"student support fees" in upper NW DCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our upper NW DCPS asks for a student support fee each year of between $500-1000 per kid.
I've never paid it despite having the money and contributing approx $20-30K a year to other charities.
It just rubs me the wrong way---the idea that we (the wealthy) can subsidize our public education.
I do spend money at the auction but somehow this seems different and better than just handing over the cash.
I'd rather subsidize schools across the park than hand over a few thousand to my school in the form of the student support fee.
Anyone else feel the same way? (and can articulate this better?) I can't even put my finger on it exactly but the idea of paying
this money just feels yucky.

Don't worry OP, you are covered, I and other parents are paying for the aide helping your kid in Class, the enrichment coordinator who makes sure your child is "challenged" and never "bored" (the nightmare of any good DCUM parent, a child bored in pre-k because the curriculum is not sufficiently challenging!) for the electronic equipment he/she is using in Class , the gardening activities (oops, outdoor learning activities) your kids enjoys so much, the many free field trips (they were paid for by the HSA in case you were wondering, so all kids could go, not just yours) and the many other things helped your child thrive this year (and I do not even have 30K to throw around for charities, but I made a point to pay what the school asked for). oh, enjoy the week at the beach you got at the auction for half the market rate. nothing like getting a really good deal on the guise of helping the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I agree with you. I do the same things. I don't donate to my kids school except for field trip costs, etc. Even field trips for high SES kids I think are pretty silly. Almost every kid at my kids' school is taken to museums, parks, etc. I don't think my kids have not been to a place where they have later gone on a school field trip. I also don't think there needs to be extra teachers such as an art teacher when poor kids in the city don't also have access to a parent funded art teacher. I don't think kids need iPads or smartboards at school either. It somehow rubs me the wrong way too. My kids are really easy kids to educate. Bright, advanced academically, no social problems, no behavior problems. Basically average kids when compared to other higher SES families. They would do fine without all the extras. I had one PTA parent chide me for not donating when her kid uses up a substantial amount of services (one-to-one aide, special education) . I don't begrudge her kids getting services but she should realize that her kid costs substantially more to educate than mine. I never said anything to her and just walked away.It is up to the school district to provide a basic level of education to everyone regardless of whether parents donate.

OP here.
Exactly. I'd rather put my donations to charities that really need it than to enriching the lives of kids (mine own included) that already have so much. My kids don't need the field trips, smart boards, iPads, or even the aides in the classroom. They would do fine. I actually don't agree with padding their elementary school experience with all these extras. We owned our house LONG before we used the school and bought it before kids. We didn't buy for the schools but it seems stupid to pay $100K (for both sides of a real estate transaction) to sell and end up in a worse school. But I don't have to pay for the crazy extras that our schools insists we as parents subsidize. I fundamentally don't think they're necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our upper NW DCPS asks for a student support fee each year of between $500-1000 per kid.
I've never paid it despite having the money and contributing approx $20-30K a year to other charities.
It just rubs me the wrong way---the idea that we (the wealthy) can subsidize our public education.
I do spend money at the auction but somehow this seems different and better than just handing over the cash.
I'd rather subsidize schools across the park than hand over a few thousand to my school in the form of the student support fee.
Anyone else feel the same way? (and can articulate this better?) I can't even put my finger on it exactly but the idea of paying
this money just feels yucky.

Don't worry OP, you are covered, I and other parents are paying for the aide helping your kid in Class, the enrichment coordinator who makes sure your child is "challenged" and never "bored" (the nightmare of any good DCUM parent, a child bored in pre-k because the curriculum is not sufficiently challenging!) for the electronic equipment he/she is using in Class , the gardening activities (oops, outdoor learning activities) your kids enjoys so much, the many free field trips (they were paid for by the HSA in case you were wondering, so all kids could go, not just yours) and the many other things helped your child thrive this year (and I do not even have 30K to throw around for charities, but I made a point to pay what the school asked for). oh, enjoy the week at the beach you got at the auction for half the market rate. nothing like getting a really good deal on the guise of helping the school.

