachers are happy and they stay at those schools because these are the little things that add up.

Well, PTA rules no longer allow for that. If a teacher needs something- they go to the Principal. If the Principal can prove that MCPS can't provide it, then they purchase it and PTA can reimburse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is really sad that some teachers have spend so much of their own money on the classrooms.

Well they shouldn't. MCPS reimburses them for all materials that support the curriculum.

As if.

[Anonymous]

Real question is where do all the dues to MCCPTA go?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's interesting that the OP is lobbying to control a lot of PTA money across schools, but we all know how that will go down.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/former-pta-treasurer-charged-with-embezzlement-in-maryland/2017/10/29/29469ae0-ba6c-11e7-a908-a3470754bbb9_story.html

That PTA Treasurer was charged with embezzlement for just $45K. Ironic when you consider MCPS spent millions of federal covid grant money on bocce ball and Kid Museum.

Something's really wrong with Maryland.

When the MCCPTA President at the time realized what was happening he held an audit and contacted the police. And, MCCPTA was made whole by their insirance policy.

So why are you bringing up this old news that is not relevant?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's interesting that the OP is lobbying to control a lot of PTA money across schools, but we all know how that will go down.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/former-pta-treasurer-charged-with-embezzlement-in-maryland/2017/10/29/29469ae0-ba6c-11e7-a908-a3470754bbb9_story.html

That PTA Treasurer was charged with embezzlement for just $45K. Ironic when you consider MCPS spent millions of federal covid grant money on bocce ball and Kid Museum.

Something's really wrong with Maryland.

When the MCCPTA President at the time realized what was happening he held an audit and contacted the police. And, MCCPTA was made whole by their insirance policy.

So why are you bringing up this old news that is not relevant?

Its good they acted but they also have little transparency. Why aren't their meeting notes updated online?
https://www.mccpta.org/minutes.html