Schools auctioning off first row seats at kindergarten graduation

[Anonymous]

Who the hell wants to sit in the first row?
Amazing things people can come up with if money is needed.It's a little tacky but not crazy enough to complain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's next? First dibs on parent teacher conference times? Head of the lunch line? You kid gets to choose teams in gym? Yes, someone does get preference and it's not always random. Still, I do find it distasteful when what is being auctioned off amounts to higher social status.

What's next? Let me recite some of the things I've seen:

1) Principal for a Day (shadow the principal)
2) PE teacher for a Day (shadow the PE teacher)
3) Dedicated parking spot at school
4) Naming rights for the bus loop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's next? First dibs on parent teacher conference times? Head of the lunch line? You kid gets to choose teams in gym? Yes, someone does get preference and it's not always random. Still, I do find it distasteful when what is being auctioned off amounts to higher social status.

What's next? Let me recite some of the things I've seen:

1) Principal for a Day (shadow the principal)
2) PE teacher for a Day (shadow the PE teacher)
3) Dedicated parking spot at school
4) Naming rights for the bus loop.

BTW, these are all at public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did this for several events at my son's private school. It was always a hit. If your arguement is that the rich parents get better seats, it could be made that the more aggressive parents got them by pushing their way through the crowds or the stay-a-home parent that was able to be first in line got them if they weren't auctioned off.

I do think for an item like that, parents should be able to use volunteer hours the same as cash to bid on them.

This is a great idea and one that is much overdue.

[Anonymous]

Get a life. Who cares if you don't go there. If you want to pay $1000 to get the 1st seat more power too you. This "less" rich famil will be just fine. Jeez.

[Anonymous]

Our old private school auctioned the dedicated parking spot right next to the head's spot. One year three parents agreed to offer $15k each, and they had to expand it to three parking spaces. IMO it was gross, as others said, because it's blatantly paying for access to the head, plus every day the head gets to look upon the new sign over the parking space proclaiming "reserved for Johnny's parents."

[Anonymous]

Auctioning off teacher time, seats, etc. is elitist and not fair to people with less money. Three of my daughter's friends got a night out with their 4th grade teacher, and my daughter felt incredibly excluded. It isn't right.

[Anonymous]

Typical private school crap. At my kids' former private school they'd also auction off who got to be first in the car line for end of the day pick up. Ridiculous!

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't care at all. And I wouldn't spend $1 on this kind if crap, and we can easily afford it. I just think it is dumb.

[Anonymous]

Our school does 1st place in lunch line as well for a month..

[Anonymous]

Our private school does this and I think it's a great idea. If you don't like it and don't want to pay for it, OP, get your lazy self out of bed earlier on graduation morning and be waiting on the steps when the doors open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did this for several events at my son's private school. It was always a hit. If your arguement is that the rich parents get better seats, it could be made that the more aggressive parents got them by pushing their way through the crowds or the stay-a-home parent that was able to be first in line got them if they weren't auctioned off.

I do think for an item like that, parents should be able to use volunteer hours the same as cash to bid on them.

This is a great idea and one that is much overdue.

So the BigLaw family's SAHM who runs the auction with all her Queen Bee best friends can use their volunteering cash on top of their regular cash to sit front and center, which they would do anyway because they would come in right after their morning run, 60+ minutes before the show, and save seats for their friends so that all the uncool moms rushing in during their lunch hour have to watch them all take photos with their expensive cameras from the 3rd row. Sounds great!

[Anonymous]

So the BigLaw family's SAHM who runs the auction with all her Queen Bee best friends can use their volunteering cash on top of their regular cash to sit front and center, which they would do anyway because they would come in right after their morning run, 60+ minutes before the show, and save seats for their friends so that all the uncool moms rushing in during their lunch hour have to watch them all take photos with their expensive cameras from the 3rd row. Sounds great!

+1000 - I am not even a private school parent but this is a hilarious image.

[Anonymous]

All you people saying this is fine are profoundly unethical and should be ashamed of yourselves.

After paying for tuition and possibly writing a check for innocuous fundraising, there should be equal access to services at school (parking, lunch line, seats at graduation). The opposite just promotes envy, resentment, etc - all the evils of a class system.
Do you really want this inside your school?
The kids get plenty outside already.

I put my children in private preschool, as well as private and public schools and have not seen anyone do this yet. It's contemptible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our private school does this and I think it's a great idea. If you don't like it and don't want to pay for it, OP, get your lazy self out of bed earlier on graduation morning and be waiting on the steps when the doors open.

OP here. And yes, I do have a lazy butt, but no, we don't have preschool graduation at my kid's public school, so my lazy butt does not affect that. This was a private school parent who had bragged about being the top bidder on FB. My problem with this is not because I want or need to sit in the front row. However, I do think it sends kids the wrong message about $$$ and privilege.