I think OP's point is her kids are average higher SES kids (meaning bright, academically advanced kids who will always have advantages in life that poor kids won't), so her kids don't need an aide, don't need an enrichment coordinator, don't need electronics in the classroom, nor gardening, nor field trips. In comparison to the many poor kids in the city, her kids will do well with a basic education. Just like mine will. Poor kids really do need more resources. It isn't equitable that there isn't an enrichment coordinator nor gardening activities in poor schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You give $20-30,000 to charity every year?!? Actual cash donations?

Wow, I'm impressed. I'm not that charitable, I guess.

yes, actual cash. HHI about $300K

Advice from your tax accountant...

Sounds more like tithing than tax advice. Maybe double duty.

yes, we grew up in families that tithed and we're no longer very religious (and contribute almost exclusively to non-religious charities) our 10% giving does come out of a history of tithing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our upper NW DCPS asks for a student support fee each year of between $500-1000 per kid.
I've never paid it despite having the money and contributing approx $20-30K a year to other charities.
It just rubs me the wrong way---the idea that we (the wealthy) can subsidize our public education.
I do spend money at the auction but somehow this seems different and better than just handing over the cash.
I'd rather subsidize schools across the park than hand over a few thousand to my school in the form of the student support fee.
Anyone else feel the same way? (and can articulate this better?) I can't even put my finger on it exactly but the idea of paying
this money just feels yucky.

Don't worry OP, you are covered, I and other parents are paying for the aide helping your kid in Class, the enrichment coordinator who makes sure your child is "challenged" and never "bored" (the nightmare of any good DCUM parent, a child bored in pre-k because the curriculum is not sufficiently challenging!) for the electronic equipment he/she is using in Class , the gardening activities (oops, outdoor learning activities) your kids enjoys so much, the many free field trips (they were paid for by the HSA in case you were wondering, so all kids could go, not just yours) and the many other things helped your child thrive this year (and I do not even have 30K to throw around for charities, but I made a point to pay what the school asked for). oh, enjoy the week at the beach you got at the auction for half the market rate. nothing like getting a really good deal on the guise of helping the school.

I think OP's point is her kids are average higher SES kids (meaning bright, academically advanced kids who will always have advantages in life that poor kids won't), so her kids don't need an aide, don't need an enrichment coordinator, don't need electronics in the classroom, nor gardening, nor field trips. In comparison to the many poor kids in the city, her kids will do well with a basic education. Just like mine will. Poor kids really do need more resources. It isn't equitable that there isn't an enrichment coordinator nor gardening activities in poor schools.

BINGO x a million.
OP here.
If I have money to give, I'm not giving it to kids who already have every advantage---even if they're my own kids.
My kids DON'T NEED the enrichment, the bee hives, the garden, the smart boards, the field trips around town etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I agree with you. I do the same things. I don't donate to my kids school except for field trip costs, etc. Even field trips for high SES kids I think are pretty silly. Almost every kid at my kids' school is taken to museums, parks, etc. I don't think my kids have not been to a place where they have later gone on a school field trip. I also don't think there needs to be extra teachers such as an art teacher when poor kids in the city don't also have access to a parent funded art teacher. I don't think kids need iPads or smartboards at school either. It somehow rubs me the wrong way too. My kids are really easy kids to educate. Bright, advanced academically, no social problems, no behavior problems. Basically average kids when compared to other higher SES families. They would do fine without all the extras. I had one PTA parent chide me for not donating when her kid uses up a substantial amount of services (one-to-one aide, special education) . I don't begrudge her kids getting services but she should realize that her kid costs substantially more to educate than mine. I never said anything to her and just walked away.It is up to the school district to provide a basic level of education to everyone regardless of whether parents donate.

No SMARTBOARDS or other teacher resources, OMG do you still use rabbit ears on your TV? There's always one, and this time my dear, it's you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our upper NW DCPS asks for a student support fee each year of between $500-1000 per kid.
I've never paid it despite having the money and contributing approx $20-30K a year to other charities.
It just rubs me the wrong way---the idea that we (the wealthy) can subsidize our public education.
I do spend money at the auction but somehow this seems different and better than just handing over the cash.
I'd rather subsidize schools across the park than hand over a few thousand to my school in the form of the student support fee.
Anyone else feel the same way? (and can articulate this better?) I can't even put my finger on it exactly but the idea of paying
this money just feels yucky.

Don't worry OP, you are covered, I and other parents are paying for the aide helping your kid in Class, the enrichment coordinator who makes sure your child is "challenged" and never "bored" (the nightmare of any good DCUM parent, a child bored in pre-k because the curriculum is not sufficiently challenging!) for the electronic equipment he/she is using in Class , the gardening activities (oops, outdoor learning activities) your kids enjoys so much, the many free field trips (they were paid for by the HSA in case you were wondering, so all kids could go, not just yours) and the many other things helped your child thrive this year (and I do not even have 30K to throw around for charities, but I made a point to pay what the school asked for). oh, enjoy the week at the beach you got at the auction for half the market rate. nothing like getting a really good deal on the guise of helping the school.

I think OP's point is her kids are average higher SES kids (meaning bright, academically advanced kids who will always have advantages in life that poor kids won't), so her kids don't need an aide, don't need an enrichment coordinator, don't need electronics in the classroom, nor gardening, nor field trips. In comparison to the many poor kids in the city, her kids will do well with a basic education. Just like mine will. Poor kids really do need more resources. It isn't equitable that there isn't an enrichment coordinator nor gardening activities in poor schools.

All very true, so I am shocked to hear her kids are stealing a spot at their school from someone who needs it more.

[Anonymous]

OP, you are freeloading on the generosity of other parents at your school. You can call it whatever you choose. Why not keep your kids home on the field trip days if they are so meaningless to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you are freeloading on the generosity of other parents at your school. You can call it whatever you choose. Why not keep your kids home on the field trip days if they are so meaningless to you?

Op pays the $100 field trip fee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you are freeloading on the generosity of other parents at your school. You can call it whatever you choose. Why not keep your kids home on the field trip days if they are so meaningless to you?

NP here. Sure OP is freeloading at her school. If she upped her annual donations by $1K would you argue that she has a moral obligation to put it toward student support fees? An argument could be made for her to support one of any number of charities instead... and that her money would go farther if she did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you are freeloading on the generosity of other parents at your school. You can call it whatever you choose. Why not keep your kids home on the field trip days if they are so meaningless to you?

NP here. Sure OP is freeloading at her school. If she upped her annual donations by $1K would you argue that she has a moral obligation to put it toward student support fees? An argument could be made for her to support one of any number of charities instead... and that her money would go farther if she did.

Exactly. Why is there some sort of moral obligation to pay whatever the school asks?
What if the school ups it to $5k so they can buy each student a pet monkey?
Where is the limit?
A person is not financially or morally obligated to pay a school thousands of dollars a year in student support fees simply because the school asks for the money and deems it necessary for supplementing the education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You give $20-30,000 to charity every year?!? Actual cash donations?

Wow, I'm impressed. I'm not that charitable, I guess.

yes, actual cash. HHI about $300K

Give the money, but say that you don't want YOUR kids to used ipads or what ever else was a no-no for you. You don't know exactly where your dollars go, maybe it is the field trip.
Also, something is just off with your post.

[Anonymous]

OP you are an idiot.

[Anonymous]

OP, why do you send your kids to this school? Do you ever attend an HSA meeting to discuss how much the student fee is and how it is spent? Do you ever discuss it with other parents at your school and make an effort to change the way the money is spent? Do you ever make it known to the teachers that your child doesn't need the extras you mention?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, why do you send your kids to this school? Do you ever attend an HSA meeting to discuss how much the student fee is and how it is spent? Do you ever discuss it with other parents at your school and make an effort to change the way the money is spent? Do you ever make it known to the teachers that your child doesn't need the extras you mention?

Because i live in the neighborhood. I'm not going to 1) sell my house over this issue at the cost of $100K in real estate transactions 2) drive my kids to another school over this issue when they can walk to this one